Guest Post by Rev. Debra W. Haffner, Director, Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing a multifaith organization with more than 4400 religious leaders in its network.
First, you need to know who I am. I am a Jewish Unitarian Universalist sexologist minister. I am heterosexual, married, middle aged, the mother of two children, and the author of parenting books. I am the co-founder and director of the Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing, a network of more than 4400 religious leaders from more than 50 faith traditions that affirm sexual justice issues.
And my heart broke a little last week when the President-elect selected the Rev. Rick Warren to offer the invocation at his inauguration. Perhaps like you, I was elated on election night. I’ve worn a button that says 1/20/09 for a year now. I celebrated this historical victory for weeks; I still haven’t put away the November 5th New York Times front page.
The American people have not just elected the first African American president, they elected a pro-choice, pro-family planning, pro-sex education president; a president who said the words “gay and straight” in his acceptance speech. My heart sang.
So, I don’t know how to make sense that Rev. Rick Warren was chosen for this honor. Some commentators have suggested it was a symbolic way of reaching out to the evangelical community that overwhelmingly did not vote for him. People said the selection of the Rev. Joseph Lowery, a civil rights hero, to do the benediction balances out Rev. Warren, showing the range of faith values in the US. Others suggest that it was shrewd politically, as Rev. Warren’s acceptance of the offer was an indication to the conservative community that they were to work with the new president. Others have said to let this go, because it is the appointments and actions that matter; after all, who remembers who prays at the inauguration. The conversation on my blog has been fascinating. Lots of people are trying to understand.
But, I keep coming back to the fact that the Rev. Warren has compared abortion to the Holocaust and homosexuals to pedophiles and incest perpetrators. I keep coming back to the fact that the Saddleback web site says that homosexuality is sinful; read it yourselves. I can’t forget that until two days ago, it also said that people who were homosexual were not welcome as members of the church community: what happened to “love your neighbor as yourself?” Did Jesus ever exclude anyone from worship?
And I can’t help but wonder is there any way that the inaugural team would have chosen a minister who held racist or anti-semitic views for this place of honor? Would it have been seen as insignificant if someone who worked on poverty but also had spoken out against Israel had been chosen? Why is it then that someone who has publicly advocated for taking away a woman’s right to choose and marriage from committed loving couples because of their biological sex is still all right? Think about the uproar from Republicans if President Bush had called on a pro-choice minister to offer his invocation. Why then are those of us who are upset about this being portrayed as unreasonable or politically naïve when we are speaking out against his hate speech?
Most of the people who have been quoted in the media protesting this decision have been gay and lesbian secular leaders. But I’m offended too. Millions of us worked tirelessly for this election because we believed in change, and that change would mean an end to the attacks on reproductive justice and LGBT persons’ civil rights. We understand that until all adults have the right to consensual sexual relationships and all loving adult couples have the right to marry, our own sexual rights are not secure. In fact, Saddleback until two days ago said that cohabitating heterosexual s were not welcome as members either. We’re all just a little less sure that we can count on the change we’ve been promised.
In this season of Advent, we are indeed waiting and praying that our hopes–not just for the new administration, but for us all–are realized. And I’m praying to let go of this dismay so I can truly celebrate on January 20th.
posted December 23, 2008 at 9:27 pm
Dear Paul, I wholly agree with you. I believe that if Obama was interested in the opportunistic use of Warren at least he should have Lowry do the inauguration and Warren do the benediction, since the inauguration ceremony is the most visible and most symbolic to all.
