After a caller to "Washington Watch Live Daily" recently shared she was disappointed with her church pastor for strongly supporting President Barack Obama, the radio host Tony Perkins suggested the caller consider changing churches. Perkins, also president of conservative policy and lobbying organization Family Research Council in Washington, D.C., added he believed the Obama administration has "systematically targeted the Christian faith for quarantining" inside churches.
Anthony Richard "Tony" Perkins, 52, previously was a police officer and television reporter. He then served two terms as a Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives and unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Senate in 2002. In September 2003, Perkins withdrew from the race for Louisiana state insurance commissioner to become the president of the conservative, Christian FRC.
Perkins said to the caller this month, "It sounds like you need to be praying about changing churches and finding another church. I would be very concerned after seven years of this administration that has systematically targeted the Christian faith for quarantining that faith within the walls of our churches."
"There is no question about the intentions of this administration," he said. "Look, this administration has been pushing abortion on demand, elective abortions, funded by taxpayers."
Perkins continued, "They have systematically taken away religious freedom from members of the military. The president facilitated the redefinition of God's institution of marriage."
"What more evidence is necessary that this president is not in alignment with Biblical truth and even historical truth?" said Perkins. "So, I think it's time for a new church, myself, Theresa."
In 2011, Perkins said Christians who supported Obama's election must "repent" and vote for his opponent in 2012. Perkins' remarks came after his appearance on James Dobson's "My Family Talk" during which he said, as reported by Right Wing Watch, that Obama "has a disdain for Christianity" and is creating "an atmosphere that is hostile toward Christianity."
In an interview with the Christian Post, Perkins accused Obama of trying to curtail freedom of religion and railed against the administration's decision to rescind Bush-era rules allowing health workers to refuse medical care that they claim would violate their religious beliefs, such as providing birth control. Perkins used this an example of the administration's purported "extensive record of hostility toward Christianity," claiming that the Obama administration "has been the most hostile toward religious freedom" in U.S. history.
FRC deals mainly with issues associated with religious liberty, life, family values and marriage.
