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Loading ...Gay bishop to kick off Inauguration events
01.12.2009 9:48am EST
(Washington) Gene Robinson, the Episcopal church’s first gay bishop, will deliver the invocation at the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday, January 18 – the formal kickoff leading up to the inauguration of President-elect Obama.
Thousands of people are expected to attend the service, including the President-elect.“It will be an enormous honor to offer prayers for the country and the new president, standing on the holy ground where the ‘I have a dream speech’ was delivered by Dr. King, surrounded by the inspiring and reconciling words of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address,” Robinson wrote in a weekend e-mail to supporters.
“I am humbled and overjoyed at this invitation, and it will be my great honor to be there representing the Episcopal Church, the people of New Hampshire, and all of us in the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community,” he said in the e-mail.
The announcement by the inaugural committee was one of two involving liberal religious leaders tapped by the committee. The Rev. Sharon Watkins, leader of the small Protestant denomination The Disciples of Christ, has been chosen to deliver the sermon at the National Prayer Service.
The election of Robinson as bishop in 2003 led to deep divisions within the worldwide Anglican Church and resulted in a number of parishes leaving the Episcopal umbrella while remaining Anglican.
Robinson has been a strong supporter of Obama and was vocal about his anger over the naming of Rev Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at the inauguration on January 20 at the Capitol.
Warren, the pastor and founder of Saddleback Church in Southern California, ignited the ire of many liberals when he publicly supported California’s Proposition 8, which amended the state Constitution to ban gay marriage.
“The president-elect has respect for the Rt. Rev. Robinson, who offered his advice and counsel over the past couple of years,” an inaugural official told The Politico Web site. “It also has the benefit of further reinforcing our commitment to an open and inclusive inaugural.”
The official also said that the selections of Robinson and Watkins were made before the furor over Warren erupted.
Watkins is the first woman leader of The Disciples of Christ and the first woman to give the sermon at the traditional event, to be held Jan. 21 at the National Cathedral.
The service will include prayers, readings and hymns delivered by religious leaders of a variety of faiths.
The Disciples of Christ has about 850,000 members in the United States and Canada.
It says its work is “influenced by its founding ideals of our unity in Christ with openness and diversity in practice and belief.”
Most of the denomination’s churches are LGBT welcoming, although some, particularly in the South, are not. As congregationalists, each church is free to set its own policies.
Because of the divisions over sexuality, the Disciples of Christ has not taken a position on same-sex marriage. Watkins in an interview with The New York Times said she also has not made up her mind on the issue.
President-elect Obama has said he is not in favor of gay marriage but supports civil unions for same-sex couples and the repeal of the federal Defense of Marriage Act.
In 1997 at its annual convention, the Disciples of Christ urged the enactment of “legislation on local, state and national levels which will end the denial of civil rights and the violation of civil liberties for reasons of sexual orientation.”
The resolution specifically recognized that “the church, among other elements of society, has contributed to the persecution and suffering of homosexuals, and it is its culpability in this regard which provides one reason for seeking a more enlightened understanding.”
Amen to that, Alexa.
I just found the following, which was alluded to in this article, on a different site:
“An Obama source said: “Robinson was in the plans before the complaints about Rick Warren. Many skeptics will read this as a direct reaction to the Warren criticism — but it’s just not so.””
If that is true ( and I seriously doubt it) the Obama forces are guilty of something far more troubling than political lies — they are guilty of rank stupidity.
The announcement of both Warren’s and Robinson’s roles in the inauguration would have been a signal of the administration’s willingness to balance and represent both the far right and the far left. It would have been a golden opportunity to see an attempt at “the big tent” in action. If they squandered this opportunity, then I can think of no more descriptive word than ’stupid.’
I thought that, with Obama’s election, we were moving away from the Bushies ‘dumb is good’ approach to running the country. Apparently — if we are to believe the inauguration people– stupidity still reigns supreme in D.C..
On the other hand, if the Robinson announcement actually is the result of the objections to Warren, they would then have the opportunity to say, “Oops, we intended to be more inclusive — here’s something to make it better. We’re listening.” This could have been another golden opportunity to build credibility. But if we are to believe that the Robinson appearance was in the works all along, then we must count this as moot point.
Either the inauguration folks are lying or they are stupid; I can see no other choices here.
Lies or stupidity… which should we choose?
Are we a theocracy? Bishop Robinson is nice and all. But I’m a little worried about all this fuss about the prayer role in the inauguration. I could care less what his religious beliefs are. I don’t go to church. Gay and gay friendly religious peeps at the inauguration don’t make up for there being a homohater included.
