What's the Matter With Rick Warren?

The Nation ^ | December 17, 2008 | Sarah Posner

[2ndDivisionVet]

Now it has officially gone too far: Democrats, in their zeal to appear friendly to evangelical voters, have chosen celebrity preacher and best-selling author Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at Barack Obama's inauguration.

There was no doubt that Obama, like every president before him, would pick a Christian minister to perform this sacred duty. But Obama had thousands of clergy to choose from, and the choice of Warren is not only a slap in the face to progressive ministers toiling on the front lines of advocacy and service but a bow to the continuing influence of the religious right in American politics. Warren vocally opposes gay marriage, does not believe in evolution, has compared abortion to the Holocaust and backed the assassination of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Warren has done a masterful job at marketing himself as a "new" kind of evangelical with a "broader agenda" than just fighting abortion rights and gay marriage. He dispatches members of his congregation to Africa to perform AIDS relief and has positioned himself as a great crusader for bringing his "purpose-driven" pabulum to the world.

Faith in Public Life, a nonprofit cultivated by the Center for American Progress, was so wowed by Warren that it co-sponsored a presidential forum in August at Warren's Saddleback Church. There, his "broader agenda" included asking Obama whether he believed that life began at conception (which Warren believes, he says, based on the Bible, not science) and to ruminate on the nature of evil. (As for Pastor Rick, he believes the Bible dictates that the US government "punish evildoers," as in Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.)

Beneath the sheep's clothing lurks a culture warrior wolf. After the Saddleback forum, he told the Wall Street Journal that the only difference between him and James Dobson was that of "tone." After insisting that his agenda was "broad," and holding himself out as an impartial arbiter of the forum, he declared that voting for a "Holocaust denier" (i.e., someone who is pro-choice) is a "deal-breaker" for many evangelicals. Obama was pressured to talk about "abortion reduction," but Warren likens such rhetoric likening it to Schindler's List: an attempt to save some lives but not end a "holocaust."

In the world of the "broader agenda" evangelicals, when liberals advocate for gay marriage, they're stoking the culture wars; when a "broader agenda" evangelical crusades against it, he's merely upholding biblical standards. In that tradition, Warren in October implored his followers to vote for Proposition 8 because "there are about 2 percent of Americans are homosexual, gay, lesbian people. We should not let 2 percent of the population...change a definition of marriage that has been supported by every single culture and every single religion for 5,000 years." Warren called opposition to gay marriage a "humanitarian issue" because "God created marriage for the purpose of family, love and procreation."

Warren, a creationist, believes that homosexuality disproves evolution; he told CNN's Larry King in 2005, "If Darwin was right, which is survival of the fittest then homosexuality would be a recessive gene because it doesn't reproduce and you would think that over thousands of years that homosexuality would work itself out of the gene pool."

Warren protests that he's not a homophobe; it's just that two dudes marrying, in his mind, is indistinguishable from an adult marrying a child, a brother marrying his sister, or polygamy. He thinks his AIDS relief efforts represent an elevated form of Christianity over those non-evangelical do-gooders whom he compares to "Marxists" because they're more interested in good works than salvation. The rejection of the "social justice" gospel in favor of the salvation-focused evangelicalism that has come to dominate the definition of "Christian" lies at the heart of the religious right agenda to marginalize liberalism and harness its political power.

Warren represents the absolute worst of the Democrats' religious outreach, a right-winger masquerading as a do-gooder anointed as the arbiter of what it means to be faithful. Obama's religious outreach was intended, supposedly, to make religious voters more comfortable with him and feel included in the Democratic Party. But that outreach now has come at the expense of other people's comfort and inclusion, at an event meant to mark a turning point away from divisive politics.

****************

Sarah Posner writes "The FundamentaList," a weekly roundup of news from the religious right, for The American Prospect Online and is the author God's Profits (PoliPoint).

[2ndDivisionVet]

What say you?

[basil]

Sounds like my kind of preacher!

[Frantzie]

He is one of those phony TV - God wants you to be rich pastor, tv huckster and author phony. Anyone who supports baby killer politicians is not a real Christian. I am sure the people at his church will keep following this guy like zombies.

