The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age
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    TIME FOR A GOOD OLE TEXAS PRAYER MEETING

    By Richard Day on Sat, 08/06/2011 - 8:50am |

    Throughout our history, both as a state and as individuals, Texans have been strengthened, assured and lifted up through prayer...It is fitting that Texans should join together in prayer to humbly seek an end to this ongoing drought and these devastating wildfires."...

    NOW, THEREFORE, I, RICK PERRY, Governor of Texas, under the authority vested in me by the Constitution and Statutes of the State of Texas, do hereby proclaim the three-day period from Friday, April 22, 2011, to Sunday, April 24, 2011, as Days of Prayer for Rain in the State of Texas. I urge Texans of all faiths and traditions to offer prayers on that day for the healing of our land, the rebuilding of our communities and the restoration of our normal and robust way of life.


    CHAAC (Mayan Rain God)

    I guess that sometimes prayer works!

    Flooding in Charlotte.

    Flooding in Missouri.

    Flooding in Iowa.

    Flooding in Tennessee.

    Flooding in North Dakota.

    Flooding in Arkansas.

    Flooding in Texas.

    Thank you Governor Perry!

    And thank the good Lord!

     

     

     

    Well the holy Reverend Rick Perry is calling for another period of deep prayer and what better place to hold that prayer meeting than a football stadium!

    All of Texas is ordered to pray today. That order came as an executive edict proclaimed by Governor Rick Perry.

    You recall Rick Perry? The guy who is waiting in the weeds as he watches all the repub candidates slowly disintegrate? And then Ricky will come and save the day like Mighty Mouse!

    Just what this country needs. A Texas governor who prays all the time and claims to be a compassionate, Jesus-lovin conservative.

    At 27 years old, I knew that I’d been called to the ministry,” Mr. Perry said “I’ve just always been really stunned by how big a pulpit I was going to have. I still am. I truly believe with all my heart that God has put me in this place at this time to do His will....

    Gov. Rick Perry of Texas is scheduled to appear at Reliant Stadium in Houston for “The Response,” an all-day event of Christian-centered prayer and fasting intended, as Mr. Perry explains on the event’s Web site, to address the various crises that have “besieged” America.

    Mr. Perry’s use of official resources, including a gubernatorial proclamation, to promote the prayer service has drawn criticism from civil liberties groups. He has been hinting at a run for the Republican presidential nomination, and many critics see the prayer service as an improper attempt to court the religious right.hwww.nytimes.com/2011/08/06/

    Given the trials that have beset our country and world - from the global economic downturn to natural disasters, the lingering danger of terrorism and wars that endanger our troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and theaters of conflict around the globe, and the decline of our culture in the context of the demise of families - it seems imperative that the people of our nation should once again join together for a solemn day of prayer and fasting on behalf of our troubled nation.

    In times of trouble, even those who have been granted power by the people must turn to God in humility for wisdom, mercy and direction. In the spirit of the Book of Joel, Chapter 2, Verses 15-16, I urge a solemn gathering of prayer and fasting. As those verses admonish: "15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly... 16 Gather the people, consecrate the assembly..." As Jesus prayed publicly for the benefit of others in John 11:41-42, so should we express our faith in this way.

    THEREFORE, I invite my fellow Texans to join me on August 6 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, as we pray for unity and righteousness - for this great state, this great nation and all mankind. I urge Americans of faith to pray on that day for the healing of our country, the rebuilding of our communities and the restoration of enduring values as our guiding force.

    THEREFORE, I, Rick Perry, Governor of Texas, do hereby proclaim August 6, 2011, to be A Day of Prayer and Fasting for Our Nation in Texas, and urge the appropriate recognition whereof. (the_governor_declares_august_6_day_of_prayer)

    Now I think it is time to take a look at the media's take on things. The Washington Post reports:

    More than 8,000 people have signed up to attend “The Response,” according to its organizers — a turnout that would be larger than any event the other Republican candidates have held this year.

    Just look at the wording—more than 8,000.

    I might have put it this way: less than 9,000 people will join in the festivities in an arena capable of holding 72,000.

    And guess who is going to help us all pray with Governor Perry?

    Talk also turned toward Bryan Fischer and John Hagee. Fischer is the director of Issues Analysis for the American Family Association (AFA), host of Focal Point on American Family Radio, and blogger for the AFA’s Rightly Concerned who is sponsoring the prayer rally. He has routinely made several controversial statements about, for instance, the gay community and Muslims. Hagee is the founder and senior pastor of San Antonio’s nondenominational Cornerstone Church and the CEO of the non-profit Global Evangelism Television (GETV). Hagee has made quite a few eye-catching comments of his own, including calling the Catholic Church “the great whore” and referring to Hurricane Katrina as “God’s punishment” of New Orleans.

