Washington, D.C. – Interfaith Alliance President Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy released the following statement today in response to Texas Governor and Republican Presidential candidate Rick Perry’s new television ad airing in Iowa, entitled “Strong”:

Rick Perry has taken us to a new low in campaign ads with his “Strong” ad. Under the guise of spirituality, Perry has taken the manipulation of religion for partisan political advantage to an incredible, almost unbelievable extreme. With a smile on his face, he trades on personal attacks and provable untruths that reveal no understanding of the first amendment to the Constitution and very little respect for the integrity of religion.

His ad suggests a war on religion that simply does not exist. His statement that he is ‘not ashamed to be a Christian,’ would seem to imply that too many of our public officials are. If anything, the opposite is true. Far too many candidates in both parties trying to use their faith as a political weapon rather than a source for inspiration. This is a race for commander-in-chief, not pastor-in-chief. His divisive and misleading message about faith has no place in a U.S Presidential campaign.