Tony Perkins On Rick Perry's Prayer Rally

Barry Lynn of the Americans for Separation of Church & State takes on FRC's Tony Perkins. The rally takes place today in Houston. Halfway through the clip, Matthews runs a montage of the outrageous comments made by the event's sponsors.

TEXAS: Perry Prayer Event May Flop

It looks like Texas Gov. Rick Perry's controversial Christians-only prayer rally may have dreadful attendance.

Openly and deeply religious, Texas Gov. Rick Perry organized what seemed like a slam-dunk event for a politician in a state where religion and politics walk hand in hand: He would fill Houston's Reliant Stadium with fellow believers in a seven-hour session of Christian atonement by some of the nation's most conservative preachers, exhorting believers to pray about the nation's moral decline. Since he set up the event scheduled for Saturday, however, Perry has become the most talked-about almost-candidate in the 2012 Republican presidential field. But with only 8,000 RSVPs for a stadium that seats 71,500 people, virtually no politicians planning to attend, and a slate of organizers who hold out-of-mainstream views on religious freedom, gay rights and even Adolf Hitler, the event has become a potentially risky gamble if Perry is serious about running for the White House.

This could be quite delish.

MISSOURI: Public School Board Bans Novels That Are "Contrary To The Bible"

A public school board in Missouri has banned Kurt Vonnegut's classic novel Slaughterhouse Five because it "teaches ideas that are contrary to the Bible." This action came after a protracted complaint campaign by local university "professor" Wesley Scroggins.

Shortly before 9 p.m. Monday, the school board voted 4-0 -- three members were absent -- to keep Laurie Halse Anderson's "Speak," an award-winning book about date rape, and remove Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse Five" and Sarah Ockler's "Twenty Boy Summer." Wesley Scroggins, a Republic resident, challenged the use of the books and lesson plans in Republic schools, arguing they teach principles contrary to the Bible. "I congratulate them for doing what's right and removing the two books," said Scroggins, who didn't attend the board meeting. "It's unfortunate they chose to keep the other book."

TEXAS: Prayer Rally Suit Dismissed

The atheist group suing to stop Texas Gov. Rick Perry's prayer rally have lost their case.

A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit that sought to stop Gov. Rick Perry from sponsoring a national day of Christian prayer and fasting, ruling Thursday that the group of atheists and agnostics did not have legal standing to sue. U.S. District Judge Gray Miller said the Freedom From Religion Foundation argued against Perry's involvement based merely on feelings of exclusion but did not show sufficient harm to merit the injunction it sought. The governor has done nothing more than invite others who are willing to do so to pray," Miller said. Rich Bolton, who argued for the group, said he is considering an appeal. "I wonder if we had a Muslim governor what would happen if the whole state was called to a Muslim prayer," said Kay Staley, one of five Texas residents named as plaintiffs in the suit. "I think the governor needs to keep his religion out of his official duties."

Perry says that the event's hate group sponsor, the American Family Association, have not yet given him his "marching orders" as to his role during the rally.

Atheists File Challenge to WTC Cross

The American Atheists filed suit in New York court this week, seeking to have a cross removed from the World Trade Center museum. The "cross" was recovered from the tens of thousands of identical metal "crosses" that comprised the destroyed buildings. But because this one happened to land in an upright position, Christianists have seized up this bit of salvage as evidence of "God's enduring love" for all those people he selected for murder by terrorists.

"This cross is now a part of the official WTC memorial. No other religions or philosophies will be honored. It will just be a Christian icon, in the middle of OUR memorial,” Dave Silverman, president of American Atheists, said in a release. Silverman added that the memorial must allow atheists and other belief groups to include their own displays of equal size. For the past several years the cross has been housed at St. Peter's church. On Saturday it was permanently moved to the 9/11 Memorial Museum after a ceremonial blessing at Zuccotti Park. The 9/11 Memorial Museum, which will officially open next year, said its mission is to tell the history of the attacks through artifacts like the cross. "This steel remnant became a symbol of spiritual comfort for the thousands of recovery workers who toiled at ground zero, as well as for people around the world," said 9/11 Memorial President Joe Daniels. "In the historical exhibition, the cross is part of our commitment to bring back the authentic physical reminders that tell the story of 9/11 in a way nothing else can.”

TEXAS: Another Anti-Gay Hate Group Joins Gov. Rick Perry's Prayer Event

"I am honored to be a national co-chair of The Response. [Our members] are invited to take part in whatever way possible, whether it's coming to actually be a part of the event, or just praying at home. We believe that it's just important that women of faith come together and pray for our country. How far have we come as a nation from the early days of George Washington calling people to prayer, to today, where a governor calls on people within his state and people around the nation to come together in prayer and lawsuits get filed?" - Penny Nance, head of Concernstipated Women for America.

NOTE: While Perry may say he has no issue with same-sex marriage (in the name of states' rights), through his prayer rally he has aligned himself with virtually all off the most virulently anti-gay groups in the nation. These are hate groups that have publicly advocated to have you imprisoned and deported. Remember that the next time somebody mentions Rick Perry's position on marriage.

Today In Whackadoodle Dominionists

Right Wing Watch notes that deranged Christian "historian" David Barton can find "proof" of anything to do with American life as rooted in in the Bible. Did you know the Bible forbids the minimum wage? And capital gains taxes? Cuz it totally does. Today, with no proof or citations, Barton claims that constitutional due process was lifted from the Bible. Because everything to do with anything in the history of the United States is based in Christianity. Which is why only Christians are God-approved to run this country. Next up, iTunes....totally taken from the Bible.

Tony Perkins On Prayer Rally Lawsuit

"The Freedom From Religion Foundation takes the opportunity to bash our friends at the American Family Association as 'rabid' for their stance on homosexuality, even going so far as to claim that AFA violates the so-called 'protected class' of gays and lesbians. There is no such thing as a protected class of homosexuals. The Obama administration may have created that perception with its agenda, but the concept isn't rooted in law. Regardless, the White House is creating an environment of hostility in America, where you can't even speak up about traditional morality, Christianity or even prayer without fear of being sued or harassed. If that's 'tolerance,' I'd hate to see how they define 'prejudice.'" - Family Research Council head Tony Perkins, via press release.