Prayapolooza in Houston

[Zigzagman]

I can't resist. Two words - STOP IT!!

SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) -- Saying "there is hope for America, and we will find it on our knees," Texas Governor Rick Perry has invited other governors to join him in a "solemn gathering of prayer and fasting" in August in Houston, according to the event's website.

Officially titled “The Response, a Call to Prayer for a Nation in Crisis,” Perry’s Pray-n-Fast will take place in Houston and be “a non-denominational, apolitical Christian prayer meeting” featuring both governors and alt-governors (“Christian political leaders”).

Paying for the festivities is the American Family Association, whose leaders hate green dragons, gays and their gay Home Depots, and Indian tribes, among other people and things. Because of the AFA's family value-style generosity, nobody will have to pay anything to deprive themselves of food with the popular party host. If everything goes according to plan, and no fights break out, attendees will "rise up and make a sound that will be heard in heaven." And then hopefully Jesus will come and take away all the "depression, addiction, fear" and other evils that have suddenly popped up in America, after more than two perfect centuries. excerpt from Gawker

Now, here’s the deal. It has to be Pray-n-Fast because Perry’s too cheap to spring for food. And I suspect the guy who can turn a basket of fish and bread into feeding a crowd would not be caught dead within a zillion miles of this event.

It’s gonna be held in Reliant Stadium. Here’s a picture of Reliant Stadium. The Texans play there and , like Perry, they are not very good at what they do either.





But, I suspect this is a good place to have the Pray-n-Fast because just like football, this is an exhibition sport.


You know, if we could pray our roads fixed, our children educated, our airplanes landing safely, and Grandma’s failing eyesight to magically heal, I’d be there myself on my knees. But, instead, Rick Perry and his corporate buddies will tell poor people that they don’t need health care if they have Jesus, and education is nothing because the Bible has all the answers, and working from dawn to dusk seven days a week is what they should do because work honors God. And then they’ll pass the plate for these folks to contribute to Perry’s Presidential run. - Juanita Jeans Beauty Shop


Peace

[flowerseverywhere]

Very scarey, especially the American family association.

Unfortunately, although I am an atheist, I do think many religious organizations do a lot of good in this world, but these extreme views are the ones that get the press and attention. Regardless of which god you believe in, I can't believe the message of hate for those who don't believe in your particular god or your particular interpretation of a holy book is going to get you into an imagined "heaven".

Instead of spending all the money putting on the show or people traveling there, how about helping a poor child or a homeless hungry man?

[Catwoman]

I love this...it is making libs heads explode, that people would actually go to their knees, pray to God and ask for help for our nation. Yall have fun with that, I'll be chattin with the big Guy!

[peggy]

Yea, because prayer has been so helpful in the past.
What I love is that it's a prayer AND fast. Cause, you know, god loves hungry people and all...and it's a non denominational CHRISTIAN thing. Well, that's pretty specific isn't it. That pretty much leaves out everyone else, doesn't it.

[Alan]

Yea, because prayer has been so helpful in the past.
What I love is that it's a prayer AND fast. Cause, you know, god loves hungry people and all...and it's a non denominational CHRISTIAN thing. Well, that's pretty specific isn't it. That pretty much leaves out everyone else, doesn't it.

No, I'm sure they'd welcome you if you wanted to attend.

[porcelain]

Totally going to shop at Home Depot more now...

[Catwoman]

This won't be welcomed by all but...to demonstrate what Christians face nowadays, if there were some Moslem call to prayer or one of those onenss/bliss outs like they have in Austin it would be more accepted by some here than it is. My holy book, the Bible, says this about people who make fun of prayer

3 Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.”

Now yell at me for judging..you judged me first ...

[SoSimple]

A lot of very sincere people attend things like this. I know - my parents go to things like this a lot. (I don't - I'm agnostic at best). I don't care for the intersection of faith and politics in this country (since when has it been written in the Constitution that to run for office requires you to be a born-again Christian?) but I also don't care for the indiscriminate mocking of those who truly believe that their concern for their country leads them to fast and pray. Would we mock those praying for an end to poverty? Or (my pet political cause) universal health care?

Fasting is also not limited to just Christians of a certain persuasion. It also pops up in just about every major religion as a spiritual discipline and is a valid spiritual exercise, just as meditation is.

I do get that the leaders of this event may (okay, probably) have political motives, but mocking the whole idea is unfair to those attendees for whom it will have genuine spiritual meaning.

My 2c, and I'm sure they won't be popular.

(May I take the opportunity to remind everyone at this point that I am a) an ardent advocate of separation of church and state, and b) an ardent liberal so don't take this as an endorsement of the politics tied up with this event. Just a reminder that not all who pray & fast are half-witted or Tea-Party-ers.).

[The Storyteller]

The problem I have with this is not that people are praying and fasting. Nothing at all wrong with that. It is the fact that this is a governor of a state (and probable presidential candidate) who is calling on other governors to join him to pray for the crisis in our country. Free speech and freedom of religion and all aside, I think this is an incredibly demagogic, unamerican thing to do. I'm surprised you folks don't see it for what it is... insincere pandering by a cynical politician to good Christian folk.

[Zigzagman]

I realize that this is viewed by some as blasphemy but in reality is there no end to this charade. When I see my beloved Gov. inviting his fellow Governors to attend this prayer session I immediately want to just throw up. This is not about religion, this is not about prayer, this is about bringing those that are dedicated to anything Christian into the Republician tent.

For a public official to tell me that I need prayer in school, that I need Christian values in my life , that if we bring together several thousand people to pray for rain - it will help.

Are you kidding? Is this the 21st century or are we still in the dark ages?

The irony is that I am not making this stuff up. It is real and for me it is scary.

Peace