Obama vs. The Left: A Fight He Wants?

I don’t know if he is reaching across the isle, doesn’t know who he is or what he wants, or if he just likes controversy. Either way I would say get over it, we have gays, we have gay haters, we have people who just don’t care and we all have to live together.

I think Obama is trying to avoid Bill Clinton’s mistake using up so much political capital on ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ in the very beginning of his administration.

Hillary was right. Obama is Naive. He won’t learn until the right tries to impeach him for waking up in the morning.
They hate him and the America he represents.
Reaching out. He should be trying to destroy them. They tried to destroy him during the election.

“It is no secret that I am a fierce advocate for equality for gay and lesbian Americans,” Obama said Thursday at a press conference in Chicago.
—-
This is bull. He was SILENT during the whole Prop 8 debate in CA – and the result? Gays and lesbians were STRIPPED of their civil right to marry. Who’s rights are next? Yours?
He’s no “fierce” defender of gay rights from what I can see. Where’s the evidence?

ps: Story has changed from Blago-connections to this, hasn’t it?

So you invited the leader of fake Christianity to give the invocation.
Martin Luther King Jr. Would be proud of you Obama. NOT.

You don’t reach out to intolerance….
You shun it.
There would be no defense of Obama’s actions if he gave this honor to a racist or an anti-semite. There should be no defense here.
Warren is the antithesis of everything we fought for.
This is pretty sad and indefensible.

Why is it lately that on every issue, every day, i have gay rights shoved down my throat?

As an Obama opponent I am a bit surprised at this choice. Rick Warren may be a scurge to gays but he has also been on the other side as far as mainline evangelicals are concerned. Overall, I would say a good choice and a very contemporary choice. I guess I am somewhat pleased with it. We shall see if he is going to genuinely reach across the aisle. I would consider this doing that. He may not be reaching to the Far Right side but definitely across the aisle.

This amazing president-elect is in the process of returning civility to America by insisting that all of us learn to get along, put up with each other and quit shouting insults. I am all for gay marriage, but also think the religious can say what they want. I hope those of us who consider gays “born that way” will vote pro-gay marriage. But, the fight for rights needs to be civil, both sides need to show respect for each other & respect freedom of religion.
Obama is showing us how to be tolerant of all, even religious conservatives, annoying as they are.

Turn Your Backs on Bigots
My suggestion for those attending the inauguration ceremonies in D.C. who do not agree with Pastor Warren’s religious bigotry is for them to turn their backs to the podium when he delivers the invocation. He may represent the opinions of the right-wing evangelicals, but he certainly doesn’t represent mine.

You libs are sooo funny. You are just now figuring out that you have been scammed by Obama??? I find it hard to believe that so many libs are so gullible, he used you and now that he is elected you are being thrown under the bus, just like he has done with so many others. Very funny.

I don’t agree with the mythology of the Jesus-ass-kissers who spout the terror tactics of Christianity: “your with Jesus or against him…good vs evil…or Jesus will skewer you on Satan’s pitch fork and you’ll be BBQ’d over the coals for eternity.”
Oh well, add a little BBQ sauce and invite the nation. I agree it’s best to engage those who you oppose than to shut them out. Hopefully this inclusive attitude wilextend to international affairs.

Obama is displaying the same tolerance he is asking of all Americans – and which we need now more than ever! If liberals on the far left cannot be more tolerant, what hope is there that those on the far right will tolerate an Obama administration? Folks need to SHUT UP already! This administration is demonstrating the inclusiveness which America needs to heal and move forward!!

I guess it’s ok for gays to hate Christians. FYI, no one cares who you sleep with so stop shoving it down everyone’s throat.

People, this has nothing to do with inclusion. Rick Warren is a man who has painted the gay community in a very ugly light. How would blacks or Jews or Catholics or Hispanics feel if Obama had chosen someone who equated them with pedophiles or incest abusers?

The problem with the ultra-left is they want it all their way – they don’t bend.
Obama is president to all people and
this proves it. Because he picked this
person to swear him in doesn’t mean he
is against gays. That’s rediculous.

Rick Warren is an awesome choice. Mr. Warren did not write the bible. People are upset with him because he preaches and teaches God’s word! LOL..When will we get it together. I don’t hate homosexuals. I do hate the sin as the bible tells us.We are to love each other regardless of our life situations. We all know it’s a sin. We all sin. We are not perfect people. We know not to commit the sin again and move on. It’s more to it then that but I do not want to go into all of it. people are going to be mad at me for writiing this little piece….lol We all know God made Adam and Eve.Case closed. God is Good!

