Rick Warren to Deliver Invocation at Inauguration

[Emproph]

From Faith In America: Ending The Harm Caused by Religion-based Bigotry

Tracey Zoeller: If I Were Your Daughter...

Dear Pastor Warren,

I would like to ask you to stop and think about the pain your words and attitude towards me, are causing myself and those I love. When my family hears individuals such as yourself, compare me to pedophiles, can you stop and think for a moment about the pain inflicted, when you cause them to think about me in such an ugly context.

My father can no longer show me his love as he once did, because his church teaches him that my sexual orientation is act of choosing to live a sinful lifestyle. But I’m the same little girl that used to lean against his side, on so many Sunday mornings. He believes my salvation is in question, and I know that must make him incredibly sad. It hurts me to know I am causing him sadness. We no longer talk like we once did, there’s a wall between us now, because he believes I chose to be gay.

My sexual orientation was not a choice for me, Pastor Warren, no more than your sexual orientation was a choice for you. Can you understand the spiritual violence that you are inflicting upon me and others? If I were your daughter, would you still say I was the equivalent to a pedophile? Would you still use your Bible to condemn and reject me as an unrepentant sinner? Would I still not be welcome as a member of your church? Can you accept me, just as I am?

Sincerely,

Tracey Zoeller

(She is also the author of The Pastor's Daughter)

Mitchell Gold: An open letter to Pastor Rick Warren

Announcer: Mitchell Gold, author of “Crisis.” Forty stories revealing the personal, social, and religious pain and trauma of growing up gay in America.

Mitchell Gold: Dear Pastor Warren,

I’m Mitchell Gold, founder of an organization that works to help people understand the harm caused to gay teens and adults, and their families and friends.

We recently delivered to you a collection of personal stories from individuals who speak to you about the harm caused, when religion based bigotry and prejudice is used to justify rejection, condemnation, and discrimination, to gay Americans. You’ll find additional stories in a copy of my book “Crisis,” which I have also sent to you. I hope you will take the time to read them.

Pastor Warren, the issue is not about denying gay Americans the same rights as other Americans enjoy, although that is certainly something that for which we very strongly advocate. And the greatest harm does not come from you saying we shouldn’t marry. What causes so much pain, is when you say we are inferior, and when you look upon us as unworthy to share the same rights as others. More damaging is when you promote such rejection and condemnation, as the right thing to do if you’re a person of faith.

We’ve been down that road many times before. People of faith once were taught that rejection and condemnation, toward women, people of color, minority religious groups, or interracial couples, was the right attitude for them to hold. We know today those past examples of religion based bigotry and prejudice, have been proven wrong.

As you’ll recall, the Southern Baptist Convention, your Christian denomination, formally apologized to people of color on June 20th, 1995, for their role in the horror of slavery and segregation.

Why is that pastor Warren? I hope you can agree that it was because Americans of all faiths, realize the harm that was being done to those individuals targeted by such bigotry and prejudice. The pain felt by a young African teenager when saw individuals and institutions look upon him as unworthy and inferior, is the same pain, that millions of young gay teenagers feel today, when you say they are unworthy, inferior, and unfit to be fully welcomed by their family, friends, coworkers, or church. And make no mistake about it, your words do that.

Pastor Warren, I am sincerely and respectfully asking you place on your heart, the immense pain that is being brought to bear in the lives of gay Americans, in the name of traditional church teaching. It is my hope that you will come to understand that such harm can no longer be justified, and have the fortitude, to join others, including those in your own faith community in calling for its end. It’s important for you to connect the dots of the history of discrimination in America. I call upon you to say that religion based bigotry has no place in the soul of your church, or in America.

Respectfully,

Mitchell Gold

_____________

Also, they collected and sent a collection of letters as well. Intro:

Dear Rev. Rick Warren,

Faith In America is a nonprofit organization that works to educate Americans about the harm caused by religion-based bigotry and prejudice.

Several weeks ago we began collecting examples of that harm as it exists in the lives of gay Americans, their families and their friends. Most are from people who have experienced the pain of rejection and condemnation but some are straight allies who, like more and more Americans, understand why it can no longer be allowed to flourish in our society.

We hope you will take the time to read these examples and open your heart to an understanding of why we can no longer allow religion to be used in a way that exacts such a horrific human toll on the lives of so many Americans.

Sincerely,

Mitchell Gold, founder

[dsdrane]

Anyone else notice the deafening LACK of applause when Rick Warren was announced at the Inauguration?

Even CNN commented on it.

[Emproph]

Rick Warren was at the Inauguration?

[christa08]

Originally Posted by Emproph

Rick Warren was at the Inauguration?

Yes he was. Maybe I'm biased...but I couldn't even stand the sound of his voice There were some good parts of his prayer but I guess I just didn't think it was that great. Probably because of the mouth it was coming out of.

[Matt Algren]

Originally Posted by christa08

Yes he was. Maybe I'm biased...but I couldn't even stand the sound of his voice There were some good parts of his prayer but I guess I just didn't think it was that great. Probably because of the mouth it was coming out of.

I'm sure that was part of it, but it was way too specifically Christian for a prayer that should include everybody. Reciting the Lord's Prayer was weird. And the weird accent he put on the girls' names was odd too.

Loved Rev. Lowery's benediction, though.

