Republican presidential candidate Texas Gov. Rick Perry has decided to address the big elephant in the pew as we head into 2012 – the Obama administration’s relationship with religion – specifically Christianity.



“As president, I’ll end Obama’s war on religion,” Perry declared in a new television advertisement. “And I’ll fight against liberal attacks on our religious heritage.”



Perry’s declaration immediately resonated with millions of Christians around the nation who believe their faith is under attack and who’ve been waiting for a Republican presidential candidate to have the candor and moral fortitude to stand up and articulate why we are truly the greatest nation on the face of the Earth.



“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 or pray in school.”



President Obama declared early in his campaign for the White House that he is a Christian. We were led to believe that he was a supporter of the Purpose Driven teachings of California pastor Rick Warren. But it didn’t take long to discover that the only Sunday morning activity President Obama did on purpose was drive golf balls.



The evidence of his White House attacking the Christian faith, however, is plentiful.



It was President Obama who declared in an e-mail to CBN News that “whatever we once were, we’re no longer just a Christian nation.”



This is the same administration that invited Lady Gaga into the White House for an anti-bullying conference but banned Franklin Graham from the Pentagon’s National Day of Prayer observances.



It was during the Obama administration that Christian school children were ordered to stop praying outside the Supreme Court building because they were violating the law. Instead, those American boys and girls were forced to pray for the elected officials while standing in a gutter.



It was President Obama who dropped the words “by their Creator” when reciting a key excerpt from the Declaration of Independence to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus – not once, but twice.



It was the Obama administration that opposed the commemoration of a prayer by Franklin Roosevelt at the site of the World War II Memorial on the Washington Mall, arguing that it would “dilute” the memorial’s central message.



And it was the Obama White House that asked Georgetown University to cover up all religious signs and symbols prior to a presidential address.



The Obama administration has used our military as a social engineering petri dish – pulling gay and lesbian soldiers out of the closet while pushing Christians back inside.



In recent days, we’ve learned that the Navy adopted and later rescinded a policy that would have banned parents from giving their wounded soldier-children Bibles at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.



A Christian cross was removed from outside an Army chapel because it violated regulations. The Air Force Academy was forced to apologize for promoting Operation Christmas Child because it had ties to a Christian organization.

Critics, including many lawmakers, believe the Obama administration is trying scrub Christianity from the military.

I’m glad that Gov. Perry raised the issue of religion. It’s a topic worthy of exploring merely for the fact that a leader’s conduct and decision-making will always be influenced by what he or she believes at the core. A nation deserves to know what they can expect.



“Bringing America back starts with faith,” Gov. Perry declared during a speech Wednesday to the Republican Jewish Coalition. “Faith in the Almighty, who created. Faith in our friends and allies, in a time of trouble, faith in each other to not give up hope.”



The governor is absolutely correct.



The Old Testament provides our nation a very clear path to that city on the shining hill.



“If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land,” declares the Lord in 2 Chronicles 2:14.



But for now American Christians find our faith under attack by the government, marginalized in the mainstream media and ridiculed by Hollywood. And we are longing for the day when the Franklin Grahams of this nation will be welcomed back to the White House with the same zeal and fervor as Lady Gaga.



Todd Starnes is the host of FOX News & Commentary, heard daily on radio stations. His website is www.toddstarnes.com.