PRAYING FOR A NON-GOVERNMENT OPTION

Some folks are criticizing Texas governor Rick Perry for inviting fellow governors to a day of prayer and fasting that he is hosting in August, but don’t count me among that group of criticizers – yet! Many of Perry’s critics claim that his event is simply an attempt to bolster his presidential ambitions. We’ll see. Others complain that the meeting violates the principle of church/state separation. I understand their worry. It’s a valid concern. For now, I’m reserving judgment on both issues.

Perry stated that his event, which he calls an “apolitical Christian prayer service”, is meant to achieve “spiritual solutions to the many challenges we face in our communities, states and nation.” That’s fine with me, as long as the “spiritual solution” Perry references is not just a prayer request to God to perform a miracle so the rest of us don’t have to lift a finger. If Perry is ready, through prayer, song or whatever, to dump Republican political ideology in favor of using any and all means available to meet Christ’s demand that we feed, shelter and care for the poor, I’ll be the first in line to endorse his efforts. I have my doubts that he’ll have such an epiphany, but he deserves the chance to repent and reform his ways, just as any Republican soul does. If he wants to convert a few of his GOP colleagues along the way, I’m for that too.

Perry is also drawing criticism because his event is being paid for by the American Family Association (AFA), an evangelical group of conservatives based in the neighboring state of Mississippi. The (AFA) likes to call themselves Christian - based, but the group has a “hate list” longer than the late Osama bin Laden, so it’s hard to take their Christian claim seriously, especially since Christ demanded that his followers love their enemies. That’s not something you’ll find championed in(AFA) literature. Still, if Perry wants to take advantage of an offer of assistance to do the work Christ demanded we Christians do, I’m for that too.

I did get a chuckle over the fact that several non-Christian religious groups have registered complaints about Perry’s planned event, claiming that they’re being excluded from an official state event. Seriously folks, that’s like a black person moaning about not being invited to a Ku Klux Klan gathering. Don’t they understand that an (AFA) event hosted by an ambitious so-called evangelical Christian conservative politician is probably going to be hostile territory for non-believers? (That’s my jaded side speaking)

I’m taking a guarded wait-and-see attitude about Perry’s prayer event. In the meantime, I’m praying for a miracle. With Perry and the (AFA) joining forces, that’s probably what it’s going to take.