Obama probably told Warren he will get Oprah to plug his next book. Maybe a Joel Osteen like tome about how God wants you to be really rich (like Joel Osteen and his trophy wife who screams at stewardesses).

Warren is not alone. The Catholic church supported ACORN< La Raza and other illegal alien groups who support killing babies too.

[Past Your Eyes]

What are you doing reading The Nation?

[bpjam]

What’s the Matter With Rick Warren?

Too much pasta, not enough exercise. That’s my guess.

[skimask]

Geeze I really can't find anything wrong with Rick Warrens beliefs. His beliefs and mine are one in the same.

The sodomites will NEVER be happy no matter what they say. I am sick and tired of them trying to shove their filthy lifestyle down my throat. Give them marriage then give polygamists plural marriage too. Give the sodomites marriage then give the mother/son, father/daughter, brother/sister marriages too

[Always Right]

The fact that the left think they are the tolerant ones is hysterical. Any viewpoint that is not in line with far-leftwing politics is treated as hate speech.

[Scarchin]

East/West coast liberals continue to amaze me with their ignorance about how the overwhelming majority of the country’s Democrats feel about homosexual marriage.

I was at a wedding over the summer and two gay guys I know were in attendance (BTW - wedding was for a man and a woman).

They were apoplectic “How can you be for McCain? He’s against US!”

They had no idea that Obama had the same position.

[WhatNot]

Here's "What's the matter with Rick Warren?"

I've been asking myself that question for awhile now!

[2ndDivisionVet]

I found the article on a news digest site, using the search word "Obama" which is how I find most of the threads that I post. The Nation is, of course, a VERY far-left magazine, but I feel that we should look at almost all viewpoints here (except for the truthers and other nuts), and that FReepers are, by-and-large, adults that can make up their own minds.

[JustaDumbBlonde]

"But Obama had thousands of clergy to choose from, and the choice of Warren is not only a slap in the face to progressive ministers toiling on the front lines of advocacy and service but a bow to the continuing influence of the religious right in American politics."

Whom is this 'progressive minister' supposed to be? Someone who gets you to church and tells you that God loves you just the way you are and oh, by the way, don't worry about those little sin things ... they just get in the way of doing what you want and having a good time ... and don't forget to leave a check or your Visa number on the way out.

[utahagen]

We should read everything, if only to know what the enemy is thinking. The Nation is right on this one: Rick Warren should not speak at Obama’s inauguration.

[utahagen]

“Too much pasta, not enough exercise.” I plead guilty of both.

[Past Your Eyes]

Maybe Rick Warren fancies himself the new Billy Graham - transcending party and politics.
I don’t really know enough about him to make an informed decision but for now, let’s just say I’m suspicious.

[JustaDumbBlonde]

"The Nation is, of course, a VERY far-left magazine, but I feel that we should look at almost all viewpoints here (except for the truthers and other nuts), and that FReepers are, by-and-large, adults that can make up their own minds."

Thank-you. Why in the world people would want to read only that with which they agree is beyond me.

[the invisib1e hand]

Warren, a creationist, believes that homosexuality disproves evolution; he told CNN's Larry King in 2005, "If Darwin was right, which is survival of the fittest then homosexuality would be a recessive gene because it doesn't reproduce and you would think that over thousands of years that homosexuality would work itself out of the gene pool."

Say what you want about the guy but I like that much.

Obama can't lose on this. If the faggots yap too much, he can, "sorry Rick." If the "religious right" yaps too much, he can tell the homos, "you know i love you."

[wombtotomb]

Well well well, I guess the democrats have been out of power so long they forget...All politicians say whatever they want to GET elected, then do whatever they want when the ARE elected. Welcome to the club! Who are ya gonna whine at now???? NO Bush to bash, and NOONE to blame but YOUR messiah!
OBAMA’s Fault (my first one!)

[JavaJumpy]

Between this and the announcement of additional troops in Afghanistan, DU is going nuts - and that may be an understatement!

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

I’m pissed from my personal point-of-view............but if it pissed off the libtards....................HOW SWEET IT IS!!!!!!!!

[utahagen]

I like Rick Warren very much. I think RW should say that he wishes Obama the best, but that he cannot endorse (via swearing-in) a President who supports executing unborn children.