Prayapolooza in Houston

[loosechickens]

we've clearly moved into "dead horse" territory regarding whether or not the American Family Association is disseminating hatred and bigotry in their speech. I guess if one agrees with them, it's just "free speech" and "the bible agrees with me", and if one is standing up for equality and nondiscrimination for gays and lesbians, this group is clearly in the hate and bigotry business. And never the twain shall meet.........

I'm noticing that Governor Perry seems to have stepped off of something of a cliff with this "prayer" extravaganza....he only has one governor who's joined him in his efforts, and it sounds like that one is kind of trying to back out of it. It's possible that Governor Perry exists in a bubble of people who believe just as he does and as the American Family Association does, and has kind of miscalculated the ability of the majority of Americans to not accept this kind of stuff from an elected official in his offical capacity as the governor of a state. It may play well in the bible belt of Texas, but since he was most likely planning it as a big boost toward his ambitions toward a national career, possibly a BIG mistake.

We shall see, I guess.

[Catwoman]

drowning in your rhetoric here LC, though that was your desired effect...point being maybe some of those nasty Christians praying with Rick Perry believe that homosexuality is, sharp intake of breath, a sin... if them saying that outloud is "lies, hatred and bigotry" then free speech in this country is lying prone with the bootheel of an intolerant left atop its throat...You can spin as much as you want to spin, its a matter of opinion, beliefs, etc..

[redfox]

Yikes, I just looked AFA up. Ugly stuff. Homophobia and bigotry will die eventually. I am really looking forward to the cessation of the so-called "culture war". That's a poisonous term. They certainly remind me of how glad I am to live in a secular, pluralistic society.

From the website:

PHILOSOPHICAL STATEMENT
The American Family Association believes that God has communicated absolute truth to mankind, and that all people are subject to the authority of God’s Word at all times. Therefore AFA believes that a culture based on biblical truth best serves the well-being of our nation and our families, in accordance with the vision of our founding documents; and that personal transformation through the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the greatest agent of biblical change in any culture.

[Catwoman]

PHILOSOPHICAL STATEMENT
The American Family Association believes that God has communicated absolute truth to mankind, and that all people are subject to the authority of God’s Word at all times. Therefore AFA believes that a culture based on biblical truth best serves the well-being of our nation and our families, in accordance with the vision of our founding documents; and that personal transformation through the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the greatest agent of biblical change in any culture.

Really? Really? You feel threatened or initmadated by this statement? Loosechickens, point from my above post - you disagree with these people and feel that your way is the only right way - as do they. This is America, all points of view are welcome. The SPLC has on its website a "crosshairs" as a cursor - Do you not think that the left does damage to good people when they lump everyone in the same wagon? Good causes are harmed by the bigotry of the left. The method of "drown them in rhetoric, shout em down" is another form of thuggery used by the left. I can't believe that a group of Christians praying for this country upsets you so.

[creaker]

The devil is in the details. It really comes down to what exactly you are praying for - vague platitudes like "praying for your country" sound ok (although personally large groups of people mixing religion and nationalism gives me the willies), but it's when you get down to the specifics that it can get ugly.

While AFA's philosophical statement sounds ok, rooting through their website they present an agenda I find very distasteful and overwhelmingly and actively anti homosexual. Regardless of Perry's motives, I think he picked a poor sponsor.

BTW, using terms like "left" lumps everyone in the same wagon, and does damage to good people.

[Gregg]

That income figure is 89 million, BTW.

Guessing your figure of $89M was Mr. Buffett's INCOME last year. Your previous thread gave Mr. Dees SALARY of $809 which is why I responded with Mr. Buffett's SALARY. Shoot, even I have a salary which makes up only a portion of my income. We just need to be comparing apples to apples here.

