Governor “Texas can take care of itself” Perry, has asked Texans by Official Proclamation to pray for rain in the midst of a severe drought that has sparked more than 8,000 wildfires.
Perry issued the following proclamation today.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME:
WHEREAS, the state of Texas is in the midst of an exceptional drought, with some parts of the state receiving no significant rainfall for almost three months, matching rainfall deficit records dating back to the 1930s; and
WHEREAS, a combination of higher than normal temperatures, low precipitation and low relative humidity has caused an extreme fire danger over most of the State, sparking more than 8,000 wildfires which have cost several lives, engulfed more than 1.8 million acres of land and destroyed almost 400 homes, causing me to issue an ongoing disaster declaration since December of last year; and
WHEREAS, these dire conditions have caused agricultural crops to fail, lake and reservoir levels to fall and cattle and livestock to struggle under intense stress, imposing a tremendous financial and emotional toll on our land and our people; and
WHEREAS, throughout our history, both as a state and as individuals, Texans have been strengthened, assured and lifted up through prayer; it seems right and fitting that the people of Texas should join together in prayer to humbly seek an end to this devastating drought and these dangerous 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 way of life.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto signed my name and have officially caused the Seal of State to be affixed at my Office in the City of Austin, Texas, this the 21st day of April, 2011.
RICK PERRY
Governor of Texas
Although pandering to the religious right is always among the first actions of the Texas Governor, this proclamation does however bring up several issues:
- Should we leave the fires unattended for another day and wait until tomorrow to start praying?
- What if all our prayer causes a flood? Do we then pray for no rain?
- Do we tell all the hard working men and women actually fighting the fires to take a break and pray too?
- Does this cross the boundary of the separation of Church and State?
- And mainly, does this mean we have to put aside our egg dyeing kits and tell the kiddos the easter bunny isn’t coming?
Although prayer probably wouldn’t hurt, why not direct the resources necessary to get the fires under control to where they are needed, or get the villagers to put down their picket signs and use their pitchforks for something useful.
Then again, weather forecasts for the more eastern areas are calling for thunderstorms, some severe. So if it foes rain they will call him a prophet.
Ok after hearing about this on the news the other day I started looking on the internet and read Governor Perry’s bill on Prayer.. this is my thought. YOU ROCK Gov. Perry. We all could stand a little more conversations with God. Ok to those of you whom either don’t believe or worship the snake down below. You complain we are infringing on your rights .. WHAT IN THE SAM HILL DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING? if you feel that you should keep your mouths shut and not pray…then, KEEP IT SHUT ABOUT THIS..its not about you..practice what you are preaching. you have the right to not pray and the rest of us have the right to Pray.. even in public.. after all your voicing your belief not to believe in public. may be its just attention you seek. were you deprived of love and attention as a child. Well let me tell you. if you belived you would have more love than you could handle..so be bitter by yourselves and let us be fill of love of GOD togeather..and if you ever dicide , we will welcome you and show you Gods love.. J
Oh my friend, if i can call you that as a brother in Christ, I had plenty of love as a child, was raised and am a practicing Catholic. I don’t know where your hatred comes from. It seems to me you are in need of love as you seem to be boiling with rage for those who do not believe exactly as you do. I do not deride the power of prayer, my problem is with the politicians who use it to pander to people such as you. They say these things as if they believe them with no intentions of actually practicing what they preach. Take President Bush for example, he campaigned as a evangelical and was going to end abortion. The Christian Right went ga ga over him believing his every word. Eight years later no real action from him yet you folks still think he did good. The Gov is of the same cloth, he uses Christianity as a crutch. The man doesn’t even go to church. I have real problems with this type behavior.
Am I reading Janet right? Either you love Perry or your an atheist devil lover. Man that’s some screwed up reasoning.