How can gays and lesbians expect tolerance when they are so intolerant. Just as Christian’s do not want the gay and lesbian life style forced on them –the gay and lesbians should not expect to force the acceptance of their lifestyle on others. It is clear that gays and lesbians do not accept the ‘straight” lifestyle of true christians–therefore if they want tolerance they need to extend tolerance.

Steve,
The gay community is to blame for being placed in a poor light. Their behavior following the passage of Prop 8 is despicable. They are burning crosses, crashing Church services and chanting for Christians to go to hell. These people would be dead if they lived in Iran or Saudi Arabia. The gays themselves are to blame for the poor light that most of America has towards them. They should be thankful that they live in America. They care for noone but themselves. Typical of liberals.

I don’t particularly care for this selection. However, I suspect that ANY selection the president-elect makes for the person to deliver the invocation at his inauguration would be controversial. You just can’t please everybody. I genuinely think Obama IS trying to reach across the aisle and we should allow him to do that

“This is bull. He was SILENT during the whole Prop 8 debate in CA – and the result? Gays and lesbians were STRIPPED of their civil right to marry”
That was not his fault, so don’t even try that. His position is known…jumping up and down about an issue as divisive as that during a presidential campaign where moderates of the Republican party are in play would have been a colossally bad idea. You have to get INTO office before you can really start to truly have an impact.
As far as using this guy for the invocation. That’s fine with me. I don’t agree with the guy on many issues, but the church’s position on many of these things is no secret. So, whatever. There are too many divisions in this country right now and the more often you can get everybody under the same tent, the better we’ll be for it.

GOP is for dummies:
The country is not destroyed. Quit being an overdramatic moron. You know very well the far left is the most hateful, intolerant section of the American electorate. The hate that these people possess for anyone who deviates from their viewpoint is truly shocking and disturbing.

We have a sick generation in which abortion is encouraged, the homosexual lifestyle is recklessly glorified, the porn industry is making billions, and the america’s children are abused and mistreated. Time for Americans to wake up and smell the coffee. We are living a sick times.

Very disappointing! People who discriminate minorities shouldn’t have anything to say in politics. If Obama is ok with discrimination he should say so – if not he must be out of his mind to let someone like Warren deliver the invocation. I think it is pretty clear that religious hatred won’t get us anywhere…

I think Joel Osteen would have been a better choice, since he is not a pastor or preacher, but just a normal guy who fleeces millions of dollars from millions of individuals.

Wow–what does it say about people in this country when so much is read into the selection of who performs the invocation at an inauguration?
–or the hate that spews forth in those situations?
Ultimately, the sooner power returns to the center from the lunatic left (and lunatic right), the better the nation is.
* *
As for what gay activists think–who cares? I doubt most gays. Instead of reaching the compromise of legal civil unions, they HAD to push for calling it marriage and push, push, push farther than what was acceptable. That’s just stupid and now they have to deal with the blowback.

“They care for noone but themselves. Typical of liberals.”
Said the proud member of the I’ve Got Mine, You Get Your’s party. You are completely backwards on your understanding of what liberals are and what party is known for being self-centered.

JAN, Gays are not minorities.

“i wish i would have voted for McCain now…at least then i would have known what i was getting. president elect obama is turning out very different than presidential candidate obama.”
This is absolutely consistent with his campaign. INCLUSION.
Some of you are complete drama queens.

This isn’t just about gays. It’s about women, too — whom Rick baby doesn’t seem too fond of.
Then, on the other hand, I think Obama is pretty patronizing about women. Don’t give me that stuff and nonsense about the women on his team. That’s window dressing. From a personal standpoint, he still thinks he’s superior to women and yes, that includes Michelle.

I think Joel Osteen would have been a better choice, since he’s not a pastor or a preacher, but just a regular guy who fleece’s millions of dollars from millions of people.

Princep….when people’s rights and liberties are in question there will always be protest. I am certain there is some interesting if not profound rationale as to why Obama selected the reverend to preside at his inauguration. stay tuned as they say.

Oh, God forbid that he angers the left!!! As someone who did not support Obama, I take this a sign that maybe he understands that he’s supposed to represent everyone, not just the left.

I’m not into promoting mega church preachers whether they are anti or pro gay. Rick Warren is just another rich fat gas bag that makes his living off scamming people. Dunno why they don’t give some old time country preacher the honor of delivering the invocation.