Surely others are noticing that the gay guy gets pushed as far ahead of the actual inauguration as possible (two days, almost into the previous week) and still be technically part of it, while the gay-hater gets to be there on the actual day, when everyone is watching.
For me, it’s not as much about including the gay guy, which really just amounts to a quota or token, as it is about excluding the voices of exclusion, like Warren. Warren shouldn’t be there, no matter who else is or isn’t.
Just to clarify, Robinson isn’t in “The Inauguration”.
He’s part of the pre-inauguration events.
This is just a ploy to get gays off of their backs. Now they can say, “What are you gays talking about? We’ve made a gay guy part of the inauguration, and we planned it that way for a long time. Yeah, that’s the ticket. It was all planned. So you gays should just calm down and take it easy.”
I’m not surprised by this, though. This is coming from the same group of people who feel it’s okie-dokie to grope cardboard cutouts of ex-First Ladies, and sitting Senators.
Bamboozle me once, shame on you. Bamboozle me twice……well, that’s just not going to happen.
I agree that organized religion should be kept as far out of the political arena as possible. General references to “In God We Trust” etc. might be passable – but having certain people of certain faiths up there giving prayers and invocations in just not appropriate. Someone is bound to be excluded or insulted.
They made the Rev. Gene Robinson so far away from the main event, they should have asked him to watch the inauguration on tv.
This is so unbecoming, especially from someone that understands the slight of tokenism.
Unless we make sure the Rev. Gene Robinson gets huge amounts of coverage, as to overshadow Ricky Warren, it won’t mean a thing.
Get ready for more manure!
Can someone explain to me how this is suppose to be good or exciting?
It doesn’t fix the fact that an anti-gay gay guy is speaking at the main event that people actually care about and are actually going to watch..
Debby commented, “Obama is making a statement by having a gay bishop kick off the inauguration events.”
Yes, and the statement is he and the democrats want our money coming in again.
This is a half-hearted, after-the-fact, feeble attempt to look inclusive. Forget the fact that Robinson will be exiled to the far reaches of Mall and be subject of the cruel irony of speaking at the Lincoln Memorial, it just wreaks of tokenism (like the Obama never experienced it himself). I’d like to say “meaningless” tokenism but it speaks volumes of his betrayal of our families and our community.
By the way, if the hypocrite is so inclusive and wants everyone to have a seat at his table then why isn’t there a shaman or medicine person from one of the Pagan believe systems. Maybe something Earth and/or Goddess based? How about a drum circle or something about Imbolc, since the Obama is supposed to be cleaning house? If it were up to Robinson, the invocation would include witch burnings, with faggots being thrown on the fires – just like the good old christian days.
Pagans, Heathens, and other “heretics”, as a whole, are the fasted growing religious affiliations in the United States, Europe, and Australia and not because they are breeding like rats (unlike other so-called religions). The southern baptist christian cults even issued an edict about what a threat Pagans are to their power base.
“When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross.”
Everyone knows that ya don’t hear many complements from me towards Obama but I say very good job Mr. President to be. And I would like to say Thank You for listening Mr. Obama.
Whether this is a before or after the fact situation, it is quite impressive. Bishop Robinson is such an impressive speaker, I’m happy that more people will be exposed to his message.
To have an openly gay man of faith actually participate in the pre-inaugural event is impressive.
Reading this article has made my day (and actually even brought a tear to my eye.
@John, who said:
“…If it were up to Robinson, the invocation would include witch burnings, with faggots being thrown on the fires – just like the good old christian days.”
John, what on EARTH are you TALKING about. Bishop Robinson is openly gay; he’s not LIKELY to advocate burning “witches” OR “faggots.”
Sheesh! Pick up the white Clue Phone, PLEASE!
Bud Burgoon-Clark
San Diego CA USA
Here’s an idea . . . let’s get rid of all the preaching and praying and truly separate church and state. Since the church doesn’t want (and rightly so) to meddle in their beliefs, let’s encourage the government to prevent the church from meddling in government affairs. The inauguration would be a good place to start.
This is excellent news of which Bishop Robinson has every right to be proud and honoured to take on such a role at a very historic and significant event in the inauguration of Barack Obama. While the Gay community may feel slighted, and rightfully so at the selection of Rick Warren for the invocation at the inauguration, I believe Mr. Obama is signalling to the community that he is willing to work with the community and he is obviously intent in becoming more inclusive of the Gay community.
A journey is made one step at a time… and I’ll certainly take this small step forward. After all, Bishop Robinson didn’t have to be a part of anything, did he?