I'm a Christian, and Rick Perry doesn't speak for me

Oh, my hell, what an ignorant asshat.



And I say that not as a Democrat, not as a supporter of LGBT civil rights, but as a devout Christian who's sick and [expletive deleted] tired of bigots like Rick Perry insisting that they speak for my faith, when what they're really doing is hijacking a 2,000-year-old belief system to rationalize their own hatred and inadequacy.

Aside from the fact that Perry rehashes the lie that children can't observe their religion in public school - not true, although non-Christian observants still have to fight for their right to do so - and aside from the blatant lie that the Obama Administration is waging a "war" on religion - where? when? - and aside from the fact that what Perry said about the late unlamented "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy is blatant hate-speech - why not just rant about those n***** welfare queens and their baggy pants while you're at it? - there's the fact that this ad is meant to persuade people to elect him president of the United States of America.

Not Sunday School teacher. Not head deacon of the West Texas Tabernacle of the True Redeemed Snake Handlin' Reformed Baptist Whatevers. President. Which, the last time I checked, is a civic office heading the Executive Branch of the federal government. And, since we don't live in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, our government is a secular one.

Most Americans like the notion that the person who holds such power and responsibility has some sort of belief system to fall back on, but nowhere is it written that the president has to be a Christian. In fact, the men who created our government from scratch back in 18th century Philadelphia deliberately did NOT write an official religion into the Constitution, or any sort of religious test for holding public office.

This Christian thinks it's pretty insulting to suggest that followers of my faith have a monopoly on ethics, morality or good behavior. Any of us could list people who've called themselves Christians and behaved horribly. There's a reason that Jesus taught his followers not to pray in public - because simply proclaiming "I'm a Christian! Done!" is just too easy, at least compared with actually living the faith.

Perry is entitled to his beliefs. It's free country, and ensuring that freedom is a major piece of the job Perry's applying for. Meanwhile, he's no theologian, and shouldn't pretend to be.

And, while I'm pissed off at Rick Perry, I might as well say that any grown man who takes a gun with him jogging anywhere other than Baghdad has a tiny dick. There, I said it.