In short, prayer is a unifying, not a dividing, force. Yet, such pressure does not necessarily produce compromise. Simply look at Senate Chaplain Lloyd Ogilvie, or his predecessor Dick Halverson, or their predecessor Peter Marshall, or many more who prove otherwise. Finally, the argument is advanced that having a chaplain wrongly takes the place of a congressman joining a church. Good idea-but only on paper.
Reality is quite different.
I personally know several godly members of Congress who no longer attend church in Washington. Because too many insensitive parishioners lobby them at church. What should have been a time of worship, edification, and refreshing unfortunately became just another day of contending with a constituency. The chaplaincy, responding to this need, has begun a number of activities for congressmen so that they can fellowship, worship God, and be edified through a regular, systematic study of the Scriptures. In fact, there are now over 120 members of Congress active in weekly Bible studies and prayer meetings.