However, i believe we will see many more surprises with Obama and Emmanuel Rahm and the former Clinton team. It is sad to say but if Obama turns out to be too beholden to the big interests that supported him and he becomes too comfortable with the old money and corrupt political and business elite, then by 2010, we may see a backlash and those who woted for him stay at home as well during the 2012 reelection. Warren is not the one to reach out since ministers of his type are the very ones who self-servedly manipulate the word of God for their own selfish agendas to simply become wealthy and oppulent. During Nazi-occupied Europe, mainline Christians and Evangelicals turned in both resistance fighters and Jews to the Nazi authorities and even partook in kinllings and massacres and pillaging of resistance fighters’ homes as well as those of Jews. lET US NOT FORGET THAT THE LYNCHING AND KILLING OF BLACKS WERE DONE BY SELFPROCLAIMED CHRISTIANS who would later attend the following Sunday service. Warren’s attack against the social gospel is part of that tradition of religious McCarthyism and his identification with the most retrograde sections of US society. Tom Tsuka
posted December 23, 2008 at 11:20 pm
The Gay and Lesbian Community Needs Some Help during the Rick Warren-Obama Inauguration Situation
The saddest part of the controversy regarding Obama’s pick of Warren as “inauguration invocator” has been the way the controversy has been framed by the mass media. The political dust-up has been portrayed as “the gay and lesbian community v. Rick Warren.” The idea that the gay and lesbian community should be the only ones outraged by Obama’s decision is ludicrous. Every American with a conscience, regardless of sexual orientation, should be outraged with Obama for this decision. Rick Warren is a fundamentalist Christian and biblical literalist. Does anyone know what that means exactly?
It means that Rick warren believes that women should be subjugated to men as is laid out in 1 Corinthians 11:3. It means that he believes public schools shouldn’t teach our children that the earth is more than “thousands of years old” as is told in the book of Genesis. It means he agrees with the statement that men are “holy to god” and not women, as Luke 2:23 tells us. It means he adheres to the belief that the “natural use” of women is for sexual objectification as is stated in Romans 1:27. It means he embraces and preaches the belief that those who do not love Jesus will be damned as is indicated in 1 Corinthians 16:22. Approximately one third of the bible is so x-rated that children can’t even read it. It’s wrought with everything from genocide to slavery.
Warren perpetuates a millennia-old dogma that should be relegated to the history books, not made part of the modern American record. There is a 30 to 50 million strong evangelical community in this country that is growing by leaps and bounds every year that adheres to this type of warped philosophy. Obama’s decision to give their leader a center stage position at the inauguration is not an act of tolerance or goodwill. Rather, it’s a decision that says: “It’s OK to believe what you believe, even if I don’t.” No, Mr. Obama, in fact, it’s not OK to believe what Warren believes!
Warren’s beliefs are immoral, divisive, and downright disgusting in many cases. And it’s a crying shame that the gay and lesbian community is alone in stating that. It’s time that all Americans, especially conservative females like Laura Ingraham, Ann Coulter, and Bay Buchanan denounce this man’s beliefs. Or perhaps they believe they should remain silent, as is taught in 1 Timothy 2:11-12.
Best Regards
Craig M. Flaherty
posted December 24, 2008 at 12:15 pm
The Liberal revision of history never ceases to amaze me. Blaming Christians for anti-Semitism and the Holocaust. It was the rejection of the Judeo-Christian world view that lead to the rise of such things. What about Dietrich Bonhoeffer? Anyone can claim to be a Christian but their actions/fruit are what is telling. The dehumanization of a populace is evil and how Liberals cannot see that abortion is the most extreme case of that is beyond comprehension. Even someone from Germany can see the connection. Abortion dehumanizes all of humanity regardless of race and that is why it is qualitatively more evil that anything in human history. As to homosexuality, it is unequivocically condemned in the Bible. It is a sin, unlike one’s racial make up. Behavior has moral implications. The choice many Liberals are making in the Emergent movement is deny what the Bible really says.
It is hard to understand why Jesus died on the cross for our sins if we keep saying things are not sins? Particularly if no one has to repent from sin.
posted December 24, 2008 at 1:13 pm
It must be nice to live on your utopian unitarian planet.
Rick Warren’s views on gays, which I do not share, either, are in fact considerably more progressive than those of the majority of voters in over 35 states. Rather than pitching a self-righteous hissy fit, why not see if you can’t move Rick Warren a little farther down the road to equality, even if it means you have to tolerate his Biblical literalism long enough to help him past it?
posted December 24, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Forget about Rick Warren.. What I want to know is how you can be a Jewish Unitarian Universalist?
My understanding of “Jewish” is that one adheres to the tenets of Judaism (some more than others depending on categories like Reform, Orthodox, Conservative). My understanding of Unitarian Universalism is that everyone’s right, no one is wrong when it comes to spiritual belief. That’s a distinctly different message from the one found in Jewish scripture.
