About This Inauguration Thing

Rick Warren, in my opinion, is appalling. He is anti -gay, absolutely. He's against women's rights, is anti-abortion, anti-Semitic (read his book), and if his quote in December 18th's "The Nation" is any indication, he thinks "thou shall not kill" doesn't apply to foreign leader we don't like. In 2004 "he sent an e-mail to the several hundred thousand pastors on mailing list, enumerating "non-negotiable" issues for Christians to consider when casting their votes: abortion, stem-cell research, gay marriage, euthanasia and human cloning." (TIME, Thursday, August 7th, 2008.) So far, he's right up there with Jerry Farwell, or Billy Graham, who has done opening and closing prayers since 1948 - including Bush Senior and both terms of Clinton. I think protesting Rick Warren sends a very strong message to Obama about what we on the left don't like.

However, those of us who voted for Obama voted for a man who promised that all people would have a voice at the table. A man who said he would negotiate with enemy countries without pre-conditions. This is a man who pointed out that making demands that North Korea halt there nuclear program before we would sit down to talk with them only resulted in them detonating two nuclear bombs. A man whose acceptance speech said he would be the president of us all. Did we think he would only deal with people we like?

The people who didn't vote for Obama, really like Rick Warren. They also like Billy Graham, and a host of other evangelical ministers who are (again, in my opinion) twisting the words of the man Jesus Christ into something he wouldn't recognize if he saw it. Obama could have picked any anti-gay marriage minister - why this one?

Perhaps Obama sees Warren as a type of change. In his TIME article, David Van Biema notes that Warren, unlike the old guard of evangelical ministers, has a scattered focus. The old guard of evangelical ministers was focused on one thing, pointing out the sins of everyone else. The pet project of Reverand Warren is something called P.E.A.C.E. - which, according to his website - is about turning churches around the globe into centers fighting extreme poverty, pandemic diseases (including AIDS), and illiteracy. This project is Warren's Opus, his big dream. Some would call it the center of his egomaniacal mania.

So, Obama looks at this guy and says, hmm, this guy believes in a lot of stuff I don't, but at least there's a point of agreement. This is a guy that, in time, could become busy enough with the things I'm interested in, and let go of some of what I'm not. He might even come to help bring the rest of the country around to a new way of thinking. It might never happen, but it's a possibility. I can work with that.

As for the inauguration itself, Warren is not the final word at the event. Yes, Warren will start us off. In a way he represents where our country's people stand. Certainly, he speaks for those who voted for McCain, and for prop. 8. However, unlike the evangelical sandwich we've had for at least the last 16 years, the closing prayers will be done by the non-evangelical Reverend Joseph Lowery.

Lowery, a Methodist minister, is a long-time civil-rights activist. He is also a proponent of gay-marriage, gay-ministers...he's basically pro-everybody. His support of gay-marriage is most notably on record during an ABC News interview in 2004. When asked if he supported same-sex marriage Lowery stated: "When you talk about the law discriminating, the law granting a privilege here, and a right here and denying it there, that's a civil rights issue." This is the Reverend who will have the FINAL word, for Obama and represents the change he wants us all to help create.

Can you see it, this Reverend who, at Corette Scott King's funeral, publicly reminded the attendees that the wife of Dr. King "frowned upon homophobia," speaking the closing on what Oabama's presidency is going to mean for our country? And then...perhaps the Lesbian and Gay Band Association - being asked to march in the inauguration parade for the first time in history - will begin to play.

Sources:

Author: Dyana Bagby

"Anti-gay protesters target King funeral" www.sovo.com/20006/2-10/news/localnews/L2.cfmc

www.sovo.com

Author: David Van Biema

"The Global Ambition of Rick Warren" www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1830147,00.html

www.time.com

Author: Cathy Lynn Grossman

"Blessing Barack Obama's inauguration with controversy" http://content.usatoday.com/communities/religion/post/2008/12/60178434/1

www.usatoday.com

Author: Sarah Posner

"What's The Matter With Rick Warren?" www.thenation.com/doc/20081229/posner

www.thenation.com

Author: Staff Writer

Gay Band to March in Presidental Inaugurational Parade" www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9804.html

www.pinknews.co.uk