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It's an obvious political move. I don't see it as bad unless there's more to it than throwing the far right a bone. As an atheist I think that there should be no religion involved in any way in politics, but as a realist, this doesn't seem like the worst decision he could have made.
I think it's a great move. Rick Warren is the loudest voice trying to move evangelicals toward more progressive positions on social justice, poverty, and environmental issues. Millions of Americans from a demographic not known for reading books have read this guy's book. He's poised to be a very influential voice for a whole bunch of people over the next couple of decades. Obama picking him to read the inaugural invocation is a shrewd decision.
I disagree with Warren on many, many things, from the fundamental to the trivial. But it's not like he's being put in charge of the Pentagon, he's just saying a prayer. Big whoop.
And reducing political decisions to a "good for my group/bad for my group" dichotomy is the kind of thinking that got us in this mess to begin with.
Why, I'm confused why there's a religious Invocation at all. I mean, not "confused" so much as "disappointed". It should be a completely different thing, like how secular universities allow chruches to hold separate Baccalaureate ceremonies that have nothing to do with the actual graduation. We don't have a group prayer before staff meetings, why should we have a group prayer before what is essentially a giant staff meeting?
He's inches more ... moderate ... than Billy or Franklin Graham, who've had the duties recently.
I'm a Christian. I don't have a problem with inaugural invocations or Congress opening sessions with a prayer or whatnot.
I guess I'm just still mystified at why Warren is as close to the center as we seem to get in terms of religion. Granted, Wright loved pissing people off, but there are plenty of UCC pastors, black or whtie, who would be right in the mainstream. But that's too liberal for this sort of thing, apparently.
It makes me feel excluded. I know it's tradition, but there are lots of pointlessly exclusive traditions. I'd be fine with the Christian prayer if he was blessed by all the other religions, and then maybe Vonnegut (if he hadn't already entered those pearly gates) would be allowed to stand up and say a few words.
And here (in a convoluted way) is where I agree with muddgirl.
Prayer is a sacred thing. I hate when it is used to imply God is rubberstamping His approval on a secular occasion. For a prayer not to be offensive to the majority of a secular crowd it has to be so watered down that it most likely offends the Being it is offered to.
Rick Warren: But the issue to me is, I知 not opposed to that as much as I知 opposed to the redefinition of a 5,000-year definition of marriage. I知 opposed to having a brother and sister be together and call that marriage. I知 opposed to an older guy marrying a child and calling that a marriage. I知 opposed to one guy having multiple wives and calling that marriage.
That's the point, bunnyfire. The guy is equating gay marriage with incest and pedophelia. That is why some of us are upset that "our" president is giving him an honored position.
"Rick Warren is the loudest voice trying to move evangelicals toward more progressive positions on social justice, poverty, and environmental issues. " For me I'd have to say he is failing. But then I am not an evangelical.
"For a prayer not to be offensive to the majority of a secular crowd it has to be so watered down that it most likely offends the Being it is offered to.
So, what's the point??????" I agree, what is the point? But then I know the point is that the majority in the USA is not secular so a president has to be publicly Christian.
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