Rick Perry has released a new television advertisement in which he says “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.” Perry says that he will, if elected president, “end Obama's war on religion.”
Comments like these are similar to those Perry made in the past. On December 6, Perry noted, “Just when you thought Barack Obama couldn't get any more out of touch with America's values, AP reports his administration wants to make foreign aid decisions based on gay rights. […] This is just the most recent example of an administration at war with people of faith in this country. Investing tax dollars promoting a lifestyle many Americas [sic] of faith find so deeply objectionable is wrong. President Obama has again mistaken America's tolerance for different lifestyles with an endorsement of those lifestyles.”
While individual religious persons may find homosexuality to be a 'deeply objectionable lifestyle,' this should not mean that religious sentiment should dictate public policy nor does it mean that allowing homosexuals to serve openly in the military is a “war on religion.”
Public schools, since they are governmental entities, must be secular in nature; schools are supposed to be neutral in matters of religion and must not promote or endorse certain religious viewpoints. Children are allowed to pray in school, but the school may not lead the prayer. A recent event, for example, called “See You At The Pole” is a student-led initiative in which students may legally assemble and pray before school hours.
Commenting on school prayer, American United for Separation of Church and State – a non-profit educational organization dedicated to preserving the constitutional principle of church-state separation – says the following on their website, “The Supreme Court ruled correctly when it struck down mandatory school prayer in 1962 and '63. However, this does not mean that there can be no religion in schools. Public school students have the right to pray voluntarily in a non-disruptive fashion during the school day and read religious texts during free time.”
Not allowing open school prayer and allowing homosexuals to openly serve in the military is, contrary to what Perry says, reinforcing religious freedom and protecting the secular nature of the United States. The laws of our nation ought not be dictated by religious belief, but rather should be irrespective of religious belief and have a secular purpose. Persons may serve in the military regardless of their sexual orientation and whether or not religious persons find the 'homosexual lifestyle' to be “deeply objectionable.” Students may pray in school as long as they are not disruptive and the school does not lead the prayer. The “war on religion” that Perry believes is spearheaded by Obama appears to be illusory.
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