    Are these, Matthews wondered, really the type of people you’d want representing any event, much less one devoted to prayer? To further drive home his point, he offered up a “montage of voices” including various polarizing, and even hateful, statements made by those representing and/or sponsoring tomorrow’s event.

    Perkins responded by saying that “not everyone” believes with the beliefs espoused by those individuals.

    Fischer is a lot of fun to have at an event like this:

    Fischer routinely expresses support for some of the most bigoted and shocking ideas found in the Religious Right today. He has:

     

    http://www.rightwingwatch.org/category/individuals/bryan-fischer

    But don't worry because Perkins says that not everyone believes everything Fischer and Hagee believe all the time even if Perry believes that these two fascists belong at this prayer fest. And I have sympathy with Perkins because he wears more make-up than some transvestite prostitutes on the North Side in Minneapolis.

    Anyway, my fear is that Perry's prayer fest might work, just like it did in April.

    I mean, SONOFABITCH, he prayed for rain and half the country ended up underwater.

    Next week we could find all the gay people dead, all the Roman Catholics destroyed and all our African American females turned into rabbits!

    Comments

    Ha! The rain cometh everywhere but Texas. Even the hurricane last week avoided S. Texas when it heard about the perry's prayer meetin'.

    The head preacher of the prayer meeting is on record as saying, "Now thet Mr. Cain, he's a real black person, but Obama haint, cuz that Obama up ehr is only half black and half white."  

     


    by Oxy Mora on Sat, 08/06/2011 - 9:40am

    ha

    My God Almighty I have had it with these political/religious hypocrites!

    LET US PRAY!


    by Richard Day on Sat, 08/06/2011 - 10:20am

     what better place to hold that prayer meeting than a football stadium!

    Not only is "god" an avid football fan (note that no touchdown pass can be caught without is intervention, witness the conspicuous index finger to sky routine from QB and wideout) he also happens to be a Cowboys fan (too bad for him...).  I believe they are changing their name from  "America's Team" to "God's Team".  Jesus, of course, is a Jets fan (owns a Namath jersey..) making things tense around the remote control on Sundays in Heaven (Jesus insists on showing off by not needing the remote to change the channel..)


    by jollyroger on Sat, 08/06/2011 - 10:39am

    And why, for heaven's sake, do they play football on Sunday? hahahahahahaha


    by Richard Day on Sat, 08/06/2011 - 10:49am

    Only in a country where the bulk of the over entertained and under educated voting population has a memory shorter than a 30 second TV commercial, and while the body bags are still being filled and flown back from the far corners of the globe from the unfinished debacles of the previous one, could another self promoting lying religion abusing scoundrel of a Republican governor from Texas be seriously considered, by any but the certifiably delusional or insane, as someone who has any solutions to the issues facing this country.


    by NCD on Sat, 08/06/2011 - 12:17pm

    I know, I know. But w was reelected in 2004 after any discerning citizen could have verified the scores of lies told by that administration on a daily basis!


    by Richard Day on Sat, 08/06/2011 - 12:48pm

    The fact that 8000 people are showing up for this farce is a powerful statement that the majority of Christians in Texas and elsewhere realize that this is nothing more than an attempt by a politician to curry favor with Christian religious groups.

    Mitt Romney is going to be one of Perry's opponents. Perry can classify himself as a Christian as opposed to Romney who belongs to a cult, the Mormons. The ex-Governor of South Carolina called himself a Christian, yet he was found "hiking the Appalachian Trail" to get some booty in Argentina. The C-Streeters are Christianists who believe that they are above Christian edicts.

     

    There is often discussion about public prayer being criticized by Jesus.

    Matthew 6:5-6: "And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men....when thou prayest, enter into thy closet and when thou has shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret...."

    Taken to the extreme, the passage would mean that clergy could not offer prayers to their congregation and that the congregation could not pray in a church or synagogue. Obviously the church is a place of prayer.

    Matthew 21:12-13: "And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves."

    The prayer restriction cited in Mathew 6:5-6 is complicated by the observation that Jesus himself prayed in public.

    Matthew 19:13-15: "Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence."

    The prayers for the children were offered in public.

    When Jesus feed the 500, the Gospels describe the prayer for the food as a public event.

    Mark 6:41: "And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all."

    Matthew 14:19: "...took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude."

    Luke 9:16: "Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude."

    John 6:11: "And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would."

     

    The problem with Perry's event is that it is being done as a political tactic rather than a Christian act. It is more for showing off than anything else. It is the politics rather than the public prayer aspect that violate the words of Mathew 6:5-6.

     

     


    by rmrd0000 on Sat, 08/06/2011 - 1:44pm

    Latest report is twenty thou at the football arena.

