Doubling Down

Well, it appears the governor has settled on an answer to critics of his upcoming prayer event. To all of those who object to the sponsorship of the event by a documented hate group, the obvious political overtones and the decision to make the program a Christians-only affair, the message is clear — he isn’t backing off. In fact, he’s doubling down.

On Monday, Eric Bearse, former communications director for Gov. Perry and current spokesperson for the aforementioned hate group the American Family Association, went on the radio and cleared up any remaining doubts about the purpose of this event:

A lot of people want to criticize what we’re doing, as if we’re somehow being exclusive of other faiths. But anyone who comes to this solemn assembly regardless of their faith tradition or background, will feel the love, grace, and warmth of Jesus Christ in that assembly hall, in that arena. And that’s what we want to convey, that there’s acceptance and that there’s love and that there’s hope if people will seek out the living Christ. And that’s the message we want to spread on August 6th.

People of all faiths are welcome… to convert to Christianity. Got it?

Right Wing Watch posted the full audio clip:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wlf4BM64NOU&feature=player_embedded]

If you think the governor shouldn’t be in the business of promoting one faith over others, please sign TFN’s open letter to Gov. Perry.

9 thoughts on “Doubling Down

  1. I’m wondering—at what point does someone like the ACLU or Americans United file suit or seek an injunction (or some other legal maneuver)? What does it take? If there is a threshold of some sort, you’d think this spectacle would have crossed it by now.

  2. I am a little confused. How can the spirit of he living Jesus be available pursuant to the aforementioned gathering if He has not been resurrected yet? All the machinations involved by the Left/Behind to rig the world for detonation in order to kick start the Rapture seem pointless if Jesus has already been reincarnated. Of course this could be a complex con in which to summon the Anti-Christ as a necessary precondition of the Raptue and Second Coming.

  3. What does it take? It takes ridicule. Face it, our governor is a cartoon character, a coyote-shooting Yosemite Sam.

    Imagine, if you will, Governor Good Hair promoting chicken at a food festival in Houston by inviting only KFC, Popeye’s, Pilgrim’s Pride and Chic-fil-a. You can come Domino’s, Taco Bell and McDonalds, but you can’t participate:

    “A lot of people want to criticize what we’re doing, as if we’re somehow being exclusive of other foods. But anyone who comes to this solemn assembly regardless of their food tradition or background, will feel the love, grace, and warmth of Colonel Sanders in that assembly hall, in that arena. And that’s what we want to convey, that there’s acceptance and that there’s love and that there’s hope, there’s eleven herbs and spices, if people will seek out the living Colonel Sanders. And that’s the message we want to spread on August 6th, along with Eat mo’ Chickin’.”

  4. Do they call Bearse’s attitude hubris? Or just S**theadedness? How can a rational human being be that positive that his little club has the Only Trvth (TM)?

    Doc, that is a brilliant rewrite.

  5. I doubt very seriously that this “gathering” is going to be a Christian love festival. Rather, I very much expect it to be a HATE festival with one speaker after another denouncing this thing, that thing, some other thing, some person, or his sister-in-law.. If they really loved everyone, they would not even be having this meeting.

    Here is what I expect:

    1) Thirty speakers on 30 subjects. (Lasting hour upon hour upon hour)

    2) Thirty denunciations of something involving each subject and all people known to be associated with it (like maybe women who desire to work outside the home, the new right wing pet peeve (birth control), or failure of Barack Obama to admit that his real birth name is Little Black Sambo.

    3) A five minute segment at the end of the meeting inviting President Obama to turn from his sinful Muslim ways, repent and confess that his name really is Little Black Sambo, and ask God to personally laminate his new GOP membership card so it will look just like the one God carries in his own wallet.

    Of course, you know what is really going on here. On that CNN debate stage the other night, there was really no Republican candidate that could reliably motivate the Religious Right voter. That was the big problem McCain had. Let us review:

    1) Michele Bachmann has the Religious Right credentials, and one would think being nuts is a definite plus. Unfortunately, like Eve, she is a woman, and it would be wrong to have a woman in charge as the commander and chief over military chaplains. It goes against the Bible. Besides, she is too short—Madison not withstanding.

    2) Rick Santorum has the Religious Right credentials, but he has been around and gaffed so long that no one takes him seriously. He’s like underwear with holes in it.

    3) Mitt Romney. Where did he get that name—sounds like baseball equipment? Too Mormon. Christian conservatives despise Mormons. You can take that to the bank. He is damaged goods at the starting gate.

    4) Herman Cain. He was possibly the smartest man on that stage a couple of nights ago, but he has one really huge problem with southern white Christian fundamentalists and evangelicals. He was in the oven too long and came out looking like Barack Obama’s real name.

    5) Newt Gingrich is Catholic and immoral. Just one of those will lose you the Religious Right vote. Two? Well, you can figure it out.

    6) Tim Pawlenty? Former Catholic. Strike one!!! Supposedly protestant now—but not quite sure. Strike two!!! Being from a liberal state like Minnesota, he is automatically suspect before the Religious Right. Strike 3!!! Looks like a dishonest paper boy.

    All awash!!!!!!!

    Enter the man from Texas. Looks like a cowpoke in a brown suit. Hair looks just like the hair of Pastor Beverly B. Beverly down at the New Beverly Baptist Church in Beverly, (Beverly County) Texas. He has no problem killing guilty life. Knows the strange language of the conservative church: “Brother Carson, the other night the Lord just laid it on my heart that…” And most of all, he will have proven that he is the only candidate that can bring in the Religious Right vote because he filled an entire stadium full of them just like Billy Graham did in the old days—and preached to them. I give you Governor Rick “Billy Graham” Perry.

  6. @Charles – you forgot to include the part where they blame the gays every hour on the hour. Doesn’t matter what the topic of discussion it – there is no social or economic problem that can’t be blamed on the gays.

    Also, Santorum has bigger problems than being like underwear with holes in it. He’s like underwear with, well,… Santorum on it.

  7. LOL @ Jen’s comment.  And yet another brilliant analysis from our Charles.But Jen, you forgot abortion.  It’s our tolerance of gays AND ABORTIONS that is causing our national crises – both natural and human-made.  That’s what Rev. Fred Phelps has been saying all along.  And you know what?  His message has gotten through.  People are responding positively to it. Maybe all of them aren’t totally sold on his tactics but they are sold on his motivation.
    Here he comes to save the day:  Gov. Rick Good Hair Perry has the perfect credentials on both those topics as well.

  8. I would recommend finding some Texas Christians that won’t hate you. Just like in S & G and right before the flood, there might be three or four still left somewhere in Texas.