http://scienceblogs.com/dispatches/2009/01/the_truth_about_rick_warren_an.php

http://www.slate.com/id/2207554/

I think we are now in need of a PR campaign from Sir Elton John who is one that really understands how to deal with the AIDS epidemic. Perhaps he can appear on Larry King Live again and elighten everyone out of their Rick Warren disillusionment.

I am afraid it only gets worse. He has deemed himself America’s new ambassador to the Middle East and Muslim world. For one, he would like to assassinate world leaders like Ahmadinejad who was elected by the Iranian people. Read the article:

http://iamjunius.wordpress.com/2008/12/06/rick-warren-supports-call-for-ahmadinejad-assassination/

Right now, Pastor Rick is taking a break from blamming the media for his grand faux pas,while Obama orchestrates a new red herring for the sake of his (Lincoln politics). Yes, that’s right folks enter the gay Bishop Gene Robinson to speak at the last minute at the inaugural ceremonies. That ought to fix things, and he’s not asking Bishop Robinson at the last minute he planned to ask him all along it just happens that the timing coincides with pissing off the gay and lesbian community. Hummm. Gosh I feel alot like Dorothy from the wizard of Oz going to see the wizard (Obama) on inauguration day. Wasn’t that during the great depression too, and that’s right the Wizard turned out to be a fraud. Why on earth in the geopolitical climate we live in (especially after the Bush Adminstration) would Obama choose a xenophobic, homophobic, bigot to pray over him at the inauguration. I know, so he can bring us all together, and its working right?

Chill. The. Fuck. Out.

I’m going to have to agree with this. People need to remain calm. The emergency exits are still on both sides and the back, but there’s no need to pull the release so soon.

(Quote taken after a play by play of disaster.)

This could have all been avoided if Obama had merely picked a different ultra-right-wing prosperity-theology moneybags evangelical.

This can still be avoided by not letting anger irrationalize your actions. It’s 2008. We don’t need to take to the streets to communicate disgust at such a pragmatically small thing. Just take a step back, send emails to the cabinet-to-be, and blog about your opinions rather than taking actions that will lead to civil unrest and a bigot-supportive backlash.

This doesn’t make me give up on Obama or stop supporting him by any means. But it is important that we are having this conversation now. Because we need to ensure that Warren is thoroughly discredited, hopefully in order to ensure that we don’t have to hear the words “Obama” and “Warren” in the same sentence ever again after January 20th.

I agree with you, jynnan_tonnyx, the real test is how the right wing agenda plays out in the Obama administration after January 20th. Then, our voices will be more important than ever. I suspect we will be able to count on Obama as an ally on important issues, but we will need to push him to do the right thing, just as we would need to push any politician, and as we are trying to push him to do the right thing now and disassociate himself from a dangerous extremist like Warren.

One last thought: call me an extremist, but I do insist that respect for gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered people is, in fact, the only acceptable course of action. And I do say to hell with anyone that thinks otherwise. Metaphorically, of course!

Unfortunately right now the gay community is dealing with its own problems. Problems that people like Rick Warren were instrumental in while Barack Obama was mostly silent on the issue.

It’s clear, in the actual governing department that gays and their families are getting steamrolled, codified in the actual constitution of the state as less than family.

This message from Barack Obama is clear: gay families are on their own.

Further, picking this incendiary figure will CAUSE a larger divide than it will bridge. Because of the politically stupid move, it will CAUSE gay people to protest, very, very loudly.

This will cause Fox News to bray about the gays, and “liberal intolerance”. And America will see more footage of screaming, angry gays. It will not win anyone from the right over, but it will fan the flames of those who fight against gays… here they’ll be seeing lots of footage of angry gays. And they’ll say “wow, if THAT’s what liberalism is, leave me out!”

This could have all been avoided if Obama had merely picked a different ultra-right-wing prosperity-theology moneybags evangelical.

Are you two separate personalities? It looks from here as if you’re writing two contradictory view points, this is no big deal on the one hand, but on the other it’s of monumental importance, to stop the destruction of the United States.

Let me be clear: I don’t think this specific issue is major. But the political tone that I see this choice as being a part of: a bipartisan attempt at unity and finding common ground, etc, is, in my view, an important consideration. I think an unapologetic radical progressive president, while probably being correct (in my opinion) on most issues, would ultimately be bad for the country as a whole. I think moderation and unity are important, and I think those are the first things to be forgotten by extremists on either end of the political spectrum, when they insist that their agenda is the only acceptable course of action, and to hell with their counterparts on the opposite end of the political spectrum.

Also, I must stress that this is, I think, the best possible way of reaching out to the evangelical crowd. It’s a brief ceremonial speech. No authority. No influence on policy. No lasting impression. No tangible results. An entirely symbolic gesture. Maybe, rather than throwing a tantrum because Obama doesn’t do every single thing exactly the way we want him to from Day One, we should step back, look at the big picture, and focus on the decisions and actions that really matter in The Long Run. If Obama defers to The Religious Right when it comes to actually governing (i.e., anything that will have any actual effect on anyone’s life), I will be just as pissed as anyone else. But I’m saving that for when it’s really needed.

But you can’t expect Obama to shun all Evangelical Christians because of their absurd views.

I don’t think anybody is expecting this. What we would hope for is that Obama shuns this particular bigot.

Obama will continue in his policies and if things go awry, we can take action, like people tend to and should do.

Plus, if any one has seen the “session” between Obama, McCain, and Warren, you’ll understand the money and faith connection, even if they don’t agree in every area. I think that Obama has a level-fair-minded enough head on his shoulders that he will do the right thing regarding homosexual marriages.

I believe the following maxim applies to this situation the best:

“In the essential things, unity. In the nonessential things, liberty. In all things, charity.”

I don’t think you are. I also don’t think Obama’s people are. I honestly think we’re *this* close to seeing riots. People are really, REALLY fucking upset here in California.

To choose Rick Warren…. I’m not talking about choosing a conservative. I mean to SPECIFICALLY CHOOSE Rick Warren, a man who is very, VERY visibly tied to Prop 8 is mind-numbingly stupid.

It’s a dumb choice. It’s politically tone-deaf.

The gay community is a tinder-box right now. Obama should have known that.