I think that Don Charles's comment pertaining to yesterday's post deserves a post of its own. His comment is right on the money, and deserves as wide a distribution as possible.
This is his comment:
As I said when I emailed you privately, no one can seriously believe that Barack Obama intended to have Gene Robinson participate in his inaugural events. The invitation was offered for no other reason than the ongoing criticism Obama suffered for tapping Rick Warren as invocation pastor.
I fear the criticism will die away now, and that shouldn't happen. Gene Robinson's inclusion (at an event leading up to the inaugural, not the inaugural itself) is meant to somehow "balance" Warren ideologically, but there's no way a reasonable man and a hatemonger can balance each other! Not to mention the fact that they'll be appearing at different ceremonies held days apart!
I hope Bishop Robinson uses this opportunity to speak out on behalf of LGBT equality, and to stress that Christianity isn't religion for bigots. Many of Barack Obama's "Bible believing" supporters don't understand this. If Robinson acts like Joseph Lowery and so many others involved in Obama's installment, reveling in its historic nature and sponging off the glory and fanfare of the moment, then he will have wasted his opportunity.
The troubling issues that Rick Warren's high-profile participation raises are far more important than celebrating "the first Black President." An event that should represent a triumph for the Civil Rights movement has been tarnished because of the President-Elect's disregard for Civil Rights. What a mockery of Martin Luther King's vision of equality for all . . . that's the brutal truth of the matter, regardless of who doesn't want to hear it!
2 comments:
Jerry,
I'm sure you've heard by now that the Ebenezer Baptist Church has tapped Rick Warren to speak at its commemoration of Dr. King's birthday. That event should be boycotted and picketed to within an inch of its life. If we don't push back against brazen bigotry, it will push us back.
It absolutely should be picketed and boycotted by every person who cares about full and equal civil rights for everyone! For any church to give a prominent voice, or any voice for that matter, to a person who lies about the lives of Gay people is an unspeakable moral offense.
And for a Black church, especially with all the oppression suffered by African Americans, to turn around and give a voice to someone like Warren who advocates discrimination against God's LGBT children, is nothing short of abominable and traitorous to the Gospel message!
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