Rick Warren, Obama Invocation Choice, Causing First Real Rift With Progressives

[IndianaGreen]

Rick Warren, Obama Invocation Choice, Causing First Real Rift With Progressives

Sam Stein

On Wednesday, the transition team announced that Rick Warren, pastor of the powerful Saddleback Church, would give the invocation on January 20th. The selection may not have been incredibly surprising. Obama and Warren are reportedly close -- Obama praised the Megachurch leader in his second book "The Audacity of Hope." Warren, meanwhile, hosted a values forum between Obama and McCain during the general election. Nevertheless, the announcement is being greeted with deep skepticism in progressive religious and political circles.

"My blood pressure is really high right now," said Rev. Chuck Currie, minister at Parkrose Community United Church of Christ in Portland, Oregon. "Rick Warren does some really good stuff and there are some areas that I have admired his ability to build bridges between evangelicals and mainline religious and political figures... but he is also very established in the religious right and his position on social issues like gay rights, stem cell research and women's rights are all out of the mainstream and are very much opposed to the progressive agenda that Obama ran on. I think that he is very much the wrong person to put on the stage with the president that day."

Warren does have a rather peculiar relationship with the incoming president. The two share a general ethos that political differences should not serve as impediments to progress. On topics like AIDS and poverty relief, they see eye-to-eye. But Warren's domestic and social agendas are at odds with Obama's. And for the gay and lesbian community in particular, the choice is a bitter pill to swallow.

"Pastor Warren, while enjoying a reputation as a moderate based on his affable personality and his church's engagement on issues like AIDS in Africa, has said that the real difference between James Dobson and himself is one of tone rather than substance," read a statement from People For the American Way President Kathryn Kolbert. "He has repeated the Religious Right's big lie that supporters of equality for gay Americans are out to silence pastors. He has called Christians who advance a social gospel Marxists. He is adamantly opposed to women having a legal right to choose an abortion."

"Picking Rick Warren to give THE invocation," wrote John Aravosis on AmericaBlog, "is abominable."

"Let me get right to the point," Joe Solomnese, the president of the Human Rights Campaign, wrote in a harsh letter to the president-elect, "Your invitation to Reverend Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at your inauguration is a genuine blow to LGBT Americans."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/17/rick-warren-obama-invocat_n_151877.html

[madrchsod]

1. jesus did`t sell scrolls to make his message known

warren ain`t getting into heaven

[Tutankhamun]

2. Let's not forget who PRick (The "P" stands for "Pastor") Warren really is.

PRick "Cone of Silence" Warren

I predict Warren becomes more and more brazen with his clumsy bullshit as the years go by and he becomes increasingly drunk on the power he has to influence the evangelical sheeple base of the GOP.

Then one day he trips over his dick in public (Think: "wide stance") or something similarly entertaining and we can all watch the fun!

:popcorn:

[DeltaLitProf]

3. What legislation does Rick Warren have the ability to sign or veto?

This is my question to gays and lesbians who would walk away from the coalition based on this choice.

[SeattleGirl]

4. None,

but that is apparently a moot point for many on DU.

[Bluenorthwest]

5. Warren is a political activist

who just finished fronting a sucessful attack on existing civil rights. Obama seems to be celebrating that victory by giving Warren-out of thousands of American clergy- the glory world wide exposure, defining Obama's God for the world. Same night Obama won, Warren won, and he will be there to bask in that victory over gays and women, annointed to do so by Barack Obama.
He picked an anti-gay activist. An anti-choice activist. Obama is the one who walked away. And flipped us off while he did it.
Rick Warren equates gay people with pedophiles. Obama invites Warren to represent religionists at the big party. Perhaps you are comfy with having your family slandered and then having the backbiting hate monger elevated to high status for all to see by a man who claims to be for all Americans. Yeah. The United Straights of America.
And of course we all know only the President signs and vetos, so your strawman is about as weak as it gets.
Do unto others. Whole of your law.

[66 dmhlt]

6. Why do you think only gays or lesbians would be upset ...

about Obama approving a homophobic, torture-tolerating, misogynist minister giving the invocation?

Symbols have meaning, and the approval of having Warren on the podium is a very disturbing and disappointing message for Obama to be sending.

[progressoid]

11. What the hell, Karl Rove couldn't sign any legislation either.

Let's invite him into the "coalition" too. :eyes:

[prostock69]

7. I don't think anyone has considered that maybe Obama....

is the one who's going to be doing the political lobbying when it comes to Evangelicals. He is not going to be caving in to their wants as a group. The only way we are going to get the Evangelicals out of the bronze age and into the 21st century is through discourse. Obama is not stupid. I think everyone is freaking out a little too much here about his choice to have Rick Warren give his invocation. He's not turning his backs on the gays or women. All that talk is a bit ridiculous. Listen, we now have a progressive president. A president who is truly trying to change our country for the better by inviting everyone to help fix this mess. Obama is setting the rules here. Have a little "faith"...lol. pun intended.

[Stuckinthebush]

8. The first real boneheaded move by Obama

in my opinion...

stupid choice. Obama should pick a real theologian.

[tomp]

9. afaic, the first real rift was his embrace of colin powell.

that was the signal. undeniably.

warren is adding insult to injury. i believe obama is testing the left to see just how far right he can get away with.

[bajamary]

10. What is past a prologue?

I hoped Obama would have selected Rev. Martin Marty, PhD. whom Obama often refers to as a mentor.

But Mr. Obama’s selection of RIck Warren is a terrible affront to the supporters of equal rights.

Why would Obama decide to have this anti-human rights, anti-anything but Christian far right preacher at his swearing in ceremony?

Warren has often denegrated the other major world religions such as Hindu and Islam, and Buddhism.

Given how extremely narrow this best selling Oprah Book author/ preacher actually is, why has the man I supported with my dollars and with my precious time, select this phobic-pastor?

Is what was past a prologue?

I pray not.

[jimmybama]

12. Disappointed!!

I thought he would surely pick Rev. Wright.