Obama will learn the hard way in the middle of his first term. The other side will not have pity on him when something goes wrong when he is in office. Obama needs to build his base that will stand out to republicans and the haters. Obama, please don’t allow Rick to parttake in the inauguration.

I think it’s fine that he chosesomeone more to the right. I think it’s a good thing he gives a voice to all. We are all entitled to our opinions. Making laws we need to be a bit more fussy, but when it comes to saying what you think is right or wrong, we’re all entitled to our say. And this guy is not being elected to any office, so pick the good out, ignore the bad. He’s not making any laws. Respect Obama’s pick. It’s his day. He’s trying to be inclusive. I’m socially liberal and I”m fine with this. keep the country open and let all voices feel they are being heard and respected for being able to speak, even if they are opinions I dont agree with, that’s fine. I’m all for opinions. So long as you’re not writing some law to define MY behavior, speak all you want.

So if Obama’s so invested in having a wide range of viewpoints represented at his inaugural does that mean he’ll be including someone from the KKK?

Quite clearly, Rick Warren sandbagged Obama in the interview. McCain had the questions before the interview – who would think otherwise.

“SILKY, you are right, Obama has consistantly thrown people under the bus.”
No, he hasn’t. And nobody has been thrown under the bus here. Anybody feeling betrayed and saying they’re sorry they voted for him, blah, blah, blah…is not seeing the big picture. This is simply about uniting people. There is no reason to suggest his position on gays has changed or has been misrepresented. You’re not going to change people’s attitudes, the change is going to come through legislation.

mm, gays are not minorities, if they were they would have legal rights by law as do real minorities in this country.

Today and every single day, we all need Jehovah, GOD in our lives!!!!
Jehovah, GOD made man and woman in the image of himself!!!
The purpose to our life is to be fruitful and multiply!!!
I don’t agree with most religion or what people do with their lives but I do believe in the BIBLE and I try to live my life the way JESUS taught us!!!
I resent that the people of the Gay & Lesbian Community are up in arms about President-elect Obama trying to stop him from having a personnal relationship with Jehovah, GOD!!!!
YALL NEED TO PRAY!!!!
It’s his day!!!!
HE CAN HAVE WHOM EVER HE LIKE!!!!
CASE CLOSED!!!

Has the thought occured to any one to pray for God’s will to be done instead of your own? Jusy maybe this is what God has ordained for our country at this time.

silky
should he have a preacher that preaches women are less than men…or wives should turn the other cheek if they are beaten buy their husbands
or preaches that mixed race marriages are unnnatural?
all beliefs that were widely held and in some situations continue to be held…
would he have agreed that a president should pick someone to be the religious moral authority on the stage after they were vocal in pushing those beliefs?

The Gay community is trying to paint a picture where disapproval is the same thing as hatred. Most of society does not approve or condone the “gay lifestyle”. Most of society does not “hate’ gay people. I do not approve of my dog digging a hole in the back yard but I don’t hate him. Disapproval and hatred are not the same thing and I for one am tired of the attempt to blur the line or redefine words to suit the gay agenda.

I am so disappointed in Rick Warren. He has been at my church and I did not think he was for real and now I know he is not. What can he pray for – that Obama will not believe it abortion, same sex marriage, Christian principles and doctrines. In his book “Audicity of Hope” Obama said “he did not know what happened before the Big Bang.” That is evolution and what does he believe in. Has he ever said he was a Christian or did going to Rev. Wright’s church make him a Christian. And why didn’t he ask Rev. Wright to pray? I am so terribly disappointed in Rick Warren as I know most of the people I know are. I will never attend another place where I know he will be. Christian people feel so strongly about this and why wouldn’t they.

As a gay man this choice is disturbing. For me, it sends a message that Mr. O not nearly as “inclusive” as he espouses. Rev. Warren is a discriminator. He is one of the few that attempts to put a less harsh face on his disapproval of gay people, but he is a discriminator nonetheless. Perhaps another prayer should be offered by the Grand Dragon of the KKK. Then all things would be equal?

There are liberals and there are liberals, just like there are conservatives and there are conservatives, these identities are no longer applicable because they no longer define the politics of the person they’re hanging on.

We’re not going to like (everything) he does. Obama is not Santa Claus. He has to make choices. It is His inauguration and of course it the People’s inauguration too. But come on people, it’s just a prayer.

