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Loading ...Pastor Warren: I love gays
12.22.2008 9:54am EST
(Long Beach, California) Under fire for opposing gay marriage, influential evangelical pastor Rick Warren says that he loves Muslims, people of other religions, Republicans and Democrats, and he also loves “gays and straights.”
The 54-year-old pastor and founder of Saddleback Church in Southern California told the crowd of 500 on the weekend before Christmas that it’s unrealistic to expect everyone to agree on everything all the time.“You don’t have to see eye to eye to walk hand in hand,” said Warren.
Warren also defended President-elect Barack Obama’s invitation that he give the invocation at the Jan. 20 inauguration in the keynote speech he delivered at the Muslim Public Affairs Council’s annual convention in Long Beach.
Obama’s choice of Warren earlier this week sparked outcry from gay rights and other liberal groups, who said choosing such an outspoken opponent of gay marriage was tantamount to endorsing bigotry.
“Three years ago I took enormous heat for inviting Barack Obama to my church because some of his views don’t agree (with mine),” he said. “Now he’s invited me.”
Warren said he prays for the same things for Obama that he prays for himself: integrity, humility and generosity.
Obama defended his choice on Thursday, saying that he has also invited Joseph Lowery, a Methodist minister and civil rights leader who supports same-sex marriage and gay rights, to deliver the benediction.
“During the course of the entire inaugural festivities, there are going to be a wide range of viewpoints that are presented. And that’s how it should be, because that’s what America’s about. That’s part of the magic of this country … we are diverse and noisy and opinionated,” Obama said.
Toward the end of his speech on Saturday, Warren also talked about singer Melissa Etheridge, who performed earlier in the evening. Warren said the two had a “wonderful conversation” and that he is a huge fan who has all her albums.
The openly lesbian gay rights activist even agreed to sign her Christmas album for him, he said.
Warren gained a prominent role in the presidential election in August when he hosted the Civil Forum on the Presidency, a two-hour televised show in which he interviewed Obama and his Republican opponent John McCain for an hour each on faith and moral issues.
Warren has won kudos from some liberal quarters by focusing less on traditional conservative issues such as abortion and gay rights, and instead calling on evangelical leaders to devote more attention to eradicating poverty, fighting AIDS in Africa, expanding educational opportunity for the marginalized, and global warming.
But the preacher ignited the ire of many liberals when he publicly supported California’s Proposition 8, which amended the state Constitution to ban gay marriage.
Although Warren has said that he has nothing personally against gays, he has condemned same-sex marriage.
“I have many gay friends. I’ve eaten dinner in gay homes. No church has probably done more for people with AIDS than Saddleback Church,” he said in a recent interview with BeliefNet. But later in the interview, he compared the “redefinition of marriage” to include gay marriage to legitimizing incest, child abuse, and polygamy.
Warren founded Saddleback Church in 1980 in Lake Forest, about 65 miles southeast of Los Angeles. He is the author of numerous Christian books, including “The Purpose Driven Church” and “The Purpose Driven Life,” which has sold more than 20 million copies.
Someone said, and I think this is a perfect example of how empty this Rev.’s words are:
The worth of a man is not by how much he loves, but by how much he IS loved.
And, of course, the old old adage: Actions speak louder than words.
This man makes me think of the psychotic abusive parent who, while beating his child with his belt, recites: I’m doing this because I love you.
So, yeah…love away, you fascist, anachronistic insane person who firmly believes in an invisible friend that “talks” to you.
I don’t WANT you to take my hand. I only give my hand to sane and sincere honest people. And people upon whom I can rely to protect me and my rights as a human being, not people who believe they have the right to impose their insane opinions upon my life.
I am saddened by Obama’s choice. I feel betrayed and now I have to hear my Partner tell me “I told you so!”. So what if Warren invited him to attend a forum. The invite was only get more notoriety. If it looks like a d*ck, most likely it is a d*ck. Warren will say anything to anyone if it’s going to get him publicity. Obviously, Obama and Ethridge just don’t get it! Sad, sad, sad!
His church does not allow openly gay people to become members. First you have to disavow your sinful life style. The church does offer help for gays who want to pray the gay away. No thanks.
I am much older than the average gay. I was living and working in the south during the black revolution. Some whites were honest and just said straight out they hated blacks. Others were like, “Well I have nothing against blacks I just do not want my sister marrying one, HYPOCRITES!
Now in a new generation the hypocrites Are saying, “Oh, I love gay folks I just don’t want them in my church or getting married because they might want to marry one of my christian brothers. Talk about history repeating itself.
What he professes to love or not love is wholly irrelevant to the discussion. What really matter here is that he worked aggressively to take away the rights of an oppressed minority when he campaigned for prop 8. He worked to inject a religious conversation into a political one. He has consistently offered his church’s view as the ‘right’ on that government should support on things like gay rights and abortion. Obama selected him for a place of honor in the inauguration. Where’s the change in that?!
As far as his love: I suspect his love is the mean kind that evangelicals often wield against their enemies in en effort to silence them by appearing more reasonable. Frankly I have a hard time believing this wing-nut has any idea what love it on any level. That’s probably why he is say hateful and evil.
Warren’s “I love the gays”, is typical homophobic banter. Falwell, Robertson, Dobson, Perkins, et.al. will tell you they love you while they are killing you with kind words. I love the gays is code for I hate the gays but will lie about it every time. They are liars, deceivers and break all of the commandments including “thou shalt not bear false witness” “taking the name of the lord in vain”(god told me, Jesus told me so, etc.)” “thou shalt not kill, while they kill us with spiritual violence and kind words). Warren is a liar and a cheat, and glut
nous, to boot.
And David Duke loves Black people. This fool needs to sit his a.s.s. down somewhere. I am tired of these fools using religion to justify their bigotry.
“The Jews are a nervous people. Nineteen centuries of Christian love have taken a toll.” Benjamin Disraeli
“Of course he said that. Racist southern white preachers would talk about how they loved black people during desegregation. I’m not comparing, so don’t lose bladder control;”
Why aren’t you making the comparison? It’s spot-on.
Of course he said that. Racist southern white preachers would talk about how they loved black people during desegregation. I’m not comparing, so don’t lose bladder control; I’m merely pointing out that homophobia is not only perfectly consistent with their christian faith, but is used to justify it.
When Obama invites someone from the KKK, then we’ll talk – otherwise, he can go screw himself.
Rick Warren’s church website reads like a typical southern, White, male dominant, Christian-supremecist guidebook. Love the sinner, hate the sin. Gag! Sorry, Rick, but the judgement is based on how you live, not what you say. I’ll believe you when I see it. Meanwhile, your Biblical quotes are way off; the Bible doesn’t say what you believe it says. Sorry about that!
Hmmm…Lil’ ms. Ehtheridge has “autographed” his album?!? WTF’s up with THAT?!?
p.s. I would like to propose that all gay people in the inaugural audience turn their backs on him when he speaks.
Rick Warren says he has gay friends and he’s eaten dinner in their homes. It should be obvious that being nice to him is like wearing a big “KICK ME” sign on our rears. Why does HIS purpose driven life have to drive over us?