Warren Buffett posts his personal tax returns every year. Morris Dees, as far as I have found, does not. As the head of an organization that brings in tens of millions of dollars per year I would argue that Mr. Dees is absolutely entitled to a salary and benefits commensurate with someone in the same position at a for profit company. I do not know how much Mr. Dees makes (aka, his INCOME) in a year. I do not know who pays his health insurance premiums or what kind of house he lives in or what kind of car he drives. If we are to believe his income is truly limited to $809 then Mr. Dees is going to have a hard time making it in a box under a bridge. He doesn't appear to be struggling that hard. He was keynote speaker at an event in my area last year (I did not attend). Tickets for the luncheon were $140 and up. Mr. Dees, along with his entourage, arrived by private jet and was taken to and from the event at the s****iest hotel in the area in a limo. I don't think for a minute that Mr. Dees paid for all of that out of his own pocket. I would guess the plane ride and some of the other perks were "donations". Heck, just the fee to LAND his plane here was more than his $809 annual salary.

Just for the record, Gregg: from Wikipedia:

"The Southern Poverty Law Center has won many notable civil resulting in monetary awards for the plaintiffs. The SPLC has said it does not accept any portion of monetary judgments.[24][25][26]"

You guys are reading me wrong or I'm saying it wrong. I am NOT criticizing Mr. Dees or the SPLC. I think they do a lot of good work and I'm glad someone is there to take on these hate groups. The SPLC has a very strong record and Mr. Dees is a very charismatic leader. All I'm saying is lets call a spade a spade. It is incredibly naive to cling to a belief that the SPLC is strictly an altruistic cause. I would not expect the lawyers there, including Morris Dees, to work for "peanuts". There are plenty of perfectly legal ways to support high income lifestyles using a non-profit corporate structure. What's disingenuous to me is the tendency by some to criticize the CEO lifestyle in one thread and then ignore the exact same perks granted to the leader of what is seen (by some) as a charitable organization in another thread. The CO2 being emitted by Mr. Dees jet is the same greenhouse gas emitted from any other CEO's jet.

[Zigzagman]

Just when I thought I had heard it all - now Rick Perry is telling America that he is a prophet?? Is this a case of good cop/bad cop? He is really making the rest of the GOP look smart. Perry just stop it, you are making Texans look like a bunch of morons.

Governor Rick Perry appeared on the Fox News network for an interview with Neil Cavuto. Cavuto made the somewhat dubious statement that Perry is "very popular outside your state, still popular but not nearly as popular within your state."

Asked why Texas wasn't exactly in love with him, Perry said "I say that a prophet is generally not loved in their hometown. That's both Biblical and practical."

It's not that conservatives don't like Perry because he tried to force innocent sixth-grade girls to be given the "slut shot" anti-STD vaccine Gardasil, or to impose a billions-of-dollars boondoggle of a highway/rail/hoverboat/flying car transportation system throughout some of the emptier parts of the state.

And it's not that moderates don't like him because he wants to give carte blanche to polluters and slash the state's education system to shreds.

It's because neither group recognizes the Prophet-like genius of Rick Perry.


Peace

[Catwoman]

That is a statement that is used frequently when someone is not received well or thought of well in their home state/country. He is NOT calling himself a prophet. Again, half-truths and twisted mis-quotes do not enhance anyone's clarity. Not defending some of his bad actions at TX Gov. I am just tired of twisted, misconstrued information on all sides of the equation. No mas, from now on I am the truthmeister (or meistress).

[Gregg]

Just when I thought I had heard it all - now Rick Perry is telling America that he is a prophet??
[/I]

Where's Lucian when you need him?

[Zigzagman]

That is a statement that is used frequently when someone is not received well or thought of well in their home state/country. He is NOT calling himself a prophet. Again, half-truths and twisted mis-quotes do not enhance anyone's clarity. Not defending some of his bad actions at TX Gov. I am just tired of twisted, misconstrued information on all sides of the equation. No mas, from now on I am the truthmeister (or meistress).

Catlady - As an educator in Texas, I find it amazing that you continue to support this guy who has publicly and proudly destroyed the education system (already pretty sad) in this state. Exactly what do you like about him? That he an Aggie? Is that all it takes?

Peace