Is there any other way to read this?
Perry imagines a “war on religion,” based on his bigoted, anti-liberty views and some gross disinformation about what the rules are for kids praying in school.
What are the odds that, if elected, Perry would say, “Oops, I was wrong; I won’t do what that ad suggests?”
Perry’s offensive and erroneous text:
I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a Christian, but you don’t need to be in the pew every Sunday to know there’s something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can’t openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school.
As President, I’ll end Obama’s war on religion. And I’ll fight against liberal attacks on our religious heritage.
Faith made America strong. It can make her strong again.
I’m Rick Perry and I approve this message.
I’ll take Barney Frank over Rick Perry any day. Barney Frank is twice the man Rick Perry is, especially in standing up for the Constitution and freedom for all Americans.
I’ll take Barbara Jordan over Rick Perry. She was twice the person Rick Perry is. It seems to me that Perry plays with fire when he makes an ad that targets genuine Texas heroes like Jordan.
Perry professes to be a Methodist; does he have the guts to leave the church if he disagrees with its positions so much?
Is Perry going negative just because he’s losing, or is it really going to be that dirty a campaign? This man shouldn’t be governor of Texas, and he has no business running for president.
More:
- What is the policy toward students and religious exercise in schools? Kids can pray any time, anywhere — schools can’t tell students how to pray, where to pray, when to pray, who or what to pray to, or what to pray for, according to the statement on freedom of religion in public schools sent to every school district in America as a directive on how to act. Perry wants to change that?
- Washington Post news report; discussion at political blog, The Fix
- PBS Newshour claims the ad is designed to attract religious people, not repel them.
- Update: The Texas Tribune covered it well. Nearly a million people stood up to Perry to click “dislike” on the ad at YouTube, and parodies are just getting started. Next, mayhaps?: Rick Perry will confess to several affairs, to soften his image as a hard-headed, hard-edged, uncompromising and uncompromised idiot.
- Rick Perry would probably cheer this: “Confused Rhode Island Christianists sing secular song to defend Pagan symbol” (Tip of the old scrub brush to you, Mr. Stanley)
Millard Fillmore's Bathtub 
[…] By dof, on December 13th, 2011 I’ve been loving the wonderful parodies of Rick Perry’s idiotic campaign video. This one is my […]
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Morgan, you and your hero Billo the Clown better start attacking the GOP for their war on Christmas. After all..there is this:
http://www.nygop.org/page/queens-gop-holiday-party-invitation
Oh and then there is the National GOP holiday party at the US Chamber of Commerce building in DC.
and they called it “holiday party” on the invitation.
And finally there is this: http://sayitaintsoalready.com/2010/11/23/the-republican-war-on-christmas/gop-2010-holiday-ornament-11-23-10/
In fact if you put “GOP holiday party” into Google.com you’ll find a whole new front on the war on Christmas, Morgan.
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Ed, that’s because Morgan is a closet Taliban.
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Why is it always “war” on something for ideologues, and why are they always so awfully out of information and in the wrong? Morgan argues that Fort Worth should be teaching Santa Claus instead of math, science, social studies and English?
Weird.
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Oh it’s the same for me. Most of the atheists I’ve known are far better behaved then quite a few Christians I could name.
It’s like those Christians think God told them “Go be jerks in my name!”
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Nick,
If I am ever given care of a congregation, I would much rather have a group of people who behave themselves like some of the Atheists in my life…than like some of the Christians!
Of course, I speak in broad brush terms. I have wonderful friends who are Christian, too. But oddly, that sort of Christian rarely makes headlines.
Hmm…
Jim
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It never ceases to amaze me how much the right wing just loves proclaiming that they’re such Christians and moral people…..
….and how utterly pathetic they are in actually being Christians and moral people.
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[…] Rick Perry promises war on homosexuals and religious freedom. […]
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There is little I can add to what has already so astutely been offered by Pangolin, Ellie, Devona, Mark and you, Ed. Let me just say this.
As a follower of Jesus, I find nothing (except perhaps child molestation or wife-beating) to be more reprehensible and vile than this sort of rhetoric. I am hardly surprised to hear such bile issuing forth from the tortured heart and mind of Rick Perry. I am only surprised to note that he uses the phrase “war on religion”, rather than “Jihad against Christians”…which is precisely what you will read about over at Stormfront or on the Council of Conservative Citizen’s racist web site. The ever-thin line between Republicans and the lunatic fringe is now even thinner.
Remember though, this party takes its cues from the pulpits and Christian radio and TV stations where such bilge is excreted. This is the kind of dreck Dr. James Dobson, Benny Hinn, John Haggee and Tex Marrs have been egesting since the late 80’s and particularly since the Clintons.
When will principled clergy in this country begin to take a more obvious stand against this brand of Christianity?
Jim
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Thanks for the alert, Mark!
Total as of right now: 3,900 likes, 180,623 dislikes
I also reported the video as violating YouTube guidelines on hate speech by singling out one sexual orientation for attack.
Perry appears to have started the religious war he intended to start.
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I suspect one purpose of Perry’s talk was to remind Republicans that Romney is not a True Christian(TM).
It’s also laughable that whoever posted the YouTube video forgot to turn off the “Like/Dislike” button–a screen shot shows 32,122 Dislikes vs. 799 Likes (Now exceeding 150,000 Dislikes).
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I’ve said it before, there is an attempt to wage a coup in America. Much deeper than just an elected change of party for a legal term of office. It’s harder to recognize because it’s in slow motion and doesn’t involve tanks rolling down Pennsylvania Avenue. Voters need to pay attention to the candidates more than ever: their record on issues, what they’ve actually done or tried to do, and who backs them. Forget the sound bytes and ads. Ignore the clothes and made-up tans or faces. Pay attention to the made-up accusations and promises.
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There are Methodists, and there are Methodists. They cannot, as in so many other denominations, be put in a one-size-fits-all box. As for Perry: with his statement about children not being able to pray in school, he has shown himself to be a Liar For Jesus, and if he cannot be faithful in the small things, why should I believe he would be faithful in the larger things — like running the country?
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I honestly believe that the U.S. has at least one faction that is willing to engage in a new Civil War if they cannot win at the ballot box. Already it’s very clear that the Republican party is working to disenfranchise Democratic party leaning voters wherever possible.
It’s also increasingly clear that the conservative right has embraced a world view increasingly distant from factual reality on the ground. Their continual insistance that the Occupy Wall Street movement consists of “dirty smelly hippies” being the most recent, and widely spread, lie.
This kind of political christian paranoia just makes the problems we have worse. It builds nothing. It doesn’t serve to bring U.S. citizens together but to make them separate and mistrustful.
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