UPDATE: Just to make it clear there is no love lost whatever between Gene Robinson and Rick Warren (and to further accentuate the rather cynical diviseness instead of some chimerical, open-minded psalm to diversity on the part of Barack Obama), here's Rick Warren offering Saddleback Church as a new home to those worried about Gene Robinson and his infestation of queers in the Episcopal Church. (Oops, sorry Sunlit Uplands. Was using the word queers too coarse for you?) Take it away, Rick:
[h/t Waldo]
We now take you back to the original post:
HuPo reports that openly gay Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson has been invited to give the opening prayer at the Sunday, January 18, pre-inauguration event at the Lincoln Memorial.
Many liberal commentators, having been previously been left without much of a comeback to protests by the gay community, have grasped this face-saving move as new evidence of President-elect Barack Obama's political acumen. Local reaction among our liberal friends is to suggest that Obama is Crazy like a fox.
Some fox. More like the naked emperor grabbing for a jock strap.
I understand that Robinson could not afford to turn down this invitation, but his comments about Rick Warren are instructive:
This is, frankly, nothing but more than a Separate but Equal patting on the head of the LGBT community. It says, You're good enough for a side show, but for the main event we're sticking with the guy who is anti-gay and anti-science, who thinks people get cancer because of sin.
... [The Episcopal Church has] already considered me an adversary after partnering on projects with Kolini, Orumbi, and Nzimbi, and writing the TIME bio on Akinola.
But since last summer... I’ve been on Gene Robinson and other’s attack list for my position on gay marriage. ....[Our] brothers and sisters here at St. James in Newport Beach lost their California State Supreme Court case to keep their property.
We stand in solidarity with them, and with all orthodox, evangelical Anglicans. I offer the campus of Saddleback Church to any Anglican congregation who need a place to meet, or if you want to plant a new congregation in south Orange County.
[h/t Waldo]
We now take you back to the original post:
HuPo reports that openly gay Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson has been invited to give the opening prayer at the Sunday, January 18, pre-inauguration event at the Lincoln Memorial.
Many liberal commentators, having been previously been left without much of a comeback to protests by the gay community, have grasped this face-saving move as new evidence of President-elect Barack Obama's political acumen. Local reaction among our liberal friends is to suggest that Obama is Crazy like a fox.
Some fox. More like the naked emperor grabbing for a jock strap.
I understand that Robinson could not afford to turn down this invitation, but his comments about Rick Warren are instructive:
Robinson said he would love to sit down with Rick Warren but believed that the California pastor has "perpetrated lies about the gay, lesbian and bisexual community."
This is, frankly, nothing but more than a Separate but Equal patting on the head of the LGBT community. It says, You're good enough for a side show, but for the main event we're sticking with the guy who is anti-gay and anti-science, who thinks people get cancer because of sin.
Comments
My thoughts were on Warren's reaction. How will he handle this situation? Can he make everyone happy - especially followers who will expect him to speak out against Robinson? If he does speak out what happens to that mainstream appeal he so desperately seeking? If he doesn't speak out what happens to his flock's devotion?
None of this means I was happy with the Warren pick, nor does it allow me to dismiss everyone's comments. You all have extremely valid points - which I agree with and should have included in my hastily written (narrowly focused) post.
Having one of your apologists show up on stage is hardly "reaching out."
And let's not forget all the nonbelievers (or nontheists, pantheists, multitheists, etc.) who also get locked out of the process.