More than 30,000 people packed Houston's Reliant Stadium to attend Republican Texas Gov. Rick Perry's mega prayerfest named "The Response," a clarion call to all Christian Americans for a national day of prayer for our troubled nation.
But lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) Americans -- Christians and non-Christians -- were not invited.
And you wouldn't have known it from Gov. Rick Perry's remarks:
"I'm so humbled to be in the midst of men and women who have answered the call to prayer and fast for our nation. ...Like all of you, I love this country deeply, thank you all for being here."
But the American Family Association (AFA), one of the largest and most influential traditional family values organizations in the country that has over two million online supporters, financed the event. This Tupelo, Mississippi-based Christian group has activity lobbied against the acceptance of LGBTQ Americans by publicly stating, "We oppose the homosexual movement's efforts to convince our society that their behavior is normal." The AFA unapologetically promotes the idea that homosexuality is a lifestyle choice that can be cured through religious teachings in ex-gay ministries. The organization focuses its anti-gay crusade primarily through television and other media, both nationally and abroad.
For example, in 2007, the AFA spoke out against IKEA for featuring lesbian and gay families in their television ads. In June 2008, the AFA protested a Heinz television ad, shown in the UK, for featuring two men kissing, and Heinz withdrew the ad. And in July 2008, the AFA boycotted of McDonald's because McDonald's had a director on its board from the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.
But AFA wasn't the only anti-LGBTQ organization at the rally. Representatives from Tony Perkins's Family Research Council and Dr. James Dobson's Focus on the Family also attended.
Perry stated "The Response" wasn't a disguised platform for his political aspiration to run for the presidency in 2012, but rather a simple Christian rally praying for all Americans, even Obama, during these difficult times.
"We pray for our nation's leaders, Lord, for parents, for pastors, for the generals, for governors, that you would inspire them in these difficult times," Perry told those gathered at Reliant Stadium. "Father, we pray for our President, that you would impart your wisdom upon him, that you would protect his family."
However, I am confused about Perry's role serving the American people. If Perry were a minister who had the backing of anti-gay organizations, I wouldn't be so troubled. But Perry is a governor, whose oath to office is to represent not simply his evangelical conservative base, but rather every citizen in the Lone Star State.
Who would have ever thought that the hard earned gains that have been won to separate the church -- an institution that summarily can and has excluded LGBT people -- from the state -- an institution that we have leverage to be included in -- would once again be violated by an elected official, and a Texan no less?
Perry states if he considers a presidential run it will be done in part out of a religious calling. And no doubt, a calling to bow to the Christian Right.
And would we, LGBTQ Americans, not re-experience the Bush era?
Baby Bush (George Walker) unapologetically espoused a theocratic model for government to effect laws and government structures according to his Christian ideal -- an ideal that never worked, on the best of his days in office -- that egregiously violated the civil rights LGBTQ Americans.
Did I wish Bush had concealed his zeal as a born-again Christian? Not at all!
"Freedom of religion is a good thing. So is freedom from the religion others may wish to impose on those who differ," wrote Charles Kimball, author of When Religion Becomes Evil.
American democracy suffers when people have to be closeted about their faith because it fosters a climate of religious intolerance. And while our Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, and not freedom from religion, it prohibits the establishment of a state religion. Bush, however, molded his presidency into that of a Christian church-state. And in so doing, his theistic imperative was solely to do the will of God and not the will of the American people.
And in so doing, Bush's eliding of church and state boundaries diminished not only his political authority as a world leader that he so cherished, but it also diminishes one of the central objectives he wanted to obtain during his presidency -- moral authority.
Perry's rally positioned him as having moral authority, but he's no friend to LGBTQ Americans. He opposes same-sex marriages, and he vehemently opposed the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Lawrence vs. Texas, which struck down a Texas same-sex anti-sodomy law.
However, for Perry to have moral authority, he cannot as a governor call Americans to a Christian rally that by its invitation and sponsors exclude LGBT people, Jews, Muslims, Atheists, and many others. And he cannot impose his religious views into the fabric of American democracy.
Rev. Rich Rose: A Transgender Sister in Christ
Get with it wanna be Christians...
The Spirit knows your heart...
:-)
All hat believe on Him. You are in for a rude awakening...
! Peter 4:18 "AND IF IT IS WITH DIFFICULTY THAT THE RIGHTEOUS IS SAVED, WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE GODLESS MAN AND THE SINNER?"
And if they're already whole, you want to break them. Healthy people have no use for such nonsense.
This statement is ridiculous and illogical. It is a CHRISTIAN rally, not an an interfaith rally, so you yes you can exclude by invitation Jews, Muslims atheists and others, doubt they would even want to attend.
On the LGBT point, they did not exclude this community. They did not say they werent welcome. By the make up of the rally its clear that again this group would seldom want to attend the event for both political and religious reasons(this particular sect) Even as governor he calling for a private prayer event he can work with the development of the event in a way he is most familiar with. If it were an official state function(it would have been illegal and not occurred) but assuming it actually did for a moment, THEN it would have had to been representative of ALL the state residents of Christian faith.
To suggest anything else is spurious.
Jesus saith..."As Isaiah the prophet said...You peope draweth nigh unto me with your lips, but your heart is far from me. In vain do you worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Paul went on to say we should not even eat with such immoral people let alone pray with them.
Kinda like every Republican with his or her hat in the ring right now. The rest of us don't exist for them.
That's close. People who want to pay attention to the likes of Perry should look into Dominionism and its believers' plans for the rest of us.
LOL!
Nothing was said about "requirement", but you sure sounded horrified at the notion:)
2 funny!
Religion is a lifestyle choice, being gay is not. Christians can change (by choice) their stance on a variety of issues simply by questioning them. Why is any Christian anti-gay? It's because they've been taught to be anti-gay. I highly doubt that these religious followers have taken the time to learn about gay people and their arguments for inclusion. I highly doubt it. How can anyone can claim to be "secure in their faith" when they haven't even taken the time to test it. That's not security; it's willful ignorance.
On another note, it is amazing to me that God would have the foresight to condemn homosexuality in the Bible but not slavery; despite the tens of millions of African slaves who either died or were purchased during the African slave trade; not to mention the slavery that still continues to this day. Especially, when the Bible was used to justify so much of it.
But, no, God made sure that at least one constant was communicated over the next few thousand years. Homosexuality is wrong and if you have slaves, just treat them nicely.
Makes perfect sense.
I don;t see a problem with not inviting other religions to a christian event, much the same as I would have no problem with Them doing the same.
After many of them are folded due to increased taxes, good luck with making up the slack in the services they provided through higher taxes.
Republican party platform is distinguishly simple:
-There are white and male Americans and there are other Americans
-There are religious right Christian conservative Americans and there are other Americans
-There are wealthy, powerful, and influential Americans and there are other Americans
Which GOP Americans you don't understand?
-There are white and male Americans and there are others
-There are religious right Christian conservatiÂve Americans and there are others
-There are wealthy, powerful, and influentiaÂl Americans and there are others