Texas Republicans name God as their chairman

God is the chairman of the Texas Republican Party, according to a report in the Dallas Morning News. Or, at least a speaker at the state GOP convention's prayer breakfast so proclaimed.

When I first read about God the chairman in Molly Ivins's column, I had visions of the Almighty standing for election and wondered who had the nerve to run against Him and whether He really had time to take the Texas Republicans in hand, given all the work involved in being omnipotent. I'm relieved to discover that it's an honorary chairmanship.

The party platform is less amusing. According to the Morning News, it declares "America is a Christian nation" and goes on to say:

We pledge to exert our influence toward a return to the original intent of the First Amendment and dispel the myth of the separation of church and state.

I've actually read the Bill of Rights, and quite a few of the major court cases interpreting it, and I'd say separation of church and state is the at the very heart of the First Amendment. Sounds to me like the Texas Republicans are trying to undermine our democracy.

I was also puzzled by a prayer mentioned in the Morning News article. Presbyterian Pastor Dale Young said:

Lord, your words tell us there's a sign that this nation is under a curse, when the alien who lives among us grows higher and higher and we grow lower and lower.

Try as I might, I can't quite figure out what he means by "the alien who lives among us." Extraterrestrials? Immigrants? Satan? Liberals like me?

Probably liberals like me.