Rick Perry Pushes Religious Envelope Too Far with Prayer Meeting

COMMENTARY | Texas Gov. Rick Perry has planned a prayer gathering at Houston's Reliant Stadium on Saturday. The potential 2012 Republican candidate often talks about his Christian faith and describes the meeting as a call to prayer for a nation in crisis, reports Politico.

While our nation is in no doubt of needing prayer, spiritual intervention, or positive energy, I see a problem with mixing his religion with politics. The issue as I see it is a big one if a politician has to make a decision for our entire country that is based on his religious beliefs.

Of course, Perry will be seen favorably by most conservative Christians, but how many people does that represent in our entire country?

Many of the participants in the prayer meeting can be described as having extreme views that include anti-gay sentiment as well as being outspoken against non-Christians and Catholics. Our country is based on religious freedom, yet some of our politicians seem to think our laws should be based on their particular religion.

One slice of religion does not represent all of the citizens of the United States; therefore, we cannot base our laws on one religion.

On Friday night, an event will be held by Americans United for Separation of Church and State in response to the prayer rally. This event will be in celebration of diversity, inclusion and unity.

Rev. Barry Lynn, executive director for AU, said:

"Gov. Perry's decision to sponsor a 'Christians-only' Prayer rally is bad enough. That he turned to an array of intolerant religious extremists to put it on for him is even worse. This event unites us in our conviction that government should have no favorite theology and that it must always strive to ensure that all citizens -- Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, atheists and others -- are full and equal partners in the public square."

I strongly believe the more the ultra-conservative religious right tries to push its agenda on the American people, the more we become divided. All religions, and the non-religious, should be equal in America.

Many other conservative politicians want their beliefs to become law. Michele Bachmann has made that clear with her opposition to gay rights. She has even vowed to add a constitutional amendment that will define marriage as only between a man and a woman so same-sex marriages will be effectively banned and reversed.

Michael Keegan, president of People for the American Way, summed up Perry's prayer meeting well. He commented, "Gov. Perry's prayer rally isn't an affirmation of the role of faith in public life: it's an expensive, politically-charged advertisement of a very narrow slice of one faith community that aims to impose its extreme views on the rest of us."

Though conservative Christians may feel the meeting is appropriate, I feel that what is needed is a unity of all types of Americans. People from all faiths and traditions are the true face of our country today. Have they forgotten that our nation's birth came from a principle of religious tolerance? All people's views, regardless of race or religion, should be given equal respect.

If the extreme religious right wants to take over our country, those of us who truly believe in equality will need to stand up and take them on. America deserves that.