Rethinking the Constitutionality of Ceremonial Deism, 96 Colum. L. Rev. 2083, 2174, fn. 138 (1996).  For example, at President Kennedy's inauguration in 1961 Cardinal Cushing and Archbishop lakovos each began their prayer by reciting "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."  The 1977 inaugural prayer concluded with the words "in the name of Jesus Christ, Thy Son and our Savior."  The prayer for President Clinton and Vice-President Gore in 1993 was said "in the name of the One who was called Wonderful Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace."  Jd. (internal citations omitted.)
The same analysis that was applied to legislative prayer in Marsh v. Chambers should be applied to determine whether Christian references in inaugural prayer violate the Establishment Clause.  In Marsh the Court noted that the prayer opportunity had not been "exploited to proselytize or advance any one, or to disparage any other, faith or belief."  Marsh, 463 U.S. at 794-5.
Certainly, Newdow can point to nothing in Reverend Graham's prayer (or, for that matter, in the prayers recited every four years since 1937) that could be viewed as disparaging to any other faith or belief, even to atheism; or as an effort to convert anyone to the Christian faith; or as an effort to advance Christianity. The prayer is simply a reflection of'Reverend's Graham's personal beliefs. /// /// ///
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