Perry's Planned Prayer Event Riles Critics

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Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s latest call for a day of prayer is being met by a chorus of boos from critics who say the potential presidential candidate is showing favoritism toward Christianity and violating the separation of church and state.
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Perry has ordered a day of prayer and fasting on Aug. 6 to “seek God’s guidance and wisdom in addressing the challenges that face our communities, states and nation." It is part of what is being described as a non-denominational, apolitical, Christian prayer meeting hosted by the American Family Association at Reliant Stadium in Houston.
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Perry will participate in the all-day event that encourages people to bring a Bible and a notebook. Perry has invited every governor in the country to attend, and he is urging them to issue similar proclamations.
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“Given the trials that beset our nation and world, from the global economic downturn to natural disasters, the lingering danger of terrorism and continued debasement of our culture, I believe it is time to convene the leaders from each of our United States in a day of prayer and fasting, like that described in the book of Joel,” he said in a written statement.
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“I urge all Americans of faith to pray on that day for the healing of our country, the rebuilding of our communities and the restoration of enduring values as our guiding force,” he said.
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But the Secular Coalition for America, the national lobby for secular and nontheistic Americans, has called on all elected officials to reject Perry’s invitation, saying the event favors Christianity over other religions and beliefs.
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“The last thing our officials should do in times of national struggle is promote a divisive religious event that proposes no real solutions to our country’s real-world problems,” said Sean Faircloth, executive director of the organization.
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“Calling upon all Americans to embrace Perry’s personal belief system is an insult to the millions of upstanding citizens who practice religions other than evangelical Christianity, as well as the millions of secular Americans who contribute to society without pushing their views on others,” he said. “Religion should be a private matter, especially for elected officials in a secular government.”
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Read more: foxnews.com/politics/2011/06/07/perrys-planned-prayer-event-draws-condemnation/#ixzz1OegsrMZ5
 
“Religion should be a private matter, especially for elected officials in a secular government.”

There’s the key point. Is the guiding principle secularism or religious freedom? These are by no means the same thing.
 
I will send a letter to Gov. Beebe here is Arkansas asking him to attend on August 6. Governor Perry is standing up for religious freedom and calling for a day of prayer and atonement for our country which has jumped the tracks of the founding principles of life liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all, the freedom of religious expression and the reclamation of the moral principles we hold so dear. This is what I love about the South.😃
 
The way I look at this is America has traditionally been a christian nation.We should never lose that.Its our heritage.we’ve always allowed immigration but that should not effect how we as a nation began or should continue to be.I say yes to Gov.Perry and if the minorities in this country don’t approve then they don’t have to attend.If they want to have a rally let them.I won’t get in their way.But no group should be allowed to try stop America from being what she is.
 
valentino said:
The way I look at this is America has traditionally been a christian nation.We should never lose that.Its our heritage.we’ve always allowed immigration but that should not effect how we as a nation began or should continue to be.I say yes to Gov.Perry and if the minorities in this country don’t approve then they don’t have to attend.If they want to have a rally let them.I won’t get in their way.But no group should be allowed to try stop America from being what she is.
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And, she is NOT a Christian nation. Not a single founding document calls America a Christian nation, nor is Jesus Christ mentioned in any. America as a “Christian nation” is a fundamentalist Evangelical belief.
 
Rich_Olszewski said:
And, she is NOT a Christian nation. Not a single founding document calls America a Christian nation, nor is Jesus Christ mentioned in any. America as a “Christian nation” is a fundamentalist Evangelical belief.
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Even so, what is the problem with Perry calling willing governors together to voluntarily gather to pray for the nation?
 
Rich_Olszewski said:
And, she is NOT a Christian nation. Not a single founding document calls America a Christian nation, nor is Jesus Christ mentioned in any. America as a “Christian nation” is a fundamentalist Evangelical belief.
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Not so. This nation was founded in Christian-Judeo values. Just because the word “Christ” or “Christian” was not mentioned in our founding documents does not change that fact. Virtually the entire population was Christian of one denomination or another during the founding. Where do you think we got “endowed with their their creator certain inalienable rights” from? Atheists? Agnostics? Buddhists?
 
Rich_Olszewski said:
And, she is NOT a Christian nation. Not a single founding document calls America a Christian nation, nor is Jesus Christ mentioned in any. America as a “Christian nation” is a fundamentalist Evangelical belief.
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it doesn’t have to be written in any documents to be true. The founding fathers and the vast majority of the population were Christian. That is why it is said that America is a traditionally a Christian nation.

Any poll taken today would still reflect that America is a Christian nation. The government may be secular but the nation is Christian by a majority.
 
Rich_Olszewski said:
And, she is NOT a Christian nation. Not a single founding document calls America a Christian nation, nor is Jesus Christ mentioned in any. America as a “Christian nation” is a fundamentalist Evangelical belief.
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Don’t you think it’s a but narrow minded?

If the majority of the early Americans were all Muslim, we would be a Muslim nation.

