Obama’s olive branch to the Christian right
WASHINGTON - The man who called gay marriage “morally equivalent to allowing brothers and sisters to marry,” is going to deliver a religious invocation at President-elect Barack Obama’s swearing-in. He described abortion as a “holocaust.”
He’s Rick Warren, the pastor at 20,000-member Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California.
Top liberal groups, like the Human Rights Campaign and People for the American Way, have voiced their disappointment over Obama’s selection of Warren.
Obama, however, says the selection of Warren is about bringing people together instead of tearing them apart.
“It is no secret that I am a fierce advocate for equality for gay and lesbian Americans,” Obama said at a Thursday press conference in Chicago. However, he argued: “It’s important for America to come together, even though we may have disagreements on certain social issues.”
Warren, issued a statement today chiming in on his invitation to speak at Obama’s inauguration.
“I commend President-elect Obama for his courage to willingly take enormous heat from his base by inviting someone like me, with whom he doesn’t agree on every issue, to offer the Invocation at his historic Inaugural ceremony,” Warren said. “Hopefully individuals passionately expressing opinions from the left and the right will recognize that both of us have shown a commitment to model civility in America.”
Obama has also noted that pastor and civil rights leader Joseph Lowery, “who has deeply contrasting views to Rick Warren on a whole host of issues,” will also speak at the inauguration.
This is a no issue. Why on earth would anyone attempt to force a Christian to pervert God’s word and accept gay unions as marriages?
Obama as a Christians is against gay unions being called marriages, as any Christian should be. Obama has not misled anyone concerning his beliefs and has always confessed to be a practicing Christian. Did these people think that he was lying?
Rick Warren is a Christian minister for God’s sake and a pretty honorable one who concentrates on teaching bible based only principles. These particular “gay and lesbian groups” want Christian leaders and other Christians to pervert the word of God but a true follower of Christ will do no such thing intentionally.
Gays should be ecstatic to have Christians in this world such as Obama and Rick Warren because they truly are Christ-like. Some people who identify themselves as Christians refuse to pervert God’s word and change it to suit himself or herself or anyone else.
I too support the right of gay and lesbians to be gay and lesbians and have unions and the same legal rights as marriages. But, don’t cross the line with me as a Christian demanding me to pretend that the Holy Scripture of the Christian do not make it clear that same-sex sexual relations are not taught as being abominations against God (sin). Hey, everyone has the right to accept this or reject it and I will fight for gays and lesbians to have that right in our society.
I respect Rick Warren and see him as a great Christian Leader and am very pleased that Obama has invited him to speak at his inauguration. Gays and others who disagree with this should to get a grip here. Everyone does not agree with you, me, Rick Warren, that’s their right, strop attempting to force people to follow and accept your agenda, you are being no different than the fanatical “Christian Religious Right”! Just stop this non-sense, will you?