Christophobia

Texas Governor Rick Perry is taking a huge risk in his campaign for the Republican nomination for President. He is being entirely transparent about his faith. He is certainly not the first candidate to admit to being a Christian, but the hand he has chosen to play will undoubtedly expose him to mockery and scorn. He has chosen to lay all his cards on the table and reveal what many of us know, but few will say out loud: Christians are not getting a fair shake in America.

The specific gambit to which I refer is a YouTube ad in which the Texas governor takes direct aim at the enemy in this country's culture war. In the ad a Carhartt clad Perry strolls across a sylvan scene and says, "I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a Christian, but you don't need to be in the pew every Sunday to know there's something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can't openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school. As President, I'll end Obama's war on religion. And I'll fight against liberal attacks on our religious heritage. Faith made America strong. It can make her strong again.

I'm Rick Perry and I approve this message."

One day after the ad first aired, a Google search offered 501 responses by the media. I did not read all 501 offerings, but the main point of concern seems to be that Governor Perry has the audacity to imply that homosexuality is not acceptable to many Christians. I don't think that was his point. I think he was showing the disparity between the freedom of expression two opposing groups enjoy in this country. I think his point was that it is acceptable to admit openly that you are gay, but it is not acceptable to admit openly that you are a Christian. I also think that Perry's message will be completely lost because he dared to use gays as his target for comparison.

I cannot think of another group which has done such a masterful job of elevating the demands of a small minority to the level of national debate as has the homosexual lobby. Because many homosexuals are reluctant to expose themselves, hard data on the prevalence of the lifestyle are difficult to come by. It is instructive to discover that Gallup polling reveals that respondents think twenty percent of the population is gay, whereas most experts place the actual number below ten, many making it less than five. My point is that the homosexual lobby has made Americans think they are a much larger group than they probably are.

I am now going to digress and say something that may shock some of my dear readers. I do not think that homosexuals should be discriminated against. I do not think there is a way to directly apply the condemnation of homosexuality in Leviticus and Romans to the public square in America. I think homosexuality should be treated the same way smoking is treated. Neither could be considered best practices for Christians. At this time, neither is illegal. There are however compelling public health issues with both. Because tobacco use has been linked to cancer, it is regulated and warnings are required. Homosexuality also carries the risk of increased health problems and shortened life expectancy. It should be treated the same as smoking in public policy. But don't expect that to happen. Remember the lobby.

End of digression. Rick Perry dared to tweak the nose of the homosexual giant. I hope it has the result he desired. I suspect he wanted to make a big splash and re-energize his flagging campaign. He will certainly get plenty of press; I'm not sure it will be the kind that translates into votes in the Iowa caucuses or the South Carolina primary. Even though both of these states have strong conservative Christian voting groups, there are too many Christians who have been frightened by the giant. The cry for tolerance has muted the voice of the majority in this country. We are still a majority, we believers, at least for now.

In his classic book, Your God is Too Small, JB Philips suggests that if God came to earth he would not be well received. He would challenge the status quo and smash the castles built by human arrogance. Perry's recent gamble has pointed out that the God who did come to earth makes many people uncomfortable. Sadly, even people who claim to know and love this God-come-to-earth are frightened into awkward silence. I have not decided whether I think Governor Perry is the ideal Republican nominee, but I sure like his simple, honest, courageous approach to a problem no one is willing to talk openly about. Jesus plainly said the world would hate his true followers. I applaud Rick Perry for his willingness to stand up and take it.