When talking about the middle east, we sometimes refer to them as the Muslim countries.
 
NotCrazyDan said:
Not so. This nation was founded in Christian-Judeo values. Just because the word “Christ” or “Christian” was not mentioned in our founding documents does not change that fact.
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First, “judeo-Christian” is an Evangelical term. The Catholic Church does not use it. As an attorney, I tend to go by what’s written, and not by what’s not written. And, it’s not written that this is Christian Nation, even though Coral Ridge Ministries fervently promotes that idea.
Where do you think we got “endowed with their their creator certain inalienable rights” from? Atheists? Agnostics? Buddhists?
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Not from Christianity. It sounds awfully Deist to me.
 
bbarrick8383 said:
Don’t you think it’s a but narrow minded?

If the majority of the early Americans were all Muslim, we would be a Muslim nation.

When talking about the middle east, we sometimes refer to them as the Muslim countries.
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We’re NOT talking about the Middle East, but about the United States. The Constitution was written to NOT give any preference to those who believe in deities. It is a neutral document, and is the one that conservatives all rely on. Show me where Jesus Christ is mentioned in the Constitution - even once.
 
Rich_Olszewski said:
And, she is NOT a Christian nation. Not a single founding document calls America a Christian nation, nor is Jesus Christ mentioned in any. America as a “Christian nation” is a fundamentalist Evangelical belief.
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Not one single document uses the words: separtion of church and state. In fact, the only thing the left leans on with that mytical construct is a single letter penned by Thomas Jefferson.

Funnily enough, our Declaration, which does in fact have far more merit than a letter by Jefferson, does invoke our creator–and it is not an unknown creator, they spoke of the Judeo-Christian God.

This is a Christian nation governed a religiously neutral Constitution and government.

We all want it to stay that way because if not, something else will take its place!
 
Rich_Olszewski said:
We’re NOT talking about the Middle East, but about the United States. The Constitution was written to NOT give any preference to those who believe in deities. It is a neutral document, and is the one that conservatives all rely on. Show me where Jesus Christ is mentioned in the Constitution - even once.
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Show me where in the 1st Amerndment the word “wall” is mentioned, just once…
 
Rich_Olszewski said:
We’re NOT talking about the Middle East, but about the United States. The Constitution was written to NOT give any preference to those who believe in deities. It is a neutral document, and is the one that conservatives all rely on. Show me where Jesus Christ is mentioned in the Constitution - even once.
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You can avoidthe hypothetical, that’s fine.

I find it interesting, but not suprising, that you want to invoke the one document your ideology has molested, to try and prove we are not a Christian nation. That document describes our federal government and the powers it has to govern.

We are a nation of Christians, founded by Christians seeking religious freedom to be the Christians they want to be.

You can not take that away.
 
irishpatrick said:
Funnily enough, our Declaration, which does in fact have far more merit than a letter by Jefferson, does invoke our creator–and it is not an unknown creator, they spoke of the Judeo-Christian God.

This is a Christian nation governed a religiously neutral Constitution and government.
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Show me where a “Judeo-Christian” God is mentioned in the Constitution or where “Christian nation” is spoken of.
 
Rich_Olszewski said:
Show me where a “Judeo-Christian” God is mentioned in the Constitution or where “Christian nation” is spoken of.
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That is my point with my other counters to you. People on the left swear that the founders intended there to be a separation of church and state…yet it is not mentioned at all in the Constitution, and is only referred to in one personal letter by Jefferson–yet that is enough for the left to change the meaning of the establishment clause.

Now, on the other side (Judeo-Christian nation), there are tons of letters and documents by the founders that speak of this being a Christian nation, yet the left chooses to ignore that depth of information and evidence because it does NOT fit their desires.

Here is the bottom line: no matter what you or anyone else thinks, if this ever ceases being a Christian nation at its core, then it will also cease being the land of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Many Jewish people will attest to the fact that not only is this a Christian nation, but they very much want it to stay that way because they have never lived in a more safe land for them to practice their faith…it is the spiritual foundation, not the governmental foundation, of this nation.
 
irishpatrick said:
Now, on the other side (Judeo-Christian nation), there are tons of letters and documents by the founders that speak of this being a Christian nation, yet the left chooses to ignore that depth of information and evidence because it does NOT fit their desires.
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Letters from this one or that one don’t mean squat. What is meaningful is what is officially promulgated, such as the Declaration and the Constitution. And, none of our official founding documents mention Christ or America as a Christian nation.
Here is the bottom line: no matter what you or anyone else thinks, if this ever ceases being a Christian nation at its core, then it will also cease being the land of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Many Jewish people will attest to the fact that not only is this a Christian nation, but they very much want it to stay that way because they have never lived in a more safe land for them to practice their faith…it is the spiritual foundation, not the governmental foundation, of this nation.
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Here is the bottom line: this is not a Christian nation. There were a lot of Christians who founded the nation, but they deliberately chose not to declare this a theocracy, let alone a Christian theocracy. The made it a secular nation.
 
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