New Rick Perry Ad Vows end to “Obama’s War on Religion”
Much has been made of Texas Governor Rick Perry’s latest campaign commercial saying he would “end Obama’s war on religion.” What is interesting is how he chose to characterize that fight against religion:
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…
Governor Perry associated the open service of homosexuals in the military with an attack on religion. An individual’s military service does not directly attack religion; however, the government enforcement of policies in that may contravene the moral and religious beliefs of a majority of its citizens and military members might be perceived that way.
The Associated Press stated as fact a second potential perception, that Perry “attacks…gays in the military.” Alternatively, he supported the moral policies of the prior two centuries of the United States military, that homosexuality was incompatible with military service.
Perry concludes by saying
Faith made America strong. It can make her strong again.
Whether you agree with his politics or not, it is hard to argue with the fact faith has been a cornerstone of the fundamental spirit that has made America strong. What once proved so vital can be so again.
With reference to the Religion Clause.
Sorry, I am a bit confused. You mention something being against the “moral and religious beliefs of a majority of [American] citizens” but you don’t say what that it is. I assume you made some sort of error while typing this blog, because certainly it has nothing to do with allowing homosexuals to serve openly in the military as survey after survey has long shown that the majority of people in the USA are in agreement with that policy.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/127904/broad-steady-support-openly-gay-service-members.aspx
I am assuming that your claim about the majority of citizens is a mistake, because the alternative is that you are a liar.
I think Rick Perry is starting a “Religious War” not President Obama.
He is claiming kids can’t pray in school….what planet is he on? Our kids can pray in school whenever they want to as long as they do force anyone else to do it. My daughter is in high school and we see kids pray before eating lunch all the time. And celebrate Christmas in schools, are you kidding, that’s all they’ve been talking about for the last month; we even have Christmas trees in the hallways. Maybe there are places in the USA where there are some disgruntled bah-humbugs, but Santa is on his way not matter what. I’m sure someone will attempt to site where all the naysayers’ are on this issue, but they are all making mountains out of molehills.
It’s no wonder there is not a single Republican running for President is electable, they all seem like a bunch of uninformed blowhards out of touch with America.
The former CO of the USMC even said he was mistaken about gays serving openly in the Military; Perry must really be desperate.
@watchtower
Do you have a citation to support that, or did you mean to refer to the current Commandant? Gen Amos didn’t say he “was mistaken.” He said he was “very pleased” with how the Marines had followed orders — but he had “no regrets” about his original position.
I stand corrected JD, thanks for the reference/link. I’ll settle for “very pleased” with how repeal has been implemented. It shows that leadership WAS right in the first place…the plan worked.
Sorry, what policy is it that you claim is against the moral and religious views of the majority of US citizens?
The rather stilted morality of today’s Christians holds that Homosexuality is against the word of God. So Christians across the spectrum have discriminated unmercifully against Gays and Lesbians. Evangelical Christians are in the front lines against Gays and have employed intitutionalized bigotry against them for years. It doesn’t seem to matter that every medical and psychiatric organization in America has made an exhaustive study of homosexuality and found it not to be a choice but inborn and genetic in nature. It’s a s natural as heterosexuality. But the flat worlders continue to discriminate based on two thousand year-old prejudice.
Christianity in America remains somewhere in the 10th century and archaic doctrines routinely followed by less than intelligent adherents. Gays in the military was a giant step ahead for American civil rights which would be abrogated by Christian dominionists in favor of a religion which has become retrograde and dangerous.
I can say this. Unless Christianity catches up with the world, scientific study and modernization of their belief system there will be more bloodshed vis a vis the crusadades, pogroms witch hunts and other heinous acts on the part of Christian Dominionists.
Richard — I agree in part with what you are saying, BUT, I know several atheists, agnostics, liberals and a few Democrats that also find homosexuality immoral; and likely statistically unmeasurable, because it really doesn’t matter.
I will have to disagree that there will be more bloodshed vis a vis the crusades, pogroms witch hunts and other heinous acts because the great social experiment division of the US government, (aka the Military), has already successfully (so far) corrected that two thousand year-old prejudice.
Only time will tell for sure…and HARSH jail terms for acts of violence just because someone isn’t “straight.”
However, if one of the Repubs currently running for President somehow gets elected, I think we will potentially dive back into the stoneage quit a bit. Just my 2 cents.
@watchtower
It appears to me that you are correct for the most part. I must disagree that a few liberal or atheist bigots make up for the thousands of institutionally bigoted evangelicals does not compute. Rick Perry’s recent commercial touting his Christianity and putting all other beliefs in the toilet seems to back up my hypohesis.
I guess we will never know what JD meant when he said that a policy is in direct contravention to the moral and religious beliefs of a majority of [American] citizens.
Rick Perry is just another backwater Texan to whom Christianity became law. There is a general lack of intellect in many rural communities that have little else than religion in their life.
Perry, as have others of his ilk, has lived a dual existence in which he has had to follow civil law but lives Mosaic law. He is as treasonous as Arron Burr who also lived a duplicitous life. Burr’s treason was polirtical Perryu’s treason is religious. His prejudices are as large and vicious as any southern bigot such as George Wallace or Orville Faubus.
Until Perry and his ilk begin to understand that they may not discriminate against Gays as they cannot discriminate against African Americans, gthere will be discord and Christian hegemony.