Perry’s theology troubling

Opinion: August 3, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

When Texas Gov. Rick Perry hosts his prayer rally Saturday in Houston, some will want to jump him. A group already has sued, unsuccessfully, to stop him from attending the event, sponsored by the American Family Association.

Let’s cut the governor some slack. If he wants to gather largely conservative evangelicals to hold a rally to pray for America — and has invited other governors to what is billed as a Christian event — let him. It’s his prerogative.

What’s troubling is Perry’s theology.

Start with the flag-and-cross concoction. Perry and other sponsors want attendees to pray to God to guide America and to learn about Jesus Christ.

Wrong road

Each is fine, but not together. When you bind prayer for a nation with learning about Jesus, you take off down the wrong road.

For one thing, there’s an assumption that by simply learning about Jesus — and his central message of sacrificial love — our nation will move toward resolving our political problems.

Nice try, but learning about Jesus doesn’t balance a budget, improve our schools or, presto, solve our Pakistan problem.

In fact, there’s a strong argument that God expects us to make those calls. C.S. Lewis, for one, argued that’s why God gave us the ability to reason, to create and to judge. We should use those gifts with wisdom and compassion and shouldn’t expect Jesus to suddenly make everything better.

And that’s where Perry seems to be leaning. In talking to donors recently about the threat to private property, especially from our tax system, he reportedly said: “It’s time to just hand it over to God and say, ‘God, you’re going to have to fix this.”’

Perry’s impulse is understandable. Our problems seem overwhelming. But a blanket “Christ is the answer” response assumes our political conflicts would begin working themselves out if everyone only came to Jesus.

Not only is that inconsistent with Scripture, it ignores the political differences among followers of Christ.

For example, younger evangelicals show a passion for environmental stewardship. Such liberal evangelicals as author Ron Sider, author of “Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger,” have long written about the plight of the poor.

How do their views factor into the Perry rally? Or what heed would the governor give them? He’s not been known for his crusade against pollution or his policies to directly lift the poor, beyond creating jobs for all.

And here’s another problem with the event’s theology: Mixing Jesus and America and the assumption that Christ will bless America with greatness if we, the people, call on him. I don’t doubt that God loves each American and that he wants our nation to act justly and righteously. But this view assumes that we — collectively, as a nation — are on his side and that he should be on ours. Where in Scripture can you remotely get to either point?

Some on the Christian Right long have woven America into their theology. And this goes way beyond politicians asking God to bless America at the end of speeches.

Engaging the world

One good thing about this Perry rally is that it shows again how conservative evangelicals have engaged the world. They once separated themselves from the larger culture.

But the theology at play is open for debate. Perry and his followers aren’t going to change their minds come Saturday. They still are going to promote their creed. But the rest of us don’t have to buy it.

William McKenzie is an editorial columnist for The Dallas Morning News. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.