[sjbouza]

Originally Posted by Matt Algren

And the weird accent he put on the girls' names was odd too.

I actually found it a little creepy to tell you the truth. I can just see the little baby from the investment commercials, "I underestimated the creepiness".

If Warren really wants to spew the Bible against the LGBT community, maybe he should take a look at the part that says GLUTTONY is one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Me thinks he is an offender!!! It is obvious he isn't repentant of that sin, not by a longshot!!!

Peace,
Scott

[christa08]

Originally Posted by Matt Algren

I'm sure that was part of it, but it was way too specifically Christian for a prayer that should include everybody. Reciting the Lord's Prayer was weird. And the weird accent he put on the girls' names was odd too.

Loved Rev. Lowery's benediction, though.

I agree with all of the above. I also found it weird that he recited the Lord's Prayer. Rev. Lowery's prayer made me laugh...it was cute.

[Matt Algren]

Originally Posted by sjbouza

I actually found it a little creepy to tell you the truth. I can just see the little baby from the investment commercials, "I underestimated the creepiness".

If Warren really wants to spew the Bible against the LGBT community, maybe he should take a look at the part that says GLUTTONY is one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Me thinks he is an offender!!! It is obvious he isn't repentant of that sin, not by a longshot!!!

Peace,
Scott

Not to mention pride going before something something. Look at pictures of him from a couple years ago and you'll notice that he had a lot less hair than he does now. It's either a major combover or he's got plugs.

Oh, and people are going nuts over the end of the benediction. It was obvious to me that it was a reference to a song of some sort (especially given his Civil Rights background), but people are foaming at the mouth thinking that Rev. Lowery was being all racist against the poor white folks.

[dsdrane]

I disagree about the "Lord's Prayer" being weird. I can see how it would strike too "Christianist" a tone, but this is hardly surprising from someone like Warren. But, as a prayer, you can't get much more basic, and I think it nicely presaged the return to basics Obama paid homage to in his inaugural address.

Give us "our daily bread"; "forgive our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us"...what's not to like?

Don't blame the messenger for the message.

[tdogg]

It was cheesy, insincere and reeked of hypocrisy. But then, perhaps I'm wrong about hypocrisy and Warren truly doing a turnaround today based upon all the input over him praying at the inauguration...

Nah, I think it was hypocritical. I hope he listens to his prayer over and over again. Perhaps he'll see where people might find it, well, cheesy, insincere and hypocritical.

Not only was there a lack of acknowledgment or applause, the live feed we had at work started to go downhill during his prayer. It would stop every few seconds, and sputter on again only to stop a few seconds later. Funny and fitting during the prayer, but annoying during the rest of it. I went back to my office to watch the live cast from my little portable TV.

Rev. Lowery was great. He more than made up for Warren. I would have to agree though that I didn't find the Lords prayer to be weird.

[Matt Algren]

Seriously, there are people in the whacko corners of the web getting apopleptic about Rev. Lowery's benediction, specifically because he had the thing at the end about yellow being mellow and such. I thought it was awesome, and after a little digging I found out that I was right!

[Steven E. Webster]

Originally Posted by Matt Algren

Seriously, there are people in the whacko corners of the web getting apopleptic about Rev. Lowery's benediction, specifically because he had the thing at the end about yellow being mellow and such. I thought it was awesome, and after a little digging I found out that I was right!

Matt,
Thanks for this discovery! I'm sure you recognized earlier in Lowry's benediction the quote of a verse from the hymn that is known as the African American National Anthem (titled, "Lift Every Voice and Sing"). So it turns out that Lowry's benediction was packed with literary allusion!

Steven Webster

[Matt Algren]

Originally Posted by Steven E. Webster

Matt,
Thanks for this discovery! I'm sure you recognized earlier in Lowry's benediction the quote of a verse from the hymn that is known as the African American National Anthem (titled, "Lift Every Voice and Sing"). So it turns out that Lowry's benediction was packed with literary allusion!

Steven Webster

And that's exactly why I think this is important. There's a gap in our white knowledge of African American folklore that hindered our understanding of an apparently basic piece of oral tradition. This is just one example of the problem with that.

Seriously, what do we know about 'them'? Where is that knowledge from? All I can think of right now is Uncle Remus and Li'l Black Sambo. That is unacceptable!

We (all of us) need to work for the day when African American folklore is considered just American folklore. (The book that I referenced on the blog is a fascinating read so far. There's so much we're missing out on!)

[Unmasked]

Originally Posted by sjbouza

I actually found it a little creepy to tell you the truth. I can just see the little baby from the investment commercials, "I underestimated the creepiness".

If Warren really wants to spew the Bible against the LGBT community, maybe he should take a look at the part that says GLUTTONY is one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Me thinks he is an offender!!! It is obvious he isn't repentant of that sin, not by a longshot!!!

Peace,
Scott

Hey...easy on that one...we have some people that are a little sensitive about their weight here. *shifty eyes*

[Rick336]

Originally Posted by sjbouza

I actually found it a little creepy to tell you the truth. I can just see the little baby from the investment commercials, "I underestimated the creepiness".

If Warren really wants to spew the Bible against the LGBT community, maybe he should take a look at the part that says GLUTTONY is one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Me thinks he is an offender!!! It is obvious he isn't repentant of that sin, not by a longshot!!!

Peace,
Scott

That's hilarious.


Rick