I am near the bottom of any list of people who know much about religion, but I am familiar with celebrity preachers. So when Barack Obama chose Rick Warren to give the invocation at his inaugural, I thought, "WTF?"
From Sam Stein on HuffPo:
Ever since Barack Obama was elected president, the media has been pining to write a story about liberal dissatisfaction with his transition efforts. By and large, the meme has been blown out of proportion, as the press overestimated how divisive Obama's cabinet choices were for progressives.
The press may now have its conflict moment. And it comes in the form of the spiritual leader chosen to launch Obama's inauguration.
On Wednesday, the transition team and Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies announced that Rick Warren, pastor of the powerful Saddleback Church, would give the invocation on January 20th. The selection may not have been incredibly surprising. Obama and Warren are reportedly close -- Obama praised the Megachurch leader in his second book "The Audacity of Hope." Warren, meanwhile, hosted a values forum between Obama and McCain during the general election. Nevertheless, the announcement is being greeted with deep skepticism in progressive religious and political circles.
"My blood pressure is really high right now," said Rev. Chuck Currie, minister at Parkrose Community United Church of Christ in Portland, Oregon. "Rick Warren does some really good stuff and there are some areas that I have admired his ability to build bridges between evangelicals and mainline religious and political figures... but he is also very established in the religious right and his position on social issues like gay rights, stem cell research and women's rights are all out of the mainstream and are very much opposed to the progressive agenda that Obama ran on. I think that he is very much the wrong person to put on the stage with the president that day."
President-elect Obama, if you were looking for a talk-show circuit, camera-ready preacher, wouldn't Jim Wallis have been a better, less-crazy choice?
2 comments:
Well BO is a “keep your friends close and your enemies closer” kind of politician so this choice while somewhat disappointing is consistent with his philosophy. What should not be lost here is the fact that Warren has agreed to perform the invocation (what a creepy f’ing term that is) and that could be the first crack that allows a light of tolerance shine into what is an otherwise dark and hateful mind. Or it could teach BO to not play with snakes. Only time will tell.
TBLMISBT
Just a closer walk with Jeesh...
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