Prayer & politics

Surely, you know about The Response: A Call to Prayer for a Nation in Crisis, the big prayer rally spearheaded by Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who may or may not but most likely will run for president next year.

Simply put, I'm for prayer. But I'm against an active politician, much less an elected official, inserting himself in the big middle of a public prayer rally. Click this link to read the problems with Perry's idea. And click here to see a proposed prayer list for the Houston rally.

"… breaks my heart …"

The reader writes: "I thought it was sad when the atheists started complaining because we were going to get together and pray in Houston. But for Christians to complain about it just totally took me by surprise. … It just breaks my heart for people of God to throw negative comments at this because they're afraid it might be 'political.'"

You can understand the shock a Christian of a certain persuasion could feel when she learns another Christian agrees with an atheist over against her position on a topic. But as the shade-tree philosopher says, "Even a blind hog finds an acorn now and then." Just because an atheist is wrong on the ultimate issue does not mean he is wrong on all issues. And just because a Christian is correct on that ultimate issue does not mean she is correct on all issues.

I know this is hard for Christians at either end of the spectrum to understand, but fellow Christians often disagree with them precisely because of their biblical understanding and Christian convictions.

Not unconstitutional, just unwise

In this case, I do not oppose Gov. Perry's right to call out and even whip up a prayer rally. This is not a constitutional issue. The rally has been funded by private money. The governor has not mandated attendance by anyone. And even public officials have private rights.

But I do question the governor's wisdom in calling and organizing an overtly Christian rally. He was sworn to uphold the state constitution and to serve all Texans. The highly parochial nature of his call and involvement in the rally tells Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Texans of other faiths and Texans of no faith they are second-class, at best. Our state is divided enough already; we don't need the governor creating new divisions and stretching the chasm between groups.

As a lifelong—and what church historian and native Texan Bill Leonard would call an "old timey"—Baptist, I'm bothered by Gov. Perry's short-sighted theology. For 400 years, Baptists have championed the notion that all people are created in God's image and thus possess inalienable rights to religious liberty. That's why Roger Williams, founder of the first Baptist church in America, chartered Rhode Island Colony—to provide a haven of peace and protection for the minority Baptists who were persecuted in Massachusetts. But Williams was expansive. Rather than create a Baptist enclave, he set aside space for Baptists, Jews, Quakers, "Turks" (his word for Muslims) and people of no faith to follow the dictates of their consciences.

Roger Williams would not support the prayer rally. Neither would Thomas Helwys, an early British Baptist, who died in prison for telling England's King James to butt out of the religious lives of his subjects. Neither would John Leland, the 18th century Virginia Baptist pastor, who secured the religious liberty clauses in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Neither would George W. Truett, voted by Baptist Standard readers the most influential Texas Baptist of the 20th century, who continually advocated for religious freedom for all people.

Politicized prayer is offensive, but here's a way out …

And finally, despite what the letter writer wrote, infusing politics into prayer is highly offensive. We can't know for sure, but many have wondered if Gov. Perry's call for the prayer rally has anything to do with his possible run for the presidency. Presenting oneself as the boldest Christian of the bunch might be an effective way to pick up votes. That seems to be taking God's name in vain in the extreme.

If the governor  desires to signify his prayer rally sincerely is about prayer and not about his political fortunes, then he can resign as governor, declare he will not run for president and volunteer to be the nation's chaplain-in-chief.