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12/19/2008
Wait, wasn't this supposed to be our happy time?
Wondering how you should be feeling about the Rick Warren fiasco? Well just consider who's delighted about the invite:
FAMILY RESEARCH COUNCIL'S TONY PERKINS:
On a West Wing and a Prayer
President-elect Obama has asked the Reverend Rick Warren, pastor of California's Saddleback Church and bestselling author of The Purpose-Driven Life, to deliver the invocation at Obama's inauguration next month. I'm heartened by his choice of one of America's leading evangelical pastors-who is pro-life and pro-marriage-for this honor. It was magnanimous of Obama, in light of the fact that his debate with John McCain at Warren's church in August was one of the high points of the campaign-for McCain. (This was the event where Warren asked, "When does life begin?" and Obama replied that the question is "above my pay grade.") Warren has distanced himself from the "religious right" by emphasizing issues more popular with liberals, such as AIDS relief and global warming. But he has also been consistent in his support for the unborn and for the natural definition of marriage. This has led left-wing groups like People for the American Way and the Human Rights Campaign to complain about Obama's invitation to Warren. In a letter to President-elect Obama, Joe Solmonese challenged the selection of Warren saying, "Rick Warren has not sat on the sidelines in the fight for basic equality and fairness. In fact, Rev. Warren spoke out vocally in support of Prop 8 in California saying, 'there is no need to change the universal, historical definition of marriage to appease 2 percent of our population ... This is not a political issue -- it is a moral issue that God has spoken clearly about.' Furthermore, he continues to misrepresent marriage equality as silencing his religious views. This was a lie during the battle over Proposition 8, and it's a lie today." Solmonese's desire to exclude Pastor Warren from the inaugural, based upon his religious convictions, proves the validity of the concerns over the homosexual desire to silence the Church. Let's hope that Rick Warren will use his channel of communication to the new President to press him for more pro-family policies-rather than simply being used by Mr. Obama to make political inroads with evangelicals.
On a West Wing and a Prayer [FRC]
**
FOCUS ON THE FAMILY'S TOM MINNERY:
"It's nice to see a conservative evangelical pastor play such a prominent role in such an important event.
"It underscores the importance of evangelicalism in the country," he told The Associated Press.
Gay Activists Erupt as Obama Invites Rick Warren to Pray [Citizenlink]
**
RICHARD LAND, PRESIDENT OF THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST ETHICS & RELIGIOUS LIBERTY COMMISSION:
"I'm encouraged that President-elect Obama would select Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his inauguration," Land told Baptist Press. "First, it is a signal that President-elect Obama is going to employ a big-tent philosophy in his administration's approach to people who may disagree with them on some issues, but not others. His selection of Rick Warren indicates that people who disagree with the president-elect on sanctity of life issues are not automatically persona non grata at the White House in an Obama administration. It also indicates that the president-elect is not buying the radical homosexual activists' argument that anyone who opposes them on the gay marriage issue should be ostracized as a bigot."
Gay activists outraged over Warren invite [BP News]
Geez, you'd think we were gearing up for another Bush inauguration!
Your thoughts
and the swine gather their pens and start to write about how happy they are, how their hate is being recognized by someone they wouldn't vote for much less care for him.
I guess we should just be glad to be compared to child rapists and incestuous siblings!
What a happy day indeed!
Posted by: John Ozed | Dec 19, 2008 10:20:28 AM
I'm a gay atheist, but in the words of Hemant Mehta of Friendly Atheist: Chill. The. Fuck. Out. http://friendlyatheist.com/6905/rick-warren-will-deliver-obamas-inauguration-invocation-is-this-really-a-big-deal/
We don't have to agree with the choice, but we need to understand Obama's reasons behind it. Remember, Obama is a Christian and needs the support of Christians all over the nation to keep doing the things he's doing. The fact of the matter is that Rick Warren will say a few words and then quickly get off stage. He won't be using the time to pander his homophobic views. Remember who gave George W. Bush's invocations? ME NEITHER.
This is just not worth getting all worked up over. If Obama starts to pander to the religious right once he is forming policies, THEN we can raise our voices. This is not the time.
Posted by: Scott | Dec 19, 2008 10:41:17 AM
"Chill. The. Fuck. Out."
No, Scott. And it's really offensive to suggest as much!
Posted by: G-A-Y | Dec 19, 2008 10:43:11 AM
EXCUSE ME! This straight atheist will not "Chill. The. Fuck. Out." I will NOT sit down and shut up. I will not change my tone to suit others. Respect begets respect. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. ENOUGH is ENOUGH. I'm beyond sick and tired of being told how to react to things.
Posted by: EvilPoet | Dec 19, 2008 12:29:13 PM
The excuse President-elect Obama gave for choosing Warren, Dick is about bringing people together and dialog. It did not seem to me that he understood the pain he caused to LGBT Americans, or the feeling of emargination, not ingathering.
Posted by: Ben Stock of Brainpower | Dec 19, 2008 12:49:21 PM
Scott, the invocation has been given by Billy Graham for decades. IIRC he was supposed to give it in 2004 but fell ill and Franklin stepped in at the last minute. So this is the first time this has been an issue since at least the 1970s.
And as a Christian (a gay one, even) I won't chill out when someone of Rick Warren's ugly beliefs is put on the national stage. I'm not even asking for a gay rights advocate. Just someone who doesn't think we're less than human beings would be great.
Posted by: Matt Algren | Dec 19, 2008 1:53:50 PM
"Warren has distanced himself from the "religious right" by emphasizing issues more popular with liberals, such as AIDS relief and global warming."
And here I thought the church was supposed to be a root source of morality. The fact that these people need men dressed in drag and speaking in tongues in front of crowds of dogmatic retrograde sectarians to let them know that things such as murder and theft, are well you know, wrong, is infinitely frightening.
As well know, altruism does not exist. Only fear of the almighty sausage exists.
Posted by: Chris | Dec 20, 2008 12:07:23 AM
From another list that was commenting on the Warren insult to LGBT equality---
Here is a list of addresses to use for informing the Inaug. Committee how you feel about Rick Warren praying, between the lines, for our intended conversion to straightness.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Let me state up front that I do not believe that Obama or his staff will
uninvite Pastor Warren at this point (Obama defended the choice this
morning), but vocalizing our outrage now might help the administration be
more sensitive to our community in the future so your action is important.
From the Facebook group No Rick Warren at Obama Inauguration:
Anti-gay pastor Rick Warren has been selected to give invocation at Obama
inauguration. This is an utter nightmare and a total insult to the LGBT
community and their straight allies.
There are few things you can do about this:
Send Obama a letter at
http://change.gov/page/content/contact/ and ask Rick
Warren to be removed from the event!
Email Parag Mehta, Obama's LGBT liaison on the transition team at parag
[email protected] to express your concern.
Emmett Belivau is the Executive Director/CEO of the Inaugural Committee. Let
him know your thoughts:
202-203-1715 [email protected]
Have your voice to be heard and send emails to the members of Joint
Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, including
Sen. Dianne Feinstein
http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactUs. EmailMe
Sen. Harry Reid
http://reid.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm
Sen. Bob Bennett
http://bennett.senate.gov/contact/email_form.cfm
Rep. Nancy Pelosi
http://speaker.house.gov/contact/
Rep. Steny Hoyer
http://hoyer.house.gov/contact/email.asp
Rep. John Boehner
http://johnboehner.house.gov/Contact/
Post your letters on the discussion board. Let the whole world know why are
you disappointed and outraged!
Ask your friends and family members to do the same.
Posted by: James Nimmo | Dec 20, 2008 9:44:41 PM
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