Perry film created by an atheist

[Mike Renzulli]

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0811/61199.html

Perry film created by an atheist

By: Dave Levinthal

August 12, 2011 09:39 AM EDT

Texas Gov. Rick Perry is slated to feature a video at his Saturday presidential announcement that includes religious statements and scenes of a family at prayer.

That wouldn’t be unusual for Perry — the devout Christian who last week led a massive, day-long prayer rally in Houston — but for the video’s producer: an avowed atheist.

Minnesota filmmaker Michael Wilson — best known for his 2004 documentary film “Michael Moore Hates America” — told POLITICO that Perry “built a part of his announcement speech around it, which is amazing – I had no idea it would turn into this.”

In the video, a man, woman and two tow-headed children, eyes closed, fold their hands and pray around a table as a narrator says, “No matter what they’re raised to believe, my children should know that faith is none of the government’s business.”

The video, with an Independence Day theme, also talks of financial prosperity, limited government, health care choice and the “simple beauty of free markets.”

Perry is slated to hit on those themes in his speech in Charleston, S.C., Saturday. “The change we seek will never emanate out of Washington,” he will say, according to a draft of his remarks. “It will come from the windswept prairies of middle America; the farms and factories across this great land; the hearts and minds of God-fearing Americans — who will not accept a future that is less than our past, who will not be consigned a fate of less freedom in exchange for more government.”

Although Wilson does not believe in God, he says he’s “not an evangelical atheist” and doesn’t hold Perry’s faith against him because “the Constitution allows us freedom of religion, and that extends to public officials.”

RedState.com co-founder Joshua Trevino initially suggested he make the film, Wilson said, “and from there, it just came from the heart.” A RedState.com gathering of conservative bloggers and activists will double as Perry’s announcement event.

Perry’s campaign site, RickPerry.org, notes Wilson’s video in a July 20 blog post, saying that producer “Michael in Minnesota” won a Perry-sponsored film contest and that the film would be featured at the “RedState Gathering” at which Perry would appear. The RickPerry.org blog post came more than two weeks before confirmation that Perry would run for president.

“Michael’s video embodies the continuously profound ideas of limited government and personal liberty that allow Americans to prosper through hard work and provide for their families,” RickPerry.org wrote. “And although these ideas that our nation was built on are under attack from overreaching government, Americans like Michael remind us what we must work hard to preserve.”

To date, Wilson said, he is not on Perry’s payroll, but would be open to working on Perry’s campaign. Regardless, he added, “I plan to be involved a lot in politics during this election cycle.”

A Perry representative couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

Wilson says he supports Perry for president largely because of his economic record.

“Economically, you can’t disparage him in any way. You can’t dispute what he’s done as governor in Texas,” Wilson said.

Perry is the longest-serving governor in Texas history, having occupied the office since 2000.

During his prayer rally earlier this month, Perry read from the Bible and frequently petitioned Jesus Christ to help people “who cannot see the light in the midst of all the darkness.”

“Lord, you are the source of every good thing, you are our only hope,” Perry told a crowd of 30,000 at Reliant Stadium. “And as a nation we have forgotten who made us, who protects us, who blesses us, and for that we cry out for your forgiveness.”

[anthony]

In the video, a man, woman and two tow-headed children, eyes closed, fold their hands and pray around a table as a narrator says, “No matter what they’re raised to believe, my children should know that faith is none of the government’s business.”

Oh, Lordy.

At least this is encouraging: if "faith is none of the government's business", then government is none of faith's business either.

Surely?

I hope and pray.

What are Perry's chances for our - I mean, your - next President? Would you say he's the best of the rest?

Tony

[Selene]

In the video, a man, woman and two tow-headed children, eyes closed, fold their hands and pray around a table as a narrator says, "No matter what they're raised to believe, my children should know that faith is none of the government's business."

Oh, Lordy.

At least this is encouraging: if "faith is none of the government's business", then government is none of faith's business either.

Surely?

I hope and pray.

What are Perry's chances for our - I mean, your - next President? Would you say he's the best of the rest?

Tony

Tony:

Depending on his ability to raise money, which may be a problem, his chances are better than even.

I have no problem with religion in American Presidential candidates. We have a long history of the true nature of the separation of church and state as Jefferson originally penned it.

Moreover, the checks and balances, when they are restored, work to prevent centralized power.

I find Perry to be a natural. Additionally, "he has never lost an election." His track record as Governor of Texas is excellent. However, the Governorship of Texas is severely limited in terms of power.

Most important, to me, is that he "gets it," in terms of understanding that decentralized power is the reason for American exceptionalism, in terms of understanding that free markets work and in terms of understanding that freedom is the best methodology for the individual American citizen to practice his own private moral beliefs free from government regulation.

We are at least one or two generations away from a mainstream atheist/agnostic candidate being considered, so relax and choose the most pro freedom candidate if you are going to engage in the political battlefield. If not, the discussion of voting is not relevant.

He is a keeper though.

Adam

[Reidy]

The current crop of Republican candidates seems as a good reason as any to be an atheist or at most a deist (yes, there's a god, but she doesn't take an active hand for the better in human affairs).

Texas has earned a remarkable economic record in recent years. A few months ago I read that a third of the jobs being created in the US are in Texas. Perry doesn't have to make excuses for Romneycare, so his chances may be good. I still wish Ryan would get in.

I don't care about a candidate's religion, but I could never get behind an abortion prohibitionist, and wanting to restrict immigration counts strongly against a candidate.

[Xray]

I don't care about a candidate's religion, but I could never get behind an abortion prohibitionist, and wanting to restrict immigration counts strongly against a candidate.

If political candidates instrumentalize their religious beliefs to shove down my throat the stuff they personally value, I care a lot about those beliefs, and see it as an epistemological task to umask the irrationality of such proceedings.

Edited August 12, 2011 by Xray

[Reidy]

Looks like Perry is just another Taggart/Boyle-style corporate statist: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304760604576428262897285614.html?mod=djemEditorialPage_h.

[Selene]

Looks like Perry is just another Taggart/Boyle-style corporate statist: http://online.wsj.co...ditorialPage_h.

Reidy:

Never wrestle with a pig - you'll both get dirty, and the pig will love it!

Searching for a pure candidate makes Diogenes search a piece of cake.

This does not surprise me coming out of Texas. The money in the public political trough is so massive that it would make Bernie Madoff blush.

Adam