The Rick Warren Reac Continues

The reac to Rick Warren as the benediction at the Obama inauguration continues:

V. Gene Robinson, the Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire, quoted in NYT  Obama’s Choice of Pastor Creates Furor

“I’m all for Rick Warren being at the table,” Bishop Robinson said, “but we’re not talking about a discussion, we’re talking about putting someone up front and center at what will be the most watched inauguration in history, and asking his blessing on the nation. And the God that he’s praying to is not the God that I know.”

***my cents:  "And the God that he’s praying to is not the God that I know".  Really ?  wow.   Claiming our God is better than their God is almost always a sign of fundamentalism - either conservative or liberal, it's still fundamentalism.

Pam Spaulding looks ahead to   The voice that will erase the sad bigotry of Rick Warren

I want to turn your attention to the man who will make Rick Warren look very, very small at the inauguration—the civil rights giant who will deliver the benediction, the Rev. Dr. Joseph Lowery.

***my cents:  amen, Pam, amen

Andrew Sullivan has posted extensively on this - he ends up on Taking Yes For An Answer

If I cannot pray with Rick Warren, I realize, then I am not worthy of being called a Christian. And if I cannot engage him, then I am not worthy of being called a writer. And if we cannot work with Obama to bridge these divides, none of us will be worthy of the great moral cause that this civil rights movement truly is.

***my cents:  I am so thankful to have Andrew think and write aloud

Rachel Maddow weighs in, with her usual grounded logic:

***my cents:  it is actually her logic that leads me to be pleased with the choice - it is all of our house, not just the people who elected Obama

Rod Dreher plumbing the bottom feeders with  The purpose-driven hissy fit

***my cents:  a hybrid ?  nope.  crunchy ?  i think not.  con...definitely.

Comments

[Existential Punk]

WOW, a Christian who actually reads a queer blogger like Pam Spaulding! i am VERY impressed. Not many Christians who blog on the topics related to the LGBTQ community appear to read LGBTQ bloggers themselves for our perspective. This is actually a great thing you do and i appreciate it very much.

Yet, you are not quoting Pam in full context. She has said what you quote above, but she is very much upset about Obama inviting Warren. It's a slap in the face to us in the LGBTQ community in light of the recent passage of Prop 8, which Warren was a huge part. Warren has equated us with pedophiles and incest even though he denies it even though it is on record! AND now the religious right has filed to invalidate all our marriages. So of course we are raw and angry!

Again, THANK YOU for taking the time to read outside your norm!

Pax,

Existential Punk

[Happy]

I was hoping James Lawson instead of Lowery, but that's my two cents.

For another perspective on Warren go to http://www.juancole.com/ and note his post of December 21.