    This literally is enough to piss off the Pope. hahahahaha

    There is beauty in your Biblical selections however.

    I have not checked up on the opposition prayer meeting put on by some 'real' Christians.

    Jesus cared not who his main campaign contributors were or who would give his nephew a job...everybody present received some bread and some fish. ha

    You remind me of something i forget from time to time; there are beautiful stories in the Bible.


    by Richard Day on Sat, 08/06/2011 - 2:12pm

    Of the 20 thou, how many were given a bucket of lollipops and a year's subscription to the Christian Times Newsletter? My guess... 19,687.


    by MrSmith1 on Sat, 08/06/2011 - 3:51pm

    hahahahahaha

    I think the new figures, again are around 20,000 according to Huffpo:

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/06/rick-perry-speech-prayer-rally_n_920157.html

    But I was thinking about Obama in 08 in Germany with a week's notice and 350,000 showed up!

    And Obama would fill stadiums in this country!

    This is all I got:


    by Richard Day on Sat, 08/06/2011 - 4:34pm

    20K show up for Perry? Louis Farrakhan is laughing


    by rmrd0000 on Sat, 08/06/2011 - 4:14pm

    Yeah Louis would get a mill...hahahahahah

    And he believes in Sharia Law. hahahahahah


    by Richard Day on Sat, 08/06/2011 - 4:35pm

    One starts getting into the numbers game, one is going to paint oneself into a corner.  The October 2 One Nation Working Together Rally in DC with its 400 sponsors could if you use the generous count by the rally organizers of 175,000 (most accounts put it at tens of thousands), amounts to an average of 438 attendees per sponsor.  So what does that say about the progressive movement in US.  When one has New York City 5 hours away from DC, Philly 3 hours, etc, and the population of DC itself is 600,000.


    by Elusive Trope on Sat, 08/06/2011 - 4:52pm

    One starts getting into the numbers game, one is going to paint oneself into a corner.  The October 2 One Nation Working Together Rally in DC with its 400 sponsors could if you use the generous count by the rally organizers of 175,000 (most accounts put it at tens of thousands), amounts to an average of 438 attendees per sponsor.  So what does that say about the progressive movement in US.  When one has New York City 5 hours away from DC, Philly 3 hours, etc, and the population of DC itself is 600,000.


    by Elusive Trope on Sat, 08/06/2011 - 4:52pm

    Who the hell knows?

    You can look at camera angles on the 72,000 would bes at a stadium and then work it from there. Does it look like a third? Does it look like half?

    We all have a lot of practice at this whilst we view our baseball teams and such.

    I don't care. At least not that much.

    I mean if the goddamn stadium were full and miles of people were in the parking lot fixing burgers; well that might get to me.

    Perry is a goddamn hypocritical piece of shite who never had a descent thought in his goddamn head.

    the end

    hahahahah


    by Richard Day on Sat, 08/06/2011 - 5:00pm

    You don't have to convince me of the at best worthlessness of Perry.  But if we think just making fun of the fact of 20K or 30K showed up for prayer rally is going to undermine him and his supporters, we have another thing coming, as the saying goes.  And that thing isn't very pleasant.


    by Elusive Trope on Sat, 08/06/2011 - 5:10pm

    There is very little that is truly funny about a group of Christianists who feel called by a divine message to "save" the United States of America. The "thing" that types like Perry have going for them is that they believe that they set the gold standard for Christianity and Patriotism. Anyone who disagrees is a heathen or unpatriotic.

    A true believer does not fear crashing through a debt ceiling because at the end of they day, God will save the USA as long as the country is led by the correct people.


    by rmrd0000 on Sat, 08/06/2011 - 10:42pm

    Latest report 30,000, Liz Lara, attendee drove 200 miles to event:

    “I believe that God has prepared Rick Perry for such a time as this,” she said. “I believe he will be our next president.”

    Liz is probably thankful God sent George W. Bush to save us after 9/11, by getting Saddam, although Liz probably doesn't know what Saddam did to deserve getting, or where Iraq is located on a map.

     


    by NCD on Sat, 08/06/2011 - 4:25pm

    THE SPIN ON THIS WILL NEVER LET UP!

    They are all frickin liars anyway. hahahahaah

     

    JUST LIE TO ME!


    by Richard Day on Sat, 08/06/2011 - 4:36pm

    "God prepared Rick Perry" could also be used as a way of excusing his lousy grades in college. He didn't have to study, he was waiting for God to give him the answers. 


    by MrSmith1 on Sat, 08/06/2011 - 4:43pm

    There is so much truth in that sentence.

    All I see is George w in that Perry's face. hahahaha

    It turns out that his state's debt is beyond any limit; the jobs created are in the area of fast foods; benefits for workers are down; state workers were fucked....