Rick Warren will get his spotlight. He will try to milk it for all it’s worth. He will get neive people to send him money all because if this appearance. However, this puts Rick Warren in the public/media spotlight. Everyone will be trying to find something on him…good and bad. The blinded minds will not see the bad. That is a given.

and this is not a far left issue.
it is a centrist vs. right issue
Rick Warren argues that evolution doesn’t exist…gays are on the same par as pedophiles and a number of other issues that give give backing to those who feel empowered by anger and violence toward people who are different.

Billy Bob, your understanding of the concept of being “thrown under the bus” is inaccurate. Although what you cite is not a case, it is commonplace in politics and certainly at the Presidential level for their to be scapegoats in order to protect the President. Hell, there’s a guy whose job it is to stand in from of the bullet.

What’s wrong with Obama choosing Rick Warren to give the invocation? It’s not the DNP’s inauguration. It’s Obamas!! And he can have whomever he wants. Rick Warren may very well be or become this century’s Billy Graham.

Ok, if gays, Christians do not agree to each other, then Obama has to bring the “Sheik” to his inaugural, and everybody has to put a glue to the mouth!

silky
the majority of Christian pastors (evangelicals are not the majority of Christian Pastors) have not been vocal advocates of comparing homosexuality to “adults who marry children” or other references that Warren has made…
most Christian preachers are much more centered in todays day than Warren.

Surprise of the century: B. Obama has now been elected, and as predicted by millions, he now gets to do what he wants without regard to the people who put him in office. I, myself, do not support gay “marriage”, but it should come as no surprise that Mr. Obama is doing exactly what he wants now that he may safely do so without risking the wrath of the voters. Wake up, people, wake up.

“What do you not understand about this???”
Nothing. What you need to understand is that I don’t care. That’s irrelevant to me, because I know that he doesn’t share all of his views. He’s not going to get into office and start going at Americans.

Oh, boy, we have a gay and lesbian band in the inauguration parade, an evangelical providing over the Messiah during the inauguration and then we have such comments on here? I’m ashamed of all of you! Why, the Messiah wouldn’t have it any other way! We are ALL his people! STOP THE EARTH, I WANT TO GET OFF THE PLANET BEFORE IT EMPLODES! Who in their right mind voted for this idiot, anyway? Holy friggin richeous mother of the primordial proceedings from some unknown planet on the other side of the sun!

“AMERICA need to start reading the BIBLE!!!
We all should be living our lives according to the BIBLE!!!!”
No, we certainly do not. That’s a terrible idea. But we should be living our lives according to the Golden Rule.

The EXTREME left has simply verified Anne Coulter’s accusation…they are GODLESS!!! Based on their own blogs, critisms and rants, one would believe that the extreme left would rather NOT have an invocation for this historical moment. We may not agree on Obama’s policies, but to fight over his choice for who leads us in prayer is just childish!

SILKY, you just dont get it, and probably never will.

We don’t need gay rights activists trying to dictate who Mr. Obama should or shouldn’t invite to speak at his inauguration. As this country moves more and more toward an anti-Christian attitude, it’s nice to see that the president-elect is giving a Christian minister the chance to speak. I’m personally sick hearing the gay-atheist-radical left bash Christians. By the way, it’s not only Christians who oppose gay marraige. The Jewish and Muslim religions are as much or more opposed to homosexuality than Christians, but it’s not “politically correct” to bash those religions, is it?

“Firestorm?” More like a Fire Island storm…

“SILKY, you just dont get it, and probably never will.”
No, I get it perfectly. You have already done the accounting on his administration’s accomplishments before he’s even been sworn in. It is you who doesn’t get it. Let’s wait until he…y’know…is actually the President before we start doing the math on him, shall we?

billybob–Silky is one of those “I know everything” left wingers. Kinda like all of my college professors except my engineering teachers. Those were the only ones that taught anything about LOGIC and REASONING.

“It is no secret that I am a fierce advocate for equality for gay and lesbian Americans,” really?? Obama, your stance is as opaque as expected for a politician. I would love to see your ‘stance’ as an advocate for glbt rights. Most politicians are afraid of it, because it dosen’t appeal to their own personal future.

Posted by: Todd | Dec 18, 2008 12:33:39 PM
Thanks for sharing your frustration about what you think as unnatural, being aggressively shove down your throat. No one should disagree that there is no room for intolerance and discrimination but there should also be an acceptance of straight sensitivities and tolerance of the views and accommodation of main stream Americans and reciprocity of tolerance.

Once again the liberal left has demonstrated that inclusiveness and diversity does not include anyone who dares to disagree with them.

dt: People are tired of this political correctness. We DO NOT have to accept the gay community, especially when they parade down the street in West Hollywood in g-strings and fairy wings. That’s crap.

