I'm surpised that Obama picked Warren to give the invocation at inauguration. The gay left and other left wingers are outraged and may cause this to be a major distraction at Obama's coronation, er, I mean, inauguration.
FROM POLITICO.COM:
Gay leaders furious with Obama
By: Ben Smith and Nia-Malika Henderson
December 18, 2008 08:23 AM EST
Barack Obama’s choice of a prominent evangelical minister to deliver the invocation at his inauguration is a conciliatory gesture toward social conservatives who opposed him in November, but it is drawing fierce challenges from a gay rights movement that – in the wake of a gay marriage ban in California – is looking for a fight.
Rick Warren, the senior pastor of Saddleback Church in southern California, opposes abortion rights but has taken more liberal stances on the government role in fighting poverty, and backed away from other evangelicals’ staunch support for economic conservatism. But it’s his support for the California constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage that drew the most heated criticism from Democrats Wednesday.
“Your invitation to Reverend Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at your inauguration is a genuine blow to LGBT Americans,” the president of Human Rights Campaign, Joe Solomonese, wrote Obama Wednesday. “[W]e feel a deep level of disrespect when one of architects and promoters of an anti-gay agenda is given the prominence and the pulpit of your historic nomination.”
The rapid, angry reaction from a range of gay activists comes as the gay rights movement looks for an opportunity to flex its political muscle. Last summer gay groups complained, but were rebuffed by Obama, when an “ex-gay” singer led Obama’s rallies in South Carolina. And many were shocked last month when voters approved the California ban.
“There is a lot of energy and there’s a lot of anger and I think people are wanting to direct it somewhere,” Solomonese told Politico.
The selection of Warren to preside at the inauguration is not a surprise move, but it is a mirror image of President Bill Clinton’s early struggles with issues of gay rights. Obama has worked, and at times succeeded, to bridge the gap between Democrats and evangelical Christians, who form a solid section of the Republican base.
Obama opposes same-sex marriage, but also opposed the California constitutional amendment Warren backed. In selecting Warren, he is choosing to reach out to conservatives on a hot-button social issue, at the cost of antagonizing gay voters who overwhelmingly supported him.
Clinton, by contrast, drew early praise from gay rights activists by pressing to allow openly gay soldiers to serve, only to retreat into the “don’t ask, don’t tell” compromise that pleased few.
The reaction Wednesday in gay rights circles was universally negative.
“It’s a huge mistake,” said California gay rights activist Rick Jacobs, who chairs the state’s Courage Campaign. “He’s really the wrong person to lead the president into office.
“Can you imagine if he had a man of God doing the invocation who had deliberately said that Jews are not going to be saved and therefore should be excluded from what’s going on in America? People would be up in arms,” he said.
The editor of the Washington Blade, Kevin Naff, called the choice “Obama’s first big mistake.”
“His presence on the inauguration stand is a slap in the faces of the millions of GLBT voters who so enthusiastically supported him,” Naff wrote, referring to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people. “This tone-deafness to our concerns must not be tolerated. We have just endured eight years of endless assaults on our dignity and equality from a president beholden to bigoted conservative Christians. The election was supposed to have ended that era. It appears otherwise.”
Other liberal groups chimed in.
“Rick Warren gets plenty of attention through his books and media appearances. He doesn’t need or deserve this position of honor,” said the president of People for the American Way, Kathryn Kolbert, who described Warren as “someone who has in recent weeks actively promoted legalized discrimination and denigrated the lives and relationships of millions of Americans.”
Warren’s spokeswoman did not respond to a message seeking comment, but he has tried to blend personal tolerance with doctrinal disapproval of homosexuality.
“I have many gay friends, I’ve eaten dinner in gay homes. No church has probably done more for people with AIDS than Saddleback Church,” he said in a recent interview with BeliefNet.
In the same interview, he compared the “redefiniton of a marrige” to include gay marriage to legitimizing incest, child abuse, and polygamy.
Obama’s move may deepen some apparent distance between him among gays and lesbians, one of the very few core Democratic groups among whom his performance was worse than John Kerry’s in 2004. Exit polls suggested that John McCain won 27% of the gay vote in November, up four points from Bush’s 2004 tally – even as almost all other voters slid toward Obama.
But despite the symbolism of picking Warren, Obama is likely to shift several substantive policy areas in directions that will please gay voters and their political leaders, including a pledge to end “don’t ask, don’t tell” in military service.
And some gay activists were holding out hope that they would either persuade Obama to dump Warren or Warren to change his mind.
