Rick Warren Christian preacher
LONG BEACH, Calif. - The first openly gay member of Congress said Sunday it was a mistake for President-elect Barack Obama to invite evangelical pastor Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his inauguration.
"Mr. Warren compared same-sex couples to incest. I found that deeply offensive and unfair," Rep. Barney Frank, a Massachusetts Democrat, said in a broadcast interview.
"If he was inviting the Rev. Warren to participate in a forum and to make a speech, that would be a good thing," Frank said. "But being singled out to give the prayer at the inauguration is a high honor. It has traditionally given as a mark of great respect. And, yes, I think it was wrong to single him out for this mark of respect."
Under fire for opposing gay marriage, influential evangelical pastor Warren said Saturday that he loves Muslims, people of other religions, Republicans and Democrats, and he also loves "gays and straights."
Says it's OK to disagree
The 54-year-old pastor and founder of Saddleback Church in Southern California told the crowd of 500 that it's unrealistic to expect everyone to agree on everything all the time.
"You don't have to see eye to eye to walk hand in hand," said Warren.
Warren also defended President-elect Barack Obama's invitation that he give the invocation at the Jan. 20 inauguration in the keynote speech he delivered at the Muslim Public Affairs Council's annual convention in Long Beach.
Obama's choice of Warren earlier this week sparked outcry from gay rights and other liberal groups, who said choosing such an outspoken opponent of gay marriage was tantamount to endorsing bigotry.
"Three years ago I took enormous heat for inviting Barack Obama to my church because some of his views don't agree (with mine)," he said. "Now he's invited me."
Warren said he prays for the same things for Obama that he prays for himself: integrity, humility and generosity.
Obama defends 'wide range of view points'
Obama defended his choice on Thursday, saying that he has also invited Joseph Lowery, a Methodist minister and civil rights leader who supports same-sex marriage and gay rights, to deliver the benediction.
"During the course of the entire inaugural festivities, there are going to be a wide range of viewpoints that are presented. And that's how it should be, because that's what America's about. That's part of the magic of this country ... we are diverse and noisy and opinionated," Obama said.
Toward the end of his speech on Saturday, Warren also talked about singer Melissa Ethridge, who performed earlier in the evening. Warren said the two had a "wonderful conversation" and that he is a huge fan who has all her albums.
The openly lesbian gay rights activist even agreed to sign her Christmas album for him, he said.
Warren gained a prominent role in the presidential election in August when he hosted the Civil Forum on the Presidency, a two-hour televised show in which he interviewed Obama and his Republican opponent John McCain for an hour each on faith and moral issues.
Kudos from some liberal quarters
Warren has won kudos from some liberal quarters by focusing less on traditional conservative issues such as abortion and gay rights, and instead calling on evangelical leaders to devote more attention to eradicating poverty, fighting AIDS in Africa, expanding educational opportunity for the marginalized, and global warming.
But the preacher ignited the ire of many liberals when he publicly supported California's Proposition 8, which amended the state Constitution to ban gay marriage.
Although Warren has said that he has nothing personally against gays, he has condemned same-sex marriage.
"I have many gay friends. I've eaten dinner in gay homes. No church has probably done more for people with AIDS than Saddleback Church," he said in a recent interview with BeliefNet. But later in the interview, he compared the "redefinition of marriage" to include gay marriage to legitimizing incest, child abuse, and polygamy.
Warren founded Saddleback Church in 1980 in Lake Forest, about 65 miles southeast of Los Angeles. He is the author of numerous Christian books, including "The Purpose Driven Life," which has sold more than 20 million copies.
Source: AP
Loading...
as a christian, he believes all other God as false, so why would he suddenly bring up all other religions ? that said, he's right in the fact marriage should be between a man and a woman, but i dont know if he' s preaching the whole message in love. ie love the gays doesnt mean you have to agree with their choices , his expression seem to shown a kind of disdain, was it for gay, we cant say, but it did disturb me a bit esp after all the christian haters i came across
koreanjennygirl 3 months ago
His "gay friends" are the ones that blow him at the local rest stop off the I5. Conflating gay marriage with incest is offensive nonsense.
jtimjordan 10 months ago
but gluttony is just fine right, rick warren? lose some weight
kellyannekohaut 1 year ago 2
Buddhism?
The majority of Buddhist really don't care if two men or two woman are in a personal relashionship.
GyspsyMagic 1 year ago 2
yeah for rick warren the defender of god's marriage.
GlennBeckcares4u 1 year ago
Also the put to death part refers just to sin as the penalty of sin is death. Being a translation from Greek and Hebrew that you are using (I assume the NIV of the bible) it is written graphically and vividly in an attempt of being poetic and having meaning. It is not literal. I agree it is not parts of the bible that look good, but you make something good or bad by how you interpret it. The eunich passage said by Jesus is Matthew's interpretation of celebacy and how God can make any man his man
watdeshit 2 years ago
@RobertChavis Uh I feel you have greatly misinterpreted those chapters. They were social laws designed not for the Israelites but for the gentiles and idolaters. Further more in the post above God does all this but in righteous anger and fury. You can question it, but if there is a correct moral path God does not disobey it doing those actions. Difficult concept but I am sure you can understand it. It wasn't oh I am bored lets kill stuff day. It was they defy me and so they shall bear the wrath.
watdeshit 2 years ago
Jesus also promoted the idea that all men should castrate themselves to go to heaven: "For there are eunuchs, that were so born from their mother's womb: and there are eunuchs, that were made eunuchs by men: and there are eunuchs, that made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it." (Matthew 19:12 ASV)
RobertChavis 2 years ago
@MaryWaterton The God of the Bible also allows slavery, including selling your own daughter as a sex slave (Exodus 21:1-11), child abuse (Judges 11:29-40 and Isaiah 13:16), and bashing babies against rocks (Hosea 13:16 & Psalms 137:9).
RobertChavis 2 years ago
@veritasaltius God kills 70,000 innocent people because David ordered a census of the people (1 Chronicles 21). God also orders the destruction of 60 cities so that the Israelites can live there. He orders the killing of all the men, women, and children of each city, and the looting of all of value (Deuteronomy 3).
RobertChavis 2 years ago