    THE NEW CORPORATE AMERICA.

    GOD BLESS THE CORPORATIONS!


    by Richard Day on Sat, 08/06/2011 - 4:52pm

    This is great DDay!  As sick as it is, I enjoyed it because of your great writing.  As the sister of 2 people who are there in spirit with him, I can tell you that there is no right or wrong except what these doofuses tell them to think.  Neither of them is unintelligent, but they are completely ignorant and delusional IMHO.  Jan


    by CVille Dem on Sat, 08/06/2011 - 7:03pm

    Very kind words indeed!

    Now, let us all bow our heads and pretend....hahahaha


    by Richard Day on Sat, 08/06/2011 - 9:57pm

    I was going to attend the rally but then I realized it conflicted with Rapture Camp this weekend. We have an important agenda including a discussion on whether there might be human sacrifices in the end times. The bible speaks of human sacrifices but there is some disagreement about how to respond to it if it happens, would the sacrifices be stadium events, and such. Then there is a question of how to identify the atheists, perhaps they could provide last minute assistance and what would be the cost of such services. Sorry, have to get back to meeting.  


    by Oxy Mora on Sat, 08/06/2011 - 10:42pm

    I wonder if the allegiance to Jesus among the Christian fundamentalists is stronger than their allegiance to the succession of Christian Republican candidates. First they bow down to Sarah Palin. Then Huckabee. Then Bachmann. And now Perry. In other words whomever gets put before them in the media as the new savior of the Republican party becomes their new passion. It seems each new candidate is a metaphor for the original conversion to Jesus. It makes me wonder if they need to keep discovering ever new purveyors of Christo-Politics in order to shore up their own individual faith in Jesus. 


    by Oxy Mora on Sat, 08/06/2011 - 10:26pm

    They are like slot machine addicts who keep thinking the next machine will give them the big payout,  and magically change their miserable lives.  When they get fleeced, we all lose. Whatever imaginary connection to Jesus they have, it is far less than their allegiance to their wallets and their guns.  If they believe the country is in dire straights, apparently it's not bad enough to raise taxes on billionaire hedge fund moguls.


    by NCD on Sun, 08/07/2011 - 9:44pm

    What can I say about Gov.Perry?

    First there's the fact that Texas takes out more federal dollars than it puts in each year. And the 'job growth' is mainly made up of low wage jobs that may require people to need more than one or public assistance to make ends meet.

    Then there is this quote from Talking Points Memo that explains why he is trying to launch his campaign with a religous event:

    "Back in 2002, when a reporter asked Texas Governor Rick Perry how his faith informed his politics, he replied, "I don't think it does, particular­ly." Additional­ly, he seemed to treat the act of praying as a fairly private matter. "

    I would say that both on the economy and on character I would give this guy a D... much like his college grade in economics.


    by synchronicity on Sat, 08/06/2011 - 8:41pm

    And here i thought he found the Lord at 27...ha!


    by Richard Day on Sat, 08/06/2011 - 9:58pm

    I think all Republicans candidates in order to run in primaries should have to present a signed and notarized deposition dating the time and place of their conversion to the Lord.


    by Oxy Mora on Sat, 08/06/2011 - 10:31pm

    Deposition? Naaah, all they have to do is show everybody their personally autographed 8x10 glossy picture of Jesus. 


    by MrSmith1 on Sat, 08/06/2011 - 10:39pm

    Ha! That glossy picture of Jesus is what you have o have in order to vote in Texas. Either that or a gun registration.


    by Oxy Mora on Sat, 08/06/2011 - 11:08pm

    You know, Mr. Day...if I were a Christian and some guy told me to show up at the local Colosseum to pray, I'd seriously have to think twice about whether or not I'd go. Sounds like some kind of trick to me.  no  yessmiley


    by wabby on Sun, 08/07/2011 - 7:26pm

    Lyin bout lions?

    ha


    by Richard Day on Mon, 08/08/2011 - 12:02am

    Richard, it occurred to me last night as I thumbed a cover-less copy of a Hunter S. Thompson book that YOU are the new Hunter S. Thompson (in your own way, of course).


    by Peter Schwartz on Mon, 08/08/2011 - 10:37am

    Well thanks Peter.


    by Richard Day on Mon, 08/08/2011 - 10:49am

    When it comes to religion, I pray to Zappa cause he had the answers to all of life's problems.


    by Beetlejuice on Mon, 08/08/2011 - 3:39pm

    My poor alcoholic father died in '62.

    He used to laugh in his drunkenness and state that someday there would be pix and films showing folks on the pot. hahahahahaha

     

    javascript:;

     


    by Richard Day on Mon, 08/08/2011 - 3:54pm