“Rick Warren did a real disservice to gay families in California and across the country by casually supporting our continued exclusion from marriage,” said the founder of the pro-same sex marriage Freedom to Marry, Evan Wolfson. “I hope in the spirit of the new era that’s dawning, he will open his heart and speak to all Americans about inclusion and our country’s commitment to equality.”
Inauguration Prayer
Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by Dr. Bob, Dec 18, 2008.
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You know who will get really beat up here? Rick Warren.
The Warren-haters (many of whom frequent the BB) will bash him for associating with Obama.
The gays are already beating him up.
He'll get pummelled. -
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Crabtownboy Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
CK4, I believe you are correct, of course there are Americans who call themselves Christian who will criticize Obama regardless of what he does. -
I definitely DID NOT support the president elect in any way, shape, or manner.
I am not a huge fan of Rick Warren.
But this certainly seems like a wise, encompassing choice. -
Billy Graham was "America's Pastor" to the last generation. I think Rick has replaced him in the minds of most.
And yes, the haters will be out in force. The glass "half empty" crowd is always vocal instead of praising God for a glass "half full"
:BangHead: -
Here's how it will play out.
Remember that outreach picnic that Rick and his church had for the Muslims in his community (sorry if the details are slightly off or sketchy)
And every one knows that Obama is a Muslim.
'RICK WARREN TO OFFER COMPROMISING MUSLIM PRAYER AS OBAMA COMES OUT OF CLOSET AS GAY MUSLIM MARXIST FROM KENYA!!!' -
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I resent such a broad category (though I know there are some who really dislike RW strongly).
This is no different than liberals who say Christians who oppose homosexuality are "homophobes."
Can we discuss this without using the term "Warren-haters" or "bashers?"
Btw, I don't have a problem with RW praying at the Inauguration. -
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Abortion stance?- check
- Opposed born-alive treatment law because it was already law. (Oct 2008)
- Supports Roe v. Wade. (Jul 1998)
- Voted NO on defining unborn child as eligible for SCHIP. (Mar 2008)
- Voted NO on prohibiting minors crossing state lines for abortion. (Mar 2008)
- Voted YES on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines. (Apr 2007)
- Voted NO on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions. (Jul 2006)
- Rated 0% by the NRLC, indicating a pro-choice stance. (Dec 2006)
Gay Rights-yup
- Opposes CA Prop. 8, one-man-one-woman marriage. (Jul 2008)
- Being gay or lesbian is not a choice. (Nov 2007)
- Decisions about marriage should be left to the states. (Oct 2007)
- Homosexuality no more immoral than heterosexuality. (Oct 2007)
- Ok to expose 6-year-olds to gay couples; they know already. (Sep 2007)
- Has any marriage broken up because two gays hold hands? (Aug 2007)
- We need strong civil unions, not just weak civil unions. (Aug 2007)
Military Strength- triple check
Affirmative Action- check, check, check, and check
- Remove discriminatory barriers to the right to vote. (Feb 2008)
- Benefited from affirmative action but overcame via merit. (Dec 2007)
- Include class-based affirmative action with race-based. (Oct 2007)
- Better enforce women’s pay equity via Equal Pay Act. (Aug 2007)
Universal Healthcare/ HUGE Government- Need I continue
The only exception- to some extent- is fiscal issues.
This is not all my work- most of the bulleted points come from ontheissues.com -
as for Warren doing the prayer- I have no probelm with it at all.
Somebody has to right? -
preachinjesus Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
I think it's terrific. A good move by the President-elect all around.
This will be the first time we have not had Rev. Billy Graham bring the invocation. I'm ecstatic that Pastor Warren will be able to and that he is a man just as committed to the Gospel as Rev. Graham. (I know there will be many who disagree...please keep it to yourself.)
Also this has really started to backfire on the homosexual advocacy groups who are lambasting President-elect Obama. They are saying that this one decision has destroyed their hopes and dreams and President-elect Obama is betraying them out of the gate. Not a wise press move here. It will ultimately show their political impotence imho.
Also, I too don't think the President-elect will legislate as a hard leftist. I really believe he is one who wants all points of view at the table and, while certainly having his views, will earnestly seek what is best for the country in his governance. :) -
Same here I did not vote for the president elect but it is my duty as a american to support my elected president. But Rick Warren is not a person I care to listen too. -
Rush Limbaugh observed this week that the liberals need not worry about Mr. Obama's selection of RW to pray. He hasn't changed any of his plans.
Rush also observed that after the inauguration, he'll be done. The White House won't even take his calls. -
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