Gov. Perry should focus on governance, not godliness

Texas Governor, and possible GOP presidential candidate, Rick Perry has endorsed ‘The Response’ a prayer event scheduled for August 6 in Texas. “As a nation, we must come together and call upon Jesus to guide us through unprecedented struggles, and thank Him for the blessings of freedom we so richly enjoy,” Perry wrote on the event’s official Web site. Perry’s critics are concerned about his distinctly Christian approachto public prayer as well as his association, through ‘The Response,’ with several problematic pastors, among them John Hagee, controversial for his comments on Israel, the Roman Catholic Church and Islam, and C. Peter Wagner, who has suggested that the Catholic veneration of saints is an evil practice. Should politicians be judged by the relig ious company they keep?

Texas Gov. Rick Perry has no business sponsoring a prayer service. His job is to run the state, not act as an evangelist. In Perry’s case, it is even worse that he set it up as a (fundamentalist) Christian religious observance, although kindly noting that all are welcome – presumably welcome to be converted.

The political nature of this event is also obvious from his invitation to the 49 other governors to join him on August 6. Wouldn’t it be a boost to his nascent presidential ambitions to be able to get even a substantial percentage of his colleagues to go to Houston in the heat and humidity of mid-August to hear that God will help them solve their pension deficits and foundering health care systems?

Why, may I ask, does a governor need to convene a religious service? I know that Texas may be wanting for public school classrooms and aid to those in need, but I have never heard of a dearth of preachers in the Lone Star State. Let the pastors set up religious events; let governors work on their jobs: fixing roads, making healthcare affordable, and paying the public servants who try to keep their communities safe, educated, and responsive to citizens’ needs.

By the way, I recently did a little video on this matter. I assure you that it contains no nudity, but a bolo tie and an armadillo are featured.

Barry Lynn  | Jul 13, 2011 1:58 PM