Comments on: Pastor Warren: I love gays

By: Randall Klein

Randall Klein — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 16:30:17 +0000

I have been a fan of Rick Warren for years. I also take him at his word when he says he loves gays, and I am sure he feels the same about transgender as well. Although active in the LGBT community, I consider myself mainstream Christian. My wife, my children and I all opposed prop 8. We did so because we saw it as a civil rights issue and not a religious one. All marriages in this state are not Christian, nor are they performed in a Church. Attempting to narrow the focus of marriage to exclude a certain lifestyle is not very American. Allowing the homosexual community to enter into monogamous dignified relationships can only help to promote family values. We cannot legislate a moral code that targets one community without damaging the whole. Saying “they” can’t be married has minimized marriage, not uplifted it. Our homosexual brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts and cousins look at marriage as desirable and want to create dignified stable family units. What is wrong with that?

By: Sean Martin

Sean Martin — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:38:36 +0000

It’s one thing to be tolerant of such 19th century views, Rick: it’s quite another when his personal views are swaying public policy in such an unconstitutional way. People who oppose gay amrriage are free to think anything they want… as long as it doesnt interfere with my right to marry. That’s not whining; that’s just simple fact.If Warren wants to be the “bigger person”, he’d keep his nose out of politics altogether, but I guess that doesnt generate as much cash.

By: Rick

Rick — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:54:59 +0000

I’m kind of annoyed by all the heat Obama’s taking for choosing Warren… I mean, we all brag about fighting intolerance, yet we’re not able to show some tolerance towards people who think differently. All that people who oppose gay marriage, or who have a right-wing approach to gay rights, have the legitimate right to think whatever they want to. As long as they don’t express their views with violence, we have got to accept it’s their right. Stopping intolerance has got to begin somewhere, and we have the chance to show everyone we’re the greater persons. And don’t take me wrong, I’m not saying we have to put the other cheek, but we have got to find more effective ways to show discomfort without looking like a bunch of whiners!

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 18:45:18 +0000

Organized religion is nothing more than a testament to man’s ability to brainwash itself with hyper-theatrical b.s. that has nothing whatsoever to do with whomever or whatever “God” is, if a “God” exists at all.

The Bible, the Koran etc. are nothing more than propaganda tools to perpetuate these mythologies. This is why they have to “get you when you’re young”, nobody, shielded from the brainwashing and allowed to grow into adulthood without it – would believe this utter nonsense. “Virgin” births, people “rising from the dead”, people “living in whales” etc. What complete and total ridiculous, sad, laughable nonsense.

Religion truly os “the opiate of the masses”.

The “God” humanity worships appears to to be little more than the manifestation of man’s over-inflated ego. While the idea of a “God” is agreeable enough – the sick, twisted bastardization that is organized religion that has come about as a result is little more than a cruel joke on humanity.

By: Nik

Nik — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 18:04:51 +0000

Tank… well I have some sorry news for you…. You’re wrong following only Jesus’ teachings well it does make you a Christian, because Christians are followers of Christ… aka Jesus. And secondly if you want to get into Old Testament teachings there are plenty, “real Christians who don’t follow Christ,” have been ignoring. Like blended clothing. That blended cotton shirt and denim jeans you are wearing Guess what…it’s an abomination to God. Oh and do you have a beard because guess what also abomination to God. And please tell me you don’t eat shrimp… cuz guess what also an abomination to God. So before you start trying to tell us that being a Christian means following the whole Bible you better know all the verses that cause you to be an abomination in the eyes of God. You know some churches also believe that if you think a sin you are just as guilty as if you committed it. So you might as well spend the rest of your life begging for forgiveness because if you breath the wrong way you are going to hell. But I am off topic here. There is nothing wrong with personal beliefs until they impede on someone’s unalienable rights. I think Pastor Warren has every right to believe what he wants about me and every other gay person on this planet, but he should not have the right to take away my life, liberty or pursuit of happiness. And his anti-prop 8 retoric does just that. No one can truely say what is going to happen in the future. And the “Christian” faith says that only God knows what will happen to us. Do you think that the southern slave owners who used the Bible to teach their hate to their children would ever believe that no one would look twice at an interracial couple? This isn’t a new fight, it’s just a different battle field. The war for civil rights is one that can be won. And the “Christians” have always been ones to slow those actions down. First with gender, then with race now with sexual orientation.

To specify when I say “Christians” I am not saying all Christians. I have plenty of Christian friends who are very open minded and non-judgmental people who truely understand what Christ meant when he said Love thy neighbor as your self.

By: Rob H

Rob H — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 09:47:06 +0000

“People of faith love you Rob, and we want you to be the beautiful diamond that God meant for you to be, Trust.”

Ah the arrogance.

May I ask, Ana, why you presume to know the mind of your God? How do you know what he intended me to be? How do you know he didn’t intend me to be exactly as I am? He’s supposed to be infallible, right? So do you think making me gay is some kind of mistake on his part?

And as for you loving me for what I should be, that’s not unconditional love. Unconditional love is about loving a person WITHOUT CONDITION. By saying you love what we were meant to be, you are imposing a condition – you don’t love us as we are, you love us as you think we should have been.

Sorry, dear, but that’s a steaming pile of crap.

By: TANK

TANK — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 08:17:04 +0000

Riiiight, and anyone who subscribes to the teachings of ONLY jesus isn’t a christian–at least not by any criteria that demarcates them of any denomination. But I can see why some gay christians would like to make it a meaningless term…so that they can keep their place at the table. Wake the f- up! If for nothing less than it’s irrational.

By: Nik

Nik — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 01:28:33 +0000

Funny how everyone has a different interpretation on what God wants from gay people. Rev. Warren takes one thought and the Episcopal church takes another. I believe that they all read the same Bible.
I could go back to the history of the Bible and show how we have twisted the translation, or I could talk about how it’s funny there are multiple verses on not to eat Pork, and other unclean animals and all of two verses to talk about homosexuality. But most Christians don’t want to hear that. The Bible is in
black in white and that’s true. And Jesus’ words are in red. Never once did he say make your brother have less rights than you. Never did he say go to war to prove that I do actually love. He said love. When you see that man on the street who has been beaten and is bleeding bandage him up. Don’t call someone to take care of it for you. You show love and compassion. So many Christians point out that “we gays” are sinners, yet I have never had a Christian sit down and talk to me about why. It’s about why I am wrong. My relationship with my God is strong and healthy. The most important of these is LOVE. Jesus’ own words. Not proving that we are going to heaven or hell. Showing compassion for the world around us. So tell me where is the compassion in telling someone that they are condemned. That sounds more like judgement to me. And that is something Jesus spoke quite harshly against.

By: TANK

TANK — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 19:40:51 +0000

Even if it were an act (which it most certainly is not), so what? It changes nothing as there’s nothing wrong with both the acts and the orientation. The turnip [ana] has nothing. But continue your outreach to this vegetable. Help ANA see why she’s wrong. It’s important! LOL!

By: keith

keith — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 19:29:31 +0000

Pastor, please don’t give me that “love the sinner, hate the sin” schtick.

If you love someone, you listen to them when they tell you “I didn’t choose to be gay, I just am”. You don’t presume you know better.

If you truly love someone you don’t try to change them into something you find acceptable, you accept them as they are.

If you truly love someone you try to protect them, not remove their protections from discrimination.

So please don’t say you love someone unless you really mean it.