Not so fast

Is Gov. Rick Perry's view on homosexuality evolving?

As part of a month-long celebration of its new $130 million campus, First Baptist Dallas hosted Gov. Rick Perry on Sunday, April 7. Perry never mentioned specific issues in his 6-minute speech, but many are taking his comments on non-judgmental love and directing them toward gay marriage.

After listening to Perry's remarks carefully, the characterization that our governor is coming around to the idea of gay marriage sounds like quite a leap. Perry toed the line of love and acceptance while still carving out a space for righteous condemnation.

Gov. Perry in his own words:

I'm mindful that I'm a depraved sinner in need of grace, and who amongst us is not?

I do believe it is right under the purview of scripture for the church to judge certain behavior as sin but that is totally different than judging fellow sinners.

We cannot condemn certain lifestyles while turning a blind eye to sins that in God's eye are just as grievous. We must love all, welcome all and be a model of Christ to all.

Pop culture be what it may, God's truth never changes.

Many people have latched onto Perry's statement about not condemning "certain lifestyles" as being supportive of gay and lesbian sexual orientation. However, it is worth noting that Perry equates these unnamed lifestyles to grievous sins.

Nevertheless, the accepting tenor of Perry's speech seemed to put the congregation of First Baptist Dallas on edge. After all, First Baptist Dallas was catapulted into the national spotlight in 2008 when Pastor Robert Jeffress proclaimed "Gay is not OK" in a sermon series.

There was little applause or reaction of any kind during Perry's remarks. After bombastically exclaiming that "God's grace is greater than any sin," Perry had to goad the audience to say "Amen," to which they sheepishly obliged.

Once Perry finished speaking and it was clear he had no contrarian agenda, it was all back-slapping and standing ovations. Check out the full video from WFAA.

Gov. Rick Perry spoke at First Baptist Dallas on April 7.

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income analysis

This is the family income needed for one parent to stay home in Texas

Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

With costs to raise a child soaring over $20,000 a year in Texas, some households might decide to have one parent work while the other stays at home to raise their child.

The cost of raising a child has ballooned in major metros like Dallas-Fort Worth, forcing many families to weight the choice between paying for child care or having one parent stay home full-time.

A recent analysis from SmartAsset determined the minimum income one parent needs to earn to support their partner staying at home to raise one child in all 50 states. In Texas, that amount is just under $75,000.

The study used the MIT Living Wage Calculator to compare the annual living wages needed for a household with two working adults and one child, and a household with one working adult, a stay-at-home parent, and one child. The study also calculated how much it would cost to raise a child with two working parents based on factors such as "food, housing, childcare, healthcare, transportation, incremental income taxes and other necessities."

A Texas household with one working parent would need to earn $74,734 a year to support their stay-at-home partner and their child, the report found. If both parents worked in the household, it would require an additional $10,504 in annual income to raise their child.

SmartAsset said the cost to raise a child in Texas in a two-working-parent household adds up to $23,587. Raising a child in North Texas, however, is slightly more affordable. A separate SmartAsset study from June 2025 determined it costs $22,337 to raise a child in Dallas-Fort Worth.

In the report's ranking of states with the highest minimum income needed to support a family with one working adult, a stay-at-home parent, and one child, Texas ranked 32nd on the list.

In other states like Massachusetts where raising a child can cost more than $40,000 a year, the report's author says families will look for ways to reduce any financial burdens.

"This often includes considerations around who’s going to work in the household, and whether young children will require paid daycare services while parents are occupied," the report said. "With tradeoffs abound, many parents might seek to understand the minimum income needed to keep the family afloat while allowing the other parent to stay home to raise a young child."

The top 10 states with the lowest minimum income threshold to support a three-person family on one income are:

West Virginia – $68,099
Arkansas – $68,141
Mississippi – $70,242
Kentucky – $70,408
North Dakota – $70,949
Oklahoma – $71,718
Ohio – $72,114
South Dakota – $72,218
Alabama – $72,238
Nebraska – $72,966

texas income smartasset family