So.. how does this work?
posted December 24, 2008 at 4:07 pm
Ms. Haffner needs to grow up and get a life. This is attributing way, way too much importance to this little exercise in civic religion.
I don’t agree with Obama or Warren on everything they think or say. I don’t expect to; nor should you.
Warren stuch his neck out for Obama well over a year ago by inviting him to speak at his church and took a lot of flack for it from his conservative base. Obama is returning the favor for his friend.
Quit trying to make a lot more out of it.
posted December 26, 2008 at 12:58 pm
I am bothered that President-elect Obama would reward the man who treated him unfairly at the Saddleback Forum, displaying clear preferential treatment for Sen. McCain. And I think we do not do Mr. Obama and his team any favors if we remain silent about any mistakes they make. Two come to mind right now.
Remember “Joe the Plumber?” (Who can forget? I know.) Well, to me, the worst part of that whole incident is that Mr. Obama brought that situation on himself. He sought out the controversy, so confident of his abilities to play the role of conciliator. And it bit him on the hand! (Of course, “Joe” was none too happy with Sen. McCain, either, as we have now learned.)
The other thing the Obama campaign really blew was the announcement of his VP. After word had leaked out that it would be Biden, why in the world did they wait so long to make it official? I think they misread and misplayed that situation. Badly.
As for Pastor Warren? Why reward the popular preacher. Warren is a guy who is in way over his head, spiritually. He is arrogant, and often does not know what he is taking about. I know he is generous and knows how to talk about humility. But I think he is mostly a media player. I think he already has way too much power and attention!
Surely, there had to be someone available who is more genuinely spiritual and more solidly and soundly grounded, intellectually and theologically. Pastor Warren is a disappointment. No question.
posted December 26, 2008 at 5:56 pm
“Your Name”, I really don’t know where to begin. Pretty much every point you made was ridiculous. I love how you blame Rick Warren for Obama’s missteps at the civil forum (it couldn’t be that Obama just had a poor performance, right? The blame must be given to Warren). Also, you clearly don’t get Rick Warren. “He is a guy who is in way over his head, spiritually”? What a bizarre thing to say. So what does a “genuinely spiritual and more solidly and soundly grounded, intellectually and theologically” pastor look like? Let me guess: A universalist, liberal pastor who makes no truth claims about same-sex marriage and abortion? Does that sound about right? He is a “disappointment” to you, because his worldview is on the complete opposite spectrum of you and many who blog on this website.
posted December 28, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Rev. Haffner, your article was good, and I understand what you feel, and how you’re processing your feelings. Having had this many days to try and understand Obamas choice I think I get now. At first I worried for the GLBT, as I’m a member of PFLAG. I read the comments after articles on Advocate.com, and listened to their disappointment and shock of his choice; some had given money they really couldn’t afford to Obamas campaign, some had worked the sidewalk, knocked on doors, and telephoned for days. You have to remember these people have been on the bottom rung of society for so long that even a nudge of insincerity can knock them down. Obama knows what he is doing, and just have faith in his way of doing things. As far as R. Warren being any worse than some other Evangelical Denominations in how they disparage the GLBT, well they wouldn’t have been any different. It’s hearts, and intelligence that have to change peoples view of the GLBT, and that means any Bible Literalist, not just R. Warren.
posted December 28, 2008 at 11:19 pm
Bob,
You don’t have an understanding of what Unitarian Universalism is, by the tone and wording of your post. Check out http://www.uua.org/visitors/6798.shtml to know what we really believe before you make noises about it. Judaism is one of the faiths that forms the basis of UUism. You also seem a bit fuzzy on Judaism itself, as it is not only a religion, but also an ethnic identity for many who do not necessarily practice the religion.
posted December 29, 2008 at 1:40 pm
I am still shocked at the anger and bitterness among the spiritual community about Obama.
I understand you didn’t vote for him, I understand you don’t like his values.
I get all that.
What I don’t get is why you cling to fear and anger rather than moving forward in hope, reaching across to grab a hand and working with others toward healing this nation, even the world.
I don’t want to bash parties.. it’s pointless. I do want to invite everyone here on Beliefnet to hold our new leader in truth, light and love. Jump on board the train with those who did vote for him and together let’s do what we can to bring this nation back to greatness.
Love is contagious,
Donna