Gov. Rick Perry on Supreme Court Ministerial Exception Ruling
Thursday, January 12, 2012 at 11:04AM 
AUSTIN - Gov. Rick Perry today issued the following statement:
"I applaud the United States Supreme Court's unanimous decision to protect the ministerial exception for houses of worship in America.
"The Justice Department, as part of the Obama administration's ongoing war on religion, joined the suit to force churches to stop giving consideration of a person's spiritual beliefs in hiring and firing decisions.
"Chief Justice Roberts correctly acknowledged in his majority opinion that the lawsuit was a threat to religious freedom, saying, 'Such action interferes with the internal governance of the church, depriving the church of control over the selection of those who will personify its beliefs... By imposing an unwanted minister, the state infringes the Free Exercise Clause, which protects a religious group's right to shape its own faith and mission through its appointments.'
"This is a tremendous victory for religious expression in America, and a setback for the left-wing secular agenda of the Obama administration."