Rick Warren Drama Continues

By: Michelle Levi
Topics: White House

President-elect Barack Obama's announcement that Saddleback Church pastor and opponent of gay marriage Rick Warren will give the inaugural invocation continues to drive headlines. This weekend, Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., who is openly gay, told CNN's Wolf Blitzer "giving that kind of mark of approval and honor to someone who has frankly spoken in ways that I and many others have found personally very offensive, I thought that was a mistake for the president-elect to do."

(AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

At a press conference last week, Mr. Obama explained his decision. "A couple of years ago I was invited to Rick Warren's church to speak, despite his awareness that I held views that were entirely contrary to his, when it came to gay and lesbian rights. That dialogue, I think, is part of what my campaign has been all about, that we're not going to agree on every single issue," he explained.

"Mr. Warren compared same-sex couples to incest. I found that deeply offensive and unfair. And the president-elect was wrong when he said, well, he invited me to speak; I'm just inviting him to speak," Frank said Sunday. "If he was inviting the Reverend Warren to participate in a forum and to make a speech, that would be a good thing. We should have these. But being singled out to give the prayer at the inauguration is a high honor."

The Associated Press reports that Warren, while speaking to a group of American Muslims Saturday said he "loves gays and straights" and argued that "you don't have to see eye to eye to walk hand in hand." "Three years ago I took enormous heat for inviting Barack Obama to my church because some of his views don't agree [with mine]," Warren added. "Now he's invited me."

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by gw1253 December 22, 2008 7:52 PM EST: Mr Leew... you obviously have no knowledge of who Rick Warren is and what he stands for to make the comments that you have made. Mr. Warren is in no way using this as a marketing ploy, but is doing this because his friend has requested that he do so. Mr. Obama, as he stated, may not agree with everything that Mr. Warren believes and vice versa.

It is also quite interesting to me that those who disagree with the "gay agenda" are considered to be intolerant, but if those that agree with that agenda disagree with someone else and their beliefs they aren''t considered to be - something isn''t quite right here.... so we aren''t allowed to have our own beliefs if they do not coincide with what the most vocal minorities believe... how sad!; Reply to this comment


by ftfftf December 22, 2008 6:41 PM EST: The Honorable Rep. Barney Frank should work through the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC)to correct any mistakes which have been made.
Established by resolution (S.Con.Res. 67) on February 28, 2008. Senator Dianne Feinstein, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, chairs the committee. Other members include Senators Harry Reid of Nevada and Bob Bennett of Utah, as well as Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi of California and Representatives Steny Hoyer of Maryland and John Boehner of Ohio.; Reply to this comment


by davidleew December 22, 2008 5:52 PM EST: A ceremony that very likely will be the most watched event in the history of the world and the biggest promotional tool for the brands that will be there.

That is what Obama will strengthen...whichever "brands" are there are rewarded with the strength it will bring them. Thus is it for spiritual or morality choices in cohesion with the principals of the event...or ones of a small subset who deem that other subsets should live by their rule...; Reply to this comment


by davidleew December 22, 2008 5:51 PM EST: The marketing is the bigger issue... he is giving this symbol, platform and recognition of moral authority to a man who has used every platform symbol and endorsement to market and influence legislation. I am not one to care about gay marriage...couold care less to be honest. I do care about a man who from the pulpit has lobbied and used any creeedence he has been given in tandem with statements and beliefs like that he has with regard to women and jew and ***... to influence lawmakers and outr nation to be rewarded with a tool ...that in his deft marketing hands will be used clearly as a tool to cut down the people''s rights and lives and choices and existence of the people who fought for Obama himself to have the opportunity to give that man that tool.

The list of reasons that this choice is wrong...from character to hypocrisy to plainly ...what the right thing is...and what this prayer is...

a moral seal on our nation as a land and as a people...but also a tool for good or bad depending on whom it is given to use in either a political or spiritual way.

Obama has given it to a man who has clearly shown he will use it as a tool to cut down the very people that supported him. In a way that is in direct conflict with our founding fathers who created the very ceremony at which he will be speaking.; Reply to this comment


by davidleew December 22, 2008 5:50 PM EST: the difference is two fold

one file under hypocrisy (both Obama and Warren)

the other file under marketing (both Obama and Warren)

both of these things are overwhelmingly destructive and self serving.

This was a marketing ploy for Obama to reach Warren''s followers...and if it were not for the hypocrisy and offensiveness of the specific action and analogies used for numerous populations by Warren it would be seen most likely as okay.

but Obama himself should recoghnize those phrases and analogies Warren used. Those comparisons and terms "unnatural" "against the will of God" "downfall of the basics structures of civilization" and on par with "bestiality" and "pedophilia" "sin"
because all of these including 8000 years of institutionalized precedent and support in the bible were used against Obama''s mother and for legislation keeping inter racial relationships illegal.

Many of Obama''s followers battled the bigotry and similar statements in reference to his worth to get him elected.; Reply to this comment