Cloud of Controversy Hangs Over "Prayerpalooza"
Gov. Rick Perry is finally getting the national spotlight he’ll need to run for president, but this weekend’s “day of prayer and fasting” rally in Houston may not be the kind of attention he was looking for.
The Response — informally nicknamed “Prayerpalooza” — gets underway Saturday under a cloud of controversy. Its official sponsors and endorsers have been criticized as extremists and bigots. Several groups, including the Westboro Baptist Church, known for picketing soldiers' funerals, are promising to protest the event. A legal challenge was mounted and then tossed out. And the one U.S. governor who accepted Perry ...
Comments (30)
Katie Plass
Who cares?!! The Houston Texans suck and Rick Perry seems to get nervous when the media asks him unanticipated questions.
I wish that coyote was still alive. He would know what to do.
BurningFeet
What's funnier, calling this large assortment of kooks a 'small assortment of kooks', or supplying food to 'a day of prayer and fasting'?
Todd Dwyer via Texas Tribune on Facebook
What an embarrassment.
Karen Spivey-Cummings via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I agree.
Tim Covington via Texas Tribune on Facebook
If people would just ignore this, it would be a big failure
Rodney Marsden via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Someone needs to run up behind him while on stage and mess his hair up!!!
Rosalinda Salazar Snuggs via Texas Tribune on Facebook
What do you have to say about this, Rabbi? "Bryan J. Fischer of the American Family Association, the controversial Christian group sponsoring the event, has said he'll attend. Fischer has famously said that gays and lesbians caused the Holocaust."
Jonathan Osmundsen via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Amen to that.
Emily Miller via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Matthew 6:5
John Dettling via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Another Bum Steer Award for our Gov.
David Huang via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Oh crap it's tomorrow? I'm not set for my Day of Debauchery!
Gary Lees via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I'm curious as to why the Westboro Baptist Church might be protesting. Is Perry doing something wrong, according the them, or are they just pi$$ed at him for all the attention he's getting. : )
Phil Chilton via Texas Tribune on Facebook
See Emily Miller's comment, I just couldn't remember the Book, the Chapter or the Verse. Perhaps we all need to study the Holy Scripture everyday. Excuse me, I have to read.
David Huang via Texas Tribune on Facebook
WBC might be protesting? lol. I'm just waiting for the day when the WBC protests the WBC.
Ron Deutsch via Texas Tribune on Facebook
it isn't pushing any envelope. I think at this point it's been proven - ricky perry prays to god for rain. it's doesn't rain. therefore, whatever god it is rick perry is praying to is either deaf, or hates rick perry. we'll assume the latter. this is a desperate move, by a desperate man to use other people to curry favor from the god who hates him. it's not about religion nor politics. it's about love. and rick perry's desperate need for love from a god who doesn't care. it's all so sad.
Melissa Howell via Texas Tribune on Facebook
My biggest gripe is the sponsor for this event: AFA. They're about as bad as WBC. Outside of that, I'm not sure I give a crap. I don't like Perry so this event will not sway my political point of view either way. What I find interesting is how many people ARE upset over this. He's not using tax dollars for this even (even though JWP uses tax dollars for his bullsh!t Kwanzaafest every year), and he's not forcing anyone to attend or watch on TV. The atheists are obviously pissed off by this, which baffles me, because they're not religious at all, so why do they give a crap? I don't recall them protesting the last Million Man March, which was basically a racist Muslim gathering. The atheists never seem to protest any religious event except Christian events; why is that? People of all religions are free to pray if they want to pray and as long as they're not forcing anyone to practice their beliefs, there should be no issue. It's bad enough Congress continues to take our rights, but then you have citizens of the "Nothing Better to Do" committee constantly trying to make sure no one can practice their religion. Don't like freedom? Move to the Middle East.
Josh Flynn
I'll be there. What is sad to me is that there are people in the world that can't stand good people getting together for encouragement and fellowship. What are the detractors afraid of? The people that are attending this event will be the kindest hearted and loving people that do most of the charitable work and charitable giving in the country. The detractors on the other hand do nothing to help the poor and down trodden. They are full of words of what the government should do, but let’s see them pick up a shovel and do the heavy lifting. My 11 year old son has done more for this country than most of the detractors of this event. Now that's sad.
Misti Blakeney via Texas Tribune on Facebook
@Melissa - are you joking? What rights have been taken away from the Christian community? This is a political figure that has put out a video saying that clearly some things need to be "spiritually fixed" with our nation. What message does that send to anyone else that doesn't believe in his god? That they too need to be "fixed?"
