Thousands gather in Washington DC for daylong America-themed prayer rally

White House-backed event billed as One Nation Under God' criticized for blurring lines between church and state

Thousands of people streamed on to the National Mall for a daylong prayer rally on Sunday billed as a rededication of our country as One Nation Under God".

Against the backdrop of the Washington Monument, worship music blared from a stage that made clear the event's Christian focus. Arched stained-glass windows, set underneath grand columns resembling a federal building, depicted the nation's founders alongside a white cross.