The massive prayer rally in a Houston stadium this month, organized by Texas Gov. Rick Perry, raises important questions about next year's presidential race and how far a candidate should go in mixing politics and religion.

Mr. Perry, a Republican, launched his presidential campaign over the weekend. His earlier rally and call for fasting on behalf of "a nation in crisis" was no ecumenical event, despite America's diversity of attitudes toward religion.

Rather, the rally drew an estimated 30,000 fundamentalist Christians, who listened to the governor's pitch to Jesus to watch out for the United States. He promoted the event in interviews with conservative Christian media outlets. Its $500,000 cost was covered by the American Family Association's radio network.

Americans have grown accustomed to presidents, including President Obama, ending addresses with appeals to God to bless America. But Mr. Perry's rally seemed designed to showcase his religious beliefs in an overtly political way, although he insisted it was apolitical.

The implication in appeals such as his is that Americans are a Christian people. Some are; some aren't. A certain percentage are Jews, Muslims, and Buddhists. Others are agnostics, atheists, and practitioners of Native American religions.

Do they fall outside Mr. Perry's calls for protection and blessing? Are they any less American than those who joined the governor in prayer at Reliant Stadium? What does Mr. Perry say to those Americans whose views differ from his conservative brand of Christianity?

The combustible mixture of religious and politics is not likely to stop Mr. Perry from presenting his candidacy for president or from holding similar faith-based events in the future, given the exposure and financial advantages they can provide. Mr. Perry's rally was an intriguing phenomenon -- and it should give Americans pause in considering him as a serious candidate for the White House.

First Published August 15, 2011, 4:15 a.m.