Boston Globe: "Rick Warren loves gays, and more"

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Rick Warren loves gays, and more

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles_of_faith/2008/12/rick_warren_lov.html



Posted by Michael Paulson December 23, 2008 01:52 PM

Rick Warren, the evangelical preacher chosen by Barack Obama to deliver the inaugural invocation, has posted a three-part video to his church's website responding to the furor that has erupted over his selection.

In the video, Warren criticizes the media, and, in particular, bloggers, for fueling the controversy. And he says the criticism of him in the wake of his selection has been characterized by "a lot of hate speech" and by "Christophobia -- people who are afraid of any Christian.''

"Our nation is being destroyed by the demonization of differences,'' he says. "The fact that an evangelical pastor believes in keeping the historic definition of marriage -- that’s not news. The fact that the gay community would disagree with me -- that’s not news either. The real story is that a couple of different American leaders have chosen to model civility for the rest of the nation.''

Noting that he has been accused of comparing homosexuality to incest and pedophilia (based on an interview he gave to Beliefnet), he says in the video, "I believe no such thing.'' He reiterated his opposition to same sex marriage, but said he is in agreement with "the view of the vast majority of the world and the vast majority of religions.''

[AntiFascist]

1. Yes, I'll admit that I am (right-wing) Christophobic...

and for good reason.

[TechBear_Seattle]

13. I am not Christophobic; I have nothing against Christ

My beef is with his self-described followers and the alleged leaders of His flock.

[AntiFascist]

15. I'm so right-wing Christophobic...

I believe that they worship the anti-Christ. That doesn't go for the left-wing, and I'll admit there are some wonderful left-wing people within the evangelical movement. Rick the Hutt probably appeals to some of them as well.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

20. This is going to sound REALLY "New Age," so apologies in advance, but...

...I don't cling to ANYTHING except my own strength. As a Christian, that strength comes from God, and I really don't care about "agreement." I'm not out to recruit ANYBODY.

There's a passage in the Bible...John 5:5-6...in which Jesus encounters a man who has been lying beside the "healing waters"...a pool in which the first person to enter is healed. He sees Jesus and asks him to carry him into the water.

Jesus responds:

Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”

So he's basically saying "GET OFF YOUR ASS AND STOP WAITING FOR ME TO CARRY YOU."

I don't get ANY of that from Rick Warren. I get cult of personality and a fat, goateed, homophobic motherfu**ing PIG who wants to keep th cash flowing into Saddleback Church by intimidating Obama.

Have fun in Hawaii, Barack, and when you report back for work, DUMP THIS PIG.

[kenny blankenship]

19. They're not all televangelists and clowns

Unfortunately if you were to judge them collectively by Obama's picks, you could easily get that impression.

I think to Obama religion is probably just a vehicle for getting access to voters.

[Mari333]

2. beware

Matthew 7:15:

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

5. I'm a Christian, and Warren is a false prophet.

With all due respect to those who would look for the silver lining in the Rick Warren cloud, he's a false prophet and a pig. Any Christian who wants to debate that knows where to find me. Anyone who is not a Christian and wants to tell me that Warren is a neat guy and that Obama is a genius for inviting him to give the invocation is cordially invited to STFU.

:patriot:

[Swamp Rat]

8. "Hohohoho!! ... Jee panwa waffmula chone patogga che lickmoomoo gayjedai dome .. ha hah!!"

[scarletwoman]

18. "he's a false prophet and a pig..." Abso-fucking-lutely! That's what totally bugs me the most.

He's no "spiritual" leader, he's just a fucking con man with a big fat ego. He's nothing but a phony with a clever schtick.

Beyond the whole anti-gay, anti-woman, anti-science stuff he promotes; what bugs me the most is the fact that the "faith" he espouses is just a shallow, superficial commercial product -- all surface, no substance.

Pick any level -- he's unutterably offensive to anyone with a real soul, a real brain, or a real heart.

sw

[MNBrewer]

10. Matthew 6 is another one Warren should read very carefully!!!

[Amerigo Vespucci]

12. The Bible is a prop for Warren...he has his own agenda. n/t

[MNBrewer]

23. No argument on that from me!

[Sarah Ibarruri]

3. That picture of Obama hugging Rick Warren makes me sick nt

[GreenPartyVoter]

4. The body language to me says that is a hug-that-is-not-a-hug. But still, I wish

O would wash his hands of this man.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

7. Obama is making a very horrible statement by all this :(

Just as he made a horrible statement by saying he admired Reagan.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

9. Obama's havin' fun in the warm Kailua sun. He could give a rat's ass.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/22/obama-shirtless-in-hawaii_n_152873.html

[Sarah Ibarruri]

11. Yep. nt

[Amerigo Vespucci]

6. That's why I posted it. I applaud your reaction. n/t

[ColbertWatcher]

14. Some of Rick Warren's best friends are ...

http://jezebel.com/5115213/rick-warren-pulls-the-gay-friend-defense

[Amerigo Vespucci]

16. Yeah, I saw that. He's trying to protect the incoming flow of cash.

Warren STANDS on Leviticus 18:22: "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination."

As I've stated previously, I'm a Christian, and a straight Christian. Contrary to popular belief, the mission of every Christian IS NOT to tell everyone else how to live their lives. My personal belief is that life is short, and anything OTHER THAN harming another human being or ONE'S SELF that will bring about a happy life should be the MISSION STATEMENT of every man, woman and child on the planet.

Warren is a PIG.

He's a FALSE PROPHET.

He's a SNAKE OIL salesman with PRODUCT to sell.

Fuck him.

[ColbertWatcher]

22. "He's a SNAKE OIL salesman with PRODUCT to sell." And there are too many morans buying. n/t

[Downtown Hound]

17. Oh boy, not good

Another self martyred Christian claiming himself to be a victim of persecution to justify his own bigotry. And this was the man Obama chose. Not a good choice Obama. Not a good one at all. Dump the son of a bitch.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

21. Frank Zappa said it best in his song "Andy"...

"Have I aligned with a blown mind, wasted my time on a drawn blind?"

What Obama DOES NOT UNDERSTAND is how many Christians consider Warren to be "outside."

I'm a Christian and I wipe my ass with "40 Days of Purpose" and EVERYTHING in the House That Rick Built.