Melissa Howell via Texas Tribune on Facebook
@Misti - What rights you asked? Well, let's see... religious icons/statues have been removed from court houses, kids can no longer pray in school and "God" has been removed from the pledge, for starters. Kids/teens actually get in trouble for mentioning God or trying to lead their peers in prayer. A valedictorian at a Texas high school had to go to a federal court to get the right to say a prayer at her graduation! That's ridiculous! If someone doesn't want to say "God" while saying the pledge or does not want to pray with another student, that is their right, but the right of the student who wants to pray/lead a prayer has been stripped. I said already that I am not a Perry fan and, despite being a Christian, would not join this prayer-fest. I pray on my own in my church and house (and sometimes in my car or at work). What Perry is doing feels like a stunt to me, but it's no more of a stunt then the atheists/non-Christians/Muslims or WBC pull. Good Christians shouldn't chastise others for their religious/non-religious views and the rest of non-Christians/atheists shouldn't chastise Christians and when they do, I get offended. See? Christians can be offended, too and we have that right...for now.
Bea McGuire via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I don't mind if Perry believes in God or not, that's not my business. But I have to wonder why hold a NATIONAL prayer meeting NOW and not last year or the year before? After all, the economy has been in the tiolet since Bush was in office. Oh yeah, he didn't need to butter up a bunch of bible thumping conservatives so they'd vote him into the White House back then. :D
Caitlin Gilchrist via Texas Tribune on Facebook
@Melissa: As courts are meant to be free from bias (political, religious, or otherwise), removing religious icons from courts makes perfect sense to me. Kids are free to pray at schools on their own time and lead other students in prayer, and anyone saying otherwise is flat out wrong. What they (and teachers, administrators, etc.) aren't allowed to do is invoke any religion at a school-sponsored event. Since public schools cater to students of all faiths, this again makes perfect sense. These rules apply to people of all faiths, not just Christians.
Earl Barry
I find it extremely hard to be on the side of the Westboro Church nuts...if they are protesting, then I support the other side.
Earl Barry
Aren't burkha's allowed in places that won't allow the cross or a prayer such as the schools? What about the covering of the face for driver license photo's by the women? And doesn't the Michigan school system allow the carrying of the kirpan by Indian boys because it is a religious symbol? These are very clearly religious symbols. When you read of the school system not allowing a prayer yet letting others express their religious affiliation openly it stirs anger. When a Google search of "school bans christian" returns 10,400,000 hits and you read the various entries it is apparent that there are inconsistencies with the way the public and government judges who should have religious freedoms. I think that the equality of the rules are what is at fault. I don't advocate either way...but I do advocate consistency. For all.
Kim Batchelor via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Even some of us Christians have real problems with this event--you can pray when you want, but, governor, why don't you do the right thing first? www.dallaschristians.org
Caitlin Gilchrist
@Earl: I'm not sure which institutions you're referring to that allow burqas but not crosses or prayer. Students can wear burqas, but they can also wear crosses and they can pray on their own time. The only places I know that have banned Christian symbols in schools have also banned burqas or other religious symbols, and they're all outside the US (France, for instance). I read up on the kirpan thing, and with the rules the district imposed it doesn't sound any different than wearing a cross (harsher even, since you can display the cross but the kirpan can't be visible at all). I agree, the law is not always meted out equally when it comes to religion and public schools, but for the most part I think it's been pretty good.
Misti Blakeney via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Caitlin, you couldn't have said that better. I think Christian practices, symbols, traditions, etc. were so heavily intertwined within our school and federal systems that when they started to be removed (out of fairness to people of all faiths) it seemed like a "stripping away" of rights. Truly, it's just one religion that might have the majority of the population's following, being brought down to a level of fairness that is extended to every religion (and those that do not subscribe to a religion.)
diane holloway
Want to protest Rick Perry? Come to "Rick Perry: Bad for Texas, Worse for Our Nation March & Rally." Saturday at 10:30 a.m. for the march (Victory Grill on E. 11th St.) and rally at 12 p.m. (Capitol). Austin wants Texas and the US to be better. Come join us if you agree!!
gregrohloff
I don't mean to discourage Gov. Perry from praying. As a progressive Christian, I truly believe in prayer. I just wish he would pay a little closer attention to biblical principles, including mercy to the poor, sick and imprisoned, and placing prayer in the proper place.
For guidance, Mr. Governor, please see Matthew, Chapter 6: “Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray while standing in synagogues and on street corners so that people can see them. Truly I say to you, they have their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you” (Matthew 6:5-6)
Bill Carson
I think he's just trying to accentuate the difference between himself and Romney.
Biff Baum
Pushoverperry dot com
Mixing "religion" with politricks is standard procedure fer liar in chief decider wannabes. STOP the madness