July 14, 2011

  • TX Gov. Perry/AFA’s Prayer/Hate Event

    #Texas #Governor Rick Perry  plans to hold a giant #Prayer-and-Fasting thing to fix our nation’s problems on August 6th at Reliant Stadium. He’s invited several other governors to join him, though only a couple have accepted. The event is being hosted by the #American Family Association, anti-gay organization considered a “hate group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

    For those who are not yet aware of the #AFA‘s attitude on gays, please watch this:
     http://www.youtube.com/wat​ch?v=ysR0Tdz5SaM

    The #prayer event is scheduled to take place at Reliant Stadium in Houston, TX on August 6th 2011 from 10am-6pm with an early morning worship service starting at 8:30am. It is a Holy-Roller-Only event intent on telling people that Texas is a #Christian state intent on purging itself of “evil” (i.e. everyone else).

    This is a violation of the #separation of #Church and #state. The event itself is being promoted by Gov. Perry in his official capacity as an elected official, starting at his official Gov’s website. He’s also invited the governors from the other 49 states to come to this event, and take part. Obviously this will be a VERY government-related and promoted event.

    Gov. Perry has repeatedly and proudly violated church/state separation on several issues, all throughout his time as governor. Recently he’s done this in the form of two religious proclamations, one asking Texans to pray for rain, and the other asking Americans to pray. He’s also worked tirelessly against public education, and it seems more than obvious that he’s doing all that work to benefit religion. Whenever a public school has to close or cut down on the number of enrolled students for some reason, private schools in the area get new customers. Most private schools are religious schools and most of them are run by mainstream religious denominations. If anyone is the winner in all of this education slashing, it’s Perry and Christianity in general.

    The prayer event is being put on by the #American-Family-Association, which is considered to be a hate group. Lately the AFA has thrown out so much hate speech against #gays and people who support the separation of church and state.

    Rick Perry’s Prayerapalooza: Protests Start To Simmer
    http://blogs.houstonpress.​com/hairballs/2011/06/rick​_perrys_prayerapalooza_pro​.php

    Perry’s proclamation draws national attention, incites criticism from non-Christians
    http://www.dailytexanonlin​e.com/news/2011/06/09/perr​y%E2%80%99s-proclamation-d​raws-national-attention-in​cites-criticism-non-christ​ians

    Church/State groups ask Texas governor to stop promoting religious events
    http://www.examiner.com/at​heism-in-los-angeles/churc​h-state-groups-ask-texas-g​overnor-to-stop-promoting-​religious-events

    Church-state separation, LGBT-rights groups respond to Gov. Perry’s ‘The Response’
    http://www.americanindepen​dent.com/187278/church-sta​te-separation-lgbt-rights-​groups-respond-to-gov-perr​ys-the-response

    Texas Governor Rick Perry cozies up to the AFA
    http://www.towleroad.com/2​011/06/rick-perry.html

    What’s Brewing: Gov. Perry’s Day of Prayer linked to Uganda bill calling for execution of gays
    http://www.dallasvoice.com​/brewing-hrc-ties-perrys-d​ay-prayer-ugandas-death-ga​ys-legislation-1079199.htm​l

    American Atheists’ press release on this event:
    http://www.atheists.org/pr​ess_releases/atheist_group​_denounces_perry_
    ATHEIST GROUP DENOUNCES PERRY PRAYER FEST, CALLS FOR PROTESTS AGAINST “POLITICIZED RELIGION”
    AMERICAN ATHEISTS
    http://www.atheists.org/
    June 14, 2011
    For Immediate Release

    Dave Silverman , President 732-648-9333
    Joe Zamecki, Texas State Director 512-758-0060
    Blair Scott, Communications Director 256-701-6265

    ATHEIST GROUP DENOUNCES PERRY PRAYER FEST, CALLS
    FOR PROTESTS AGAINST “POLITICIZED RELIGION”

    An #atheist civil rights group is suggesting that Gov. Rick Perry
    of Texas should read his Christian Bible, specifically Matthew 6:6
    which orders the faithful:

    “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou
    hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy
    Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”

    Perry, a possible hopeful for the GOP presidential nomination,
    is organizing a massive “prayer and fasting” event for August
    6, 2011 at the Reliant Stadium in Houston, TX. The project is
    endorsing the platform of the American Family Association, and is
    described by Perry as an “apolitical Christian prayer service”
    to provide “spiritual solutions to the many problems we face in
    our communities, states and nation.” Perry has challenged leading
    politicians, including many Republican candidates vying for their
    party’s nomination, to show up for this public display of piety.

    “This is not a prayer service, it’s a political rally draped in
    public religiosity,” said David Silverman, President of American
    Atheists. “It’s a signal to government leaders and politicians
    everywhere that if they want votes, they must bow down to the
    religious right and adopt its social agenda.”

    Silverman added: “This is the perfect epitome of a government
    official using religion for political gain. It was bad governance
    that allowed America to slip into this recession, and only good
    governance, not imaginary gods, that will get us out. We invite
    all religious and nonreligious Americans to tell Governor Perry
    to concentrate on real solutions to our real problems, instead of
    diversions and dogma. “

    Joe Zamecki, Texas State Director for American Atheists, said that
    atheists, freethinkers, secularists and even religious people who
    disagree with Gov. Perry’s pulpit-politics will be protesting on Saturday, August 6 near the Reliant Stadium.

    “We have no problem with the governor saying a private prayer,”
    said Mr. Zamecki, “But by turning this into a political event,
    Perry is insulting

    the over 3,000,000 residents in the Lone Star state who profess ‘no
    religion,’ and many more who are not Protestant evangelicals. He is
    supposed to be governor of all the people, not the State Preacher.”

    Zamecki emphasized that the August 6 peaceful protest is open to
    all who support the separation of church and state

    More information on the #protest can be found at:
    http://www.facebook.com/ev​ent.php?eid=17764122229454​2

    (AMERICAN ATHEISTS is a nationwide movement that defends civil
    rights for non-believers; works for the total separation of
    church-mosque-temple and State; and addresses issues of First
    Amendment public policy.)

Comments (7)

  • That’s disgusting. What is so damn bad about letting the LGBT community have equal rights? Just one more example of why I absolutely despise American Christianity. I HATE it when Christians try to legislate Christianity. No everyone is a Christian and the Christian code does not apply to non-Christians. Period.

  • Oh yeah, all the most interesting individuals are signing up for this rally. It’s a heck of a thing. Not in a good way.

    I’m not Christian, but I love Jesus’ instructions on how to pray. The more public a prayer is, the more it is likely to be about the public and not about the prayer. Nothing spiritual about that.

  • I’m not really religious and I don’t know much about politics, so I’m taking your word for the whole religion/state separation thing. I don’t know why Christians are so hellbent on wanting to push their religion on everyone like bullies. It makes me less religious back. Like when my mother urges me to go to church with her in the morning, I feel like she’s pushing me in a corner about faith. I haven’t told her about how I feel about it because I know she’ll just go berserk and force me by threatening me to kick me out.

    But if the whole separation thing is true, then in the south, in my opinion, is the most religious place in the US, and stuff like the religion/state separation is turned a blind eye upon.
    But if this guy wanna be religious, he should stick with his church and don’t be political about it…

  • They can sit and pray all they want but they need to get off of their asses and work together to make things better for everyone and not justt the rich and powerful.

  • If this is true, that is f’ed up.

  • Sheeeesh!!  It’s stuff like this that makes the rest of us look bad!! 

    Yeah,..I believe in God and I am a Christian.  Sorry if that bothers anyone.

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