From Susan Russell's open letter to President-elect Barach Obama:
I believe that reaching across the divide to include a strong, evangelical voice in the opening moments of your presidency is not just a good political move, it is a considered policy choice that helps bind up the wounds of a divisive campaign and eight years of polarization, preparing us as a nation to move forward together to solve the many problems that challenge us. This effort to begin your administration by representing differences of opinion in the selection of a pastor whose theological perspectives are different than your own is something I enthusiastically applaud.
The choice of Rick Warren is not. I agree with my Episcopal brother Bishop Gene Robinson, who said yesterday, "I’m all for Rick Warren being at the table, 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."
Leave it to Gene Robinson, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire, to articulate so well my own thoughts on Obama's choice of Rich Warren to give the invocation. The rest of Susan's letter is well worth reading. She explains further her objections to the choice of Rick Warren.
I believe that Obama will not back down from his choice of Warren, because he fears the backlash from the religious right more than that of the religious progressives. He believes that he will bring some of them around by this choice. He has much hard work to do, and he will need the cooperation of many of us of different ideological persuasions. However, I don't think this tactic will work with the hard core religious right. Is Obama channeling the Archbishop of Canterbury?
The Rev. Susan Russell is Senior Associate at All Saints Church, Pasadena, president of Integrity USA, convener of "Claiming the Blessing" and a member of the HRC Religion Council.
H/T to Mark Harris at Preludium.
Mimi,
ReplyDeleteGiven what happened to your son, don't you think it's time you supported the need for society to stop disintegrating with this false tolerance for homosexuality, adultery, premarital sex, etc.? Can't you see that the popularity of each of things has been running parallel to all the others?
-- KK
KK, how dare you come here and try to take advantage of my grief about my son's divorce to push your agenda! That is cruel.
ReplyDeleteDo-not-come-back-with-your-crap!
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ReplyDeleteKK, I said don't come back. I will delete your comments.
ReplyDeleteWow. Just wow.
ReplyDeleteKK--if you call yourself a "Christian," I think you'd better go back and read Jesus' injunction to treat others the way you'd like to be treated. If you call yourself a "Christian," you did the Gospel no favors today.
Doxy
KK left off one of his K's, I'm thinking.
ReplyDeletePJ, my thought, too. I just didn't say it.
ReplyDeleteDamn! I started to type that and didn't....
ReplyDeleteWhy is it that the worst bastards are pious?
ReplyDeleteKKK indeed!
KK is the type of person who has so much internalized shame about themselves that they are toxic to others. His or her words are hurtful but see them instead as the kind of anger filled comment of someone who hurts so much inside that they can't be responsible for what they say.
ReplyDeleteTheir comment is really about their inability to accept themselves and nothing about you or your family or any of the readers of your blog.
and I do doubt that the invitation will be rescinded but Obama needs to hear a backlash on this so that he knows that he now owes us. The so-called "defense of marriage" act needs to be ended, the military ban overturned, ENDA passed, and insurance and other benefits normally given to federal employee spouses extended to the same sex partners of gay and lesbian federal employees.
ReplyDeleteDennis, you're right. I prayed for KK as I was taking my walk. But I shall still delete the sick comments.
ReplyDeleteObama said the words:
"It is no secret that I am a fierce advocate for equality for gay and lesbian Americans."
We'll hold his feet to the fire on this one.
Dennis speaks wisdom.
ReplyDeleteIt was an outrageous and cruel comment.
And Mimi did well - as usual.
ReplyDeleteSomething's sadly missing in that one's life.
ReplyDeleteGood heavens. Mimi, bless you, bless you.
ReplyDeleteLJ, thanks. There are some weird ones out there.
ReplyDeleteYou go Mimi. I hate how these people say utter crap and then scream that you delete it.
ReplyDeleteI feel that often, sunshine steriizes what they say, but at a certain point it's so craptacular that it will smell too much and you have to simply delete it.
Of course my point of view may be colored by the fact that we are currently babysitting an injured cat....you know what it's like suddenly to live with a catbox....not unlike trolls.
((Mimi))
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