Rick Warren to Speak at Inauguration

[JCady]

You guys are kind of missing the point why what would seem to be such a small thing as letting Warren give an invocation at the inauguration would piss off so many people in the LGBT community: Warren was one of the active people involved with the Prop 8 movement. People are still seriously pissed off about Prop 8 and for him to be given a national platform, it is adding salt and acid to a fresh wound. Not to mention that Obama has never been a strong public supporter of gay rights, people are using this moment as an opportunity to express their discomfort and anger on his soft peddling on the issue. He's wants to repeal DOMA but he only supports civil unions; that's a little contradictory.

Warren wasn't "just" pro-8, he was the one arguing that allowing equal rights for gays is morally equivalent to legalizing pedophilia.

[Knife]

And for all you know, Obama's first speak as President may in fact counter point all of Warrens shit. We don't know. As others have said, it's the invocation not a cabinet position so while I'm not happy about it, it's not some great betrayal.

[General Zod]

I thought this commentary sums up the whole debacle nicely.

(CNN) -- The announcement that Pastor Rick Warren has been chosen to give the invocation at Barack Obama's inauguration ceremony landed with a thud in my inbox.

Many people who know Warren as the affable megachurch pastor and best-selling author may be confused about the anger and disappointment that his selection has generated among progressive activists who worked so hard to help elect Obama. Here's my explanation; you can find plenty of other voices online.

Warren enjoys a reputation as a bridge-building moderate based on his informal style and his church's engagement on issues like AIDS in Africa.

He took grief from some of his Religious Right colleagues when he invited then-Senator Obama to his church for a conference on AIDS a couple of years ago. And, in August he hosted presidential candidates Obama and McCain at his church.

Warren has worked hard to cultivate a moderate public personality but his views are very similar to those of traditional Religious Right leaders.In an email sent before the 2004 election he wrote a Falwell-esque message proclaiming that, for Christian voters, the issues of abortion, marriage for same-sex couples, stem cell research, cloning and euthanasia were "non-negotiable." In fact, he said, they are "not even debatable because God's word is clear on these issues."

And while some Religious Right leaders were nervous that Warren would give Obama a platform to talk about poverty and the environment at the August event, Warren thrilled them by eschewing those issues entirely in order to emphasize issues like abortion and marriage that worked to McCain's advantage with the evangelical audience.

Warren also campaigned for Proposition 8, the initiative that stripped same-sex couples in California of their right under the state constitution to get legally married. But it's not just his support for Prop. 8 that is so galling to equality activists.

It's that Warren, in an interview with Beliefnet.com, has since equated allowing loving same-sex couples to get married with redefining marriage to permit incest and pedophilia.

And he has repeated one of the Religious Right's big lies: that somehow allowing marriage equality to stand would have threatened the freedom of preachers like him to say what they thought about homosexuality. That's not remotely true, but it's a standard tool of Religious Right leaders trying to resist the public's increasing support for equality.

In other words, Warren has been divisive and dishonest on the issues of marriage equality and religious freedom -- and on other issues important to many Obama supporters, as well.

He adamantly opposes a woman's legal right to abortion and dismisses common-ground efforts to reduce the need for abortion by comparing them to accommodating the Holocaust. He is disrespectful of progressive people of faith, suggesting that they are tools of the Democratic Party or more Marxist than Christian.

So much for the values of unity and respect, not to mention the constitutional principle of equality, on which President-elect Obama campaigned.

Why exactly is he being given the high honor of delivering the invocation at one of the most historic ceremonies in American history?

There is no shortage of religious leaders who reflect the values on which President-elect Obama campaigned and who are working to advance the common good. Rev. Joseph Lowery, who has been selected to give the benediction, is a lifelong advocate for justice. There are others like him, and in our increasingly diverse nation, they aren't all Christian.

Rick Warren gets plenty of attention through his books and media appearances and has every right to promote his religious views. But he doesn't need or deserve a position of honor at the inauguration of a president who has given hope to so many Americans by rejecting the politics of division and emphasizing his commitment to constitutional values.

I am still excited about the tremendous changes in policy that I expect under an Obama administration. But it's the job of progressive advocates to hold public officials accountable, and to speak up even when our friends drop the ball. This decision, which will leave a bad taste in the mouths of many passionate supporters of Barack Obama, is one of those times.

[ray245]

I think that Obama is reasonable enough to listen and accept the views from the people here, if they are able to write to his website and such. After all, everyone can learn from their mistakes, if they are given a chance to do so.

In some ways, the fight to defend a civil right will never end.

[Wicked Pilot]

It shouldn't be surprising that Obama's throwing a bone to the religious right, he's got some big agendas come the first 100 days and he needs everyone on board, even those who didn't vote for him. What would we rather have, a foaming at the mouth fundie with an appointment to SCOTUS, or a 60 second prayer that come Jan 21st will be long forgotten?

[Durandal]

I must be the only one still asking why we need a pastor at a presidential inauguration in the first place. If the last eight years and this last election have shown us anything, it's that pastors are bad luck. How about we all just compromise and replace Rick Warren with a giant four-leaf clover?

[ray245]

I must be the only one still asking why we need a pastor at a presidential inauguration in the first place. If the last eight years and this last election have shown us anything, it's that pastors are bad luck. How about we all just compromise and replace Rick Warren with a giant four-leaf clover?

Maybe due to the fact that people may find ways to attack Obama for not being religious enough?

[VT-16]

At least don't forget these points:

The Inauguration will also involve Reverend Joseph Lowery, who will be delivering the official benediction at the Inauguration. Reverend Lowery is a giant of the civil rights movement who boasts a proudly progressive record on LGBT issues. He has been a leader in the struggle for civil rights for all Americans, gay or straight.

And for the very first time, there will be a group representing the interests of LGBT Americans participating in the Inaugural Parade.

I'm hoping Obama does an Attatürk and skewers the Religious Right after this.

[Wicked Pilot]

I was thinking, regardless of what is said by whomever to whichever imaginary friend, just say to yourself "George W Bush is no longer president". I'm sure it will make you feel all better inside.