Sure, Barack Obama’s choice of Rick Warren for the inaugural prayer proves nothing more probably than that Obama is a consummate politician. Obama will do what he has to do to win over voters. And he’s probably figured out that letting Warren pray at the inauguration is a safe gesture and a symbolic way to extend an olive branch to a block of voters he has yet to win over en masse.
And so Obama begins his presidency like presidents before him, placating religious conservatives, in this case the New Right. Leaving the rest of us to be content with symbols from the Old Left (no disrespect to Rev. Joe Lowry and Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin).
I know progressive Christians are supposed to be won over by the fact that Rick Warren is allegedly the face of a kinder, gentler generation of Evangelicals. But we’re not. Warren is as against women’s equality, against gay rights, anti-choice, and anti-stem cell research as the old Right he fancies himself to replace. He has admitted that the main difference between himself and old style religious conservative James Dobson is a matter of tone.
So, it’s been decided. Rick Warren’s smiling, right wing, socially conservative, anti-gay, anti-women’s rights biblical preaching has been deemed to be not as divisive as the blistering prophetic denunciations of American imperalism by his former pastor Jeremiah Wright. Reaching out to Warren reaps more political capital for Obama than does reaching out to Wright. The pro-gay rights man whose fiery preaching nurtured Obama into becoming the community organizer he is at heart remains a pariah, banished from the inaugural platform and the American public. The man whose anti-gay message is overshadowed by the fact that he represents the face of millions of conservative voters gets to pray for the country.
So what? It’s only a prayer. It’s not like Warren’s been invited to help set policy. Those who say this obviously know nothing about the importance of symbols, and even less about the power of prayer
posted December 19, 2008 at 9:42 pm
They’re Only Jews Anyways
Who cares if Rick Warren is a member of the NAZI party?
What’s it matter to you? They are only Jews anyways…
Do you know what I mean?
We’re racially superior to them
and I doubt that all this “Adolf talk” will amount to anything anyways? I see no reason why Barack Obama should worry about the Jews. The Jews only make up a fraction of the population and I think it’s about time to put them in their rightful place.
There’s only one solution to Rick Warren’s “Jewish Problem” and that’s the final solution.
2.
It’s Called Politikal “Fear Conditioning”
I admit this piece was put together
to get an emotional response from people.
(I picked up this technic from Lee Atwater.
I agree with with most people that the “Nazi thing”
is so played out,
but Rick Warren is a politikal religous entertainer
and I’m calling him out on it.
I’m using the modern Lee Atwater technic based
on Ivan Pavlov’s reponse theory; also known as “Classical conditioning” or Pavlovian or “Respondent Conditioning”.
“I ring the bell” (the Conditioned Stimulus)and conversely, presentation of the significant stimulus necessarily evokes an innate, often reflexive, response.
Popular forms of classical conditioning that are used to study neural structures and functions that underlie learning and memory include fear conditioning…”
Do you understand what “fear conditioning” is all about?
(when comes to talking about it in modern politikal terms?)
and how people like my good friend Lee Atwater
used it on the masses to get a real world politikal win.
ie. Willie Horton
posted December 19, 2008 at 10:21 pm
“So what? It’s only a prayer. It’s not like Warren’s been invited to help set policy. Those who say this obviously know nothing about the importance of symbols, and even less about the power of prayer.”
This comment reminds me that God used Caiaphas and King Saul to prophesy. Can we not trust that God can use Rick Warren, who is surely no worse a sinner than any of us, to speak God’s word?
posted December 20, 2008 at 8:47 am
Rick Warren no better – nor worse – than any other scammer who peddles fables about imaginary beings.
posted December 22, 2008 at 12:37 am
My problem with the gay-rights objection to Warren is that we are all in this together, including people we disagree with, even vigorously. Are we really supposed to banish from politics and public placement a rather large part of the public, or are they a part of the society? That’s what gay-rights groups have been saying for years, forcing the political right to accept their presence in public life. Now that the shoe is on the other foot for a brief moment, they scream.
I could also speak to the gay-rights assumption that everyone who opposes any of their platform planks is doing it because they hate gays and in their heart of hearts would rather burn them at the stakes. That’s true of some, but many others simply disagree with certain gay-rights positions. That does not make them Nazis, or devils, or anything other than folks who disagree.
Obama is trying to re-legitimize government. That *can’t* be done by telling about 1/4 of the nation that they’re all devils.
posted December 22, 2008 at 11:18 am
I would equate Warren giving the invocation to a Pastor that believed segration was sanctioned in the bible giving the invocation for Kennedy.
posted December 22, 2008 at 1:44 pm
And you thought us Atheists were bad…
posted December 22, 2008 at 5:32 pm
Ms. Weems, you use the term “politician” in a derogatory sense when referring to Obama’s selection of Warren. Frankly, I think Obama’s decision was a good example of how “politics” can be positive. Obama made very clear in his campaign that he wanted to break out of the binary Left/Right, liberal/conservative lunacy that has locked this nation in the culture wars for decades. In that light, it should come as no surprise that he’d select an evangelical with whom he disagrees on certain issues to do the invocation at his inauguration. Obama selected Warren for two reasons: (1) to mess the minds of liberals and conservatives; and (2) because he genuinely likes Warren on a personal level. There’s nothing evil about either reason.
posted December 22, 2008 at 7:03 pm
Though I am not sure what you mean with all the stuff you say about women, gays and other things, I just conclude that Obama just had to pick the most popular preacher in the country: So far it was Billy Graham, now it’s time for Rick Warren.
Not their message is important, just their image, cause the prayer of Warren for Obama, is also just about image… I think at least
posted January 2, 2009 at 1:33 am
I don’t know why all you are saying all that everthing Is coming to the end pray to god we all will make it to be with god aman