Rick Perry Urges Other Governors To Join Him At Prayer Event For 'Nation In Crisis'

By Jim Forsyth - Sun Jun 5, 6:19 pm ET

SAN ANTONIO -- Saying "there is hope for America, and we will find it on our knees," Texas Governor Rick Perry has invited other governors to join him in a "solemn gathering of prayer and fasting" in August in Houston, according to the event's website.

Perry, who said recently he is considering a run for the Republican nomination to contest the presidency in 2012 against Barack Obama, has frequently made calls for prayer while governor.

"I sincerely hope you'll join me in Houston on August 6th and take your place in Reliant Stadium with praying people asking for God's forgiveness, wisdom and provision," Perry wrote in materials promoting the event, called "The Response, a Call to Prayer for a Nation in Crisis."

A message on the event's website says it is in response to a historic crisis and calls it "a non-denominational, apolitical Christian prayer meeting," with the goal "to rise up and make a sound that will be heard in heaven."

The site says Perry "has invited all US governors as well as many other national and Christian political leaders."

"Right now, America is in crisis," Perry says in a message on the site. "We have been besieged by financial debt, terrorism, and a multitude of natural disasters. As a nation, we must come together, and call upon Jesus to guide us..."

Perry's spokeswoman could not be reached for comment on the August event on Sunday.

Eric Bearse, a spokesman for The Response, said on Sunday: "The governor told the American Family Association about a month ago that we need to call Americans together for a time of prayer."

Bearse said the Mississippi-based American Family Association, a conservative Christian activist group, is paying for the event, and admission will not be charged.

In April, when Texas was in the middle of wildfires that burned nearly 3 million acres of the state, Perry issued an official proclamation calling for three "pray for rain days."

Last week, he urged a federal appeals court to overturn a ruling that prohibited graduating seniors at a Texas high school to pray during their commencement address.

(Editing by Jerry Norton)

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for Restrictions.

Comments

[backekuchen]

01:01 PM on 07/14/2011

Prayers for the country---no problem. Political leaders organizing it---that's where the problem is. Religious leaders, not politicians, should be organizing and promoting such events.

[Don Kezima]

12:41 PM on 06/09/2011

Quack, quack, quack.

[cnowrms1]

05:07 AM on 06/08/2011

Prayers help. Thunderstorms were reported in TX the other day.

[galanos1]

05:21 PM on 06/10/2011

Thank God for everyone that helped and Prayed with me.

[cnowrms1]

05:03 AM on 06/08/2011

Just joking, but how many showed up with umbrellas for the rain prayer?

[ChrisDWard]

09:08 PM on 06/07/2011

Was reading about this Governor's job performance and the state of his state as it compares to others (level of literacy, high school grads, health care outcomes, housing, employment, etc), and it ranks close to the bottom for most key indicators, and was dead last in some important areas. This guy needs to stop relying on prayer and get busy DOING SOMETHING to improve the lives of Texans. My god, he should be ashamed of himself wasting time on this crap.

[2smart2BGOP]

07:42 PM on 06/07/2011

I'll bet you dollars to donuts that he will announce his candidacy for president during his prayer meeting.He is sucking up to the evangelical right big time.I am a Christian but find it offensive that his prayer meeting is promoted exclusively for Christians.As if other religions are'nt good enough to pray for America.

[Gurthee]

03:04 PM on 06/07/2011

His head is obviously void of answers so communicating telepathically with his sky wizard is the only thing he can think of. Go ahead and secede Texas, just make sure you learn Spanish if you live there because it will soon become part of Mexico.
*note to self: avoid entering Texas at all costs.

[scoobanchi]

02:49 PM on 06/07/2011

Dear, Jebus. Please give Rick Perry the strength to leave your name and ideas out of my life and my life choices. And after you finish with this request... can I PLEASE ride your unicorn over a double rainbow!!?

[Keyop]

06:46 AM on 06/07/2011

Pleeease, cheesy idea, havent you been praying for rain but satans burning you state.

[Hobsonschoice]

02:36 AM on 06/07/2011

OK, governor, we get it. You're trolling for evangelicals in the usual way, getting ready to declare that candidacy any time now.

[ChrisDWard]

09:10 PM on 06/07/2011

FF!!! Plus, I like anyone who's 'relentlessly curious.'

[Okiemama]

10:43 PM on 06/06/2011

From knowing people who have friends who work for Perry, I can say that Perry, like Newt Gingrich, does not believe half of what he says. He is playing to the base. For Perry it is about power and position. Texas is in a mess right now. Deficit as large as California's, larger than New York's, ranks near the bottom in educational spending per pupil (and it is going to get worse), more residents without health insurance than there are people in 33 states, and one of the highest percentages of children living below the poverty line in the country. And don't make the mistake of going there looking for work. In spite of the glowing reports Forbes gives it, jobs are getting hard to come by in Texas. Perry does not have time to deal with all that. He is too busy praying to please his followers.

[ChrisDWard]

09:19 PM on 06/07/2011

Absolutely, totally obvious! He's just "trolling for Evangelicals" as another poster here said. I was just reading about the terrible state of Texas and where it ranks for key indicators, and it's dead last in some areas, and near the bottom in others. Terrible!! He should be ashamed of himself for doing such a poor job for the citizens of Texas. I'm not a Texan, but I wouldn't re-elect this man if my life depended on it. He's a total phony and a do-nothing.

[solitude1951]

10:14 PM on 06/06/2011

This dude is a Barnum playing to the rubes.

[Aerin Gael]

12:50 PM on 06/12/2011

[ProudMilVet]

08:17 PM on 06/06/2011

What's sad is the fact that if this hypocrit does run for President he could very well win. This is one messed up nation.

[Jonathan Siedow]

12:09 PM on 06/07/2011

Agreed.

[ProudMilVet]

08:13 PM on 06/06/2011

Although i consider myself religious, my religion is my own private business. Why are we the only industrialized nation that makes complete fools of ourselves like this ?

[Totto]

08:11 PM on 06/06/2011

Rev. Perry will accept donations at Sunday's Sunrise Service. Unfortunately, he will not be present due to the after-effects of Saturday night's Debauchery And Gluttony Feast.