Rick Perry: One Nation Under Jesus

  Rick Perry has a record as being one of the most peculiar governors in the United States; his stable of religious leaders bringing a well-publicized affirmation of the fact to laypeople outside of Texas and the U.S. even. While we're not sure whether or not the staunchly far-right governor will run for the Republican Presidential nomination, he does have a prayer conference that many of his sheep are looking forward to.

  The Response is a huge Christian kiss-and-cry slated for next month that will be hosted by a cabal of certified weirdos like Book of Mormon burner C. Peter Wagner and John Benefiel, who like Wagner believes that gays are part of the Illuminati plot to reduce global population. It calls on America to be One Nation Under Christ and everyone to pray that it becomes so and soon.

The text in a promo letter for The Response sounds enticing:  "Right now, America is in crisis: we have been besieged by financial debt, terrorism, and a multitude of natural disasters. As a nation, we must come together and call upon Jesus to guide us through unprecedented struggles." It doesn't sound too bad in those terms. I mean, I think it's silly to rely on a dead dude to solve real-world problems, but if it makes you feel comfy, so be it. But a lot of what this involves accomplishes more sinister things.


In the copy of a speech in front of fundamentalist hopefuls, Perry alters history by stating that the founding fathers were "God-fearing men who understood those biblical values and how powerful they could be and would be in the future." This, naturally is contrary to the Treaty of Tripoli which stated "As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion", as well as the Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, and even the original Pledge of Allegiance, which did not contain the words "under God" until the 1940s. The majority of the men who founded the United States were Deists, Agnostics, or outright atheist, and many made damning statements against Abrahamic religion as a whole. Pastor Rick may not be able to pry open a history book, but I can.


Afterward, he could offer up his opinions on policy or change, but simply thinks that we should hand things over to his God, one that hates taxes:

I tell people, that "personal property" and the ownership of that personal property is crucial to our way of life.  

Our founding fathers understood that it was a very important part of the pursuit of happiness. Being able to own things that are your own is one of the things that makes America unique. But I happen to think that it's in jeopardy.

It's in jeopardy because of taxes; it's in jeopardy because of regulation; it's in jeopardy because of a legal system that’s run amok. And I think it's time for us to just hand it over to God and say, "God, You’re going to have to fix this." ...

I think it's time for us to use our wisdom and our influence and really put it in God's hands. That's what I'm going to do, and I hope you'll join me. I hope you'll join us in Houston on the 6th day of August and really start a revival across this country. And I suggest that for our country, our best days are ahead if we get on our knees and ask God to take over and give us wisdom.  We can change this country, but it requires us giving it over to Him and  letting Him guide us."

 Yes, America, all of your problems can be solved by praying. You know, because it's worked so well for all of the starving children of Africa. Besides, if this God was all-powerful, wouldn't it have control over something it already owns? 


Pastor Rick's done the "God can fix everything" trick before. Earlier this year, the fine people of Texas experienced a very lengthy drought. The governor's response was to assemble 3 days of praying for rain in April. By late June, still-dry Texas was declared a natural disaster area and the state suffered massive agricultural losses. All Perry could do was wonder why his imaginary friend didn't bring rain to the millions of families that believed in God and Rick. 


All of this is not an indictment against belief or quiet reflection in private, but a statement against using religion to remedy financial  and natural disasters. America and other glorious unions have serious issues that require comprehensive real-world decisions instead of stoneage superstitions. Rick Perry has made a career out of stating that he believes in one nation under Jesus, and everyone that this triune God would reject is also to be shunned and even killed by the state. 


Governor Perry is not only the man responsible for the nauseating Texas Republican Party platform, but for the fact that severely mentally handicapped people can be executed. He's also really pissed off that the Federal Supreme Court overruled Texas' right to incarcerate gays, opposes health care for state college employees, denies climate change so much that he installed a dozen coal-fired power plants, and doesn't believe that atheists should be entitled to voice their opinions. Texas is also the state that subjects women to forced ultrasounds and scrutiny before abortions with the plan to eliminate it altogether when they separate from the greater United States. He's a dangerous man who envisions a theocracy with himself or one of the 7 Mountains apostles at the helm.


In emancipated nations there is freedom of religious practice, but when 2000-6000 year old dogma becomes the way of the land, liberty cannot prosper. When the United States became a nation over 300 years back, religion was expressly not included in the equation, and I suspect that it may have had something to do with the fact that many early Americans were fleeing religious persecution and that the new U.S. was distinguishing itself from the devoutly religious England and her Divine Right of Kings.

Thomas Jefferson said that all religions are founded on fables and mythologies and was among the many who didn't want his glorious home destroyed by the kinds of people who burned witches. James Madison not only penned the Bill of Rights, but campaigned against appointment of government chaplains, the military in particular. The attorney, president, and notorious fighter of the Church of England was afraid that the inclusion of religous personnel into military units would interfere with unit cohesion. I wonder if all of the Teajad leaders who recite the founding documents know a lick about any of this.

Neither Rick Perry nor anyone else have the right to insist on a one-religion state or nation, particularly the one in which they reside. Not only is it nonsensical, discriminatory, and oppressive, but it's contrary to constitution and other founding documents that they seem to hold close to their hearts.

"History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government." - Thomas Jefferson