Hmmm, I think they should do with the gays and lesbians what they did to my forefathers, the American Indian, put them all on reservations! My heterosexual rights are being violated. I’m calling the ACLU.

er, yeah move to Massachusetts all bigots if you can stand- the lowest divorce rate, one of the lowest unemployment rates, high school test scores, good support of the arts and the greatest medical centers and universities in the world, MIT and Harvard. Oh and we love our gays!

Christ and true Christianity offers what the world needs, like or or not. And what’s not to like about morality, values, ethics, family, charity, helping others, nursing, medical programs, youth outreach, business ethics, etc. Its all good, as the saying goes!
True Christianity changes people from the inside out. Its all about transformation, not reformation. When people are changed, everthing and everyone around them benefits.

The gay community thought they were going to fit right into the new Obamanation(Abomination).

Silky:
No, we certainly do not. That’s a terrible idea. But we should be living our lives according to the Golden Rule.
************
The Golden Rule of Silky!!!
I’m sorry that you don’t have Jehovah, GOD in your life!!!!
He blesses believers as well as sinners every day!!!

No one said anything about the Gay band that is playing at the inaugeration. I guess its all balanced out.

Reading the above posts simply enforces my belief that there are too many STUPID people living in MY great nation. If you cannot understand the principles of democracy—-go AWAY–far AWAY. Prop 8 LOST!

sweet–Conservatives don’t care who anyone sleeps with. None of this would be an issue if the gay community would stop telling us. I mean “getting into people’s faces” about it.

Arnie: with your hateful comments about christians you just showed that you are an intolerant bigot.
Marriage is between a man and a woman, if you don’t like it or are neither, blame Mother Nature.

Our motto: “In God is our trust” – part of the lyrics of National Anthem; reflects that no one should deny how much God weigh in American history and life. God bless America.

As an Obama supporter, I am angry, aghast and dissappointed over a choice of minister is so open about his discrimination against same sex couples and intolerance to people of other faiths.
This might be a good choice to appeal to the GOP Evangelical base, but this is not the time for politics or the change that we wanted to occur. Its a throw back to BUSH!

Warren’s church specifically excludes gay and lesbian people from membership in his church … is this any different than when the Mormon church excluded blacks? Get real people … Obama has elevated Warren to a position in this country that is unwarranted!

What strikes me is that back in 2006, it was the Right that was upset when Warren invited Obama to speak on the subject of AIDS at Saddleback. (http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/TheNote/Story?id=2690195&page=2) At the time, they called Obama a, “sick and sinister evil” It seems to me that neither the extreme left, nor the extreme right is very tolerant. Is Obama the Anti-Christ? Is Rick Warren, preaching anything that hasn’t been in the Bible for nearly 2000 years? It’s time to stop throwing temper tantrums, and start talking about our differences like civilized adults.

No matter who he picks someone is going to be unhappy. It’s his choice and if you are SOO opposed to his decision don’t vote for him again. Otherwise, let the man alone.

What does gay horse eat for breakfast?

ijustlovehimsomuch—I knew a farmer, asked him which was better, a sheep or a cow, he said, I’ve never had a sheep before. I guess if a man has never had a woman before, he wouldn’t know which was better!
What was the topic of this post, anyway?

To all those on the far-left outraged at the Warren pick: here’s a history lesson and you don’t have to go back very far. In fact, the lesson is only a month old: The GOP got massacred last month because they became a party that ONLY appealed to the 20% of Americans with far-right positions. McCain was forced into the Airhead Palin pick precisely because of that. That pick (and his pandering to the Limbaugh/Hannity right) cost him massive support in the middle. Pragmatism ain’t such a bad idea every now and then…

To the poster who wrote that “this is bull. Obama was silent during the Prop 8 debate…” Wake up and get a clue man. Had Obama ran around ranting about Prop 8 in the weeks prior to the election, do you know who would be the Vice President-elect right now? That’s right, Sarah Palin. How would you have liked them apples?

I am one that agrees thatgay marriage should be banned,and should not be legalized, but make sure they have the same rights with their partners as heterosexual couples do. Whatever they do in their bedrooms is their business. This pastor says nothing to me, I believe Obama is smart enought to go with the majority. If blacks think Obama is going to push any of their agenda, they better think again. This man goes with the majority.

If one looks at an issue long enough he begins to see the opposite viewpoint. I am beginning to agree with the Left. We should take “One Nation under God” from the pledge. While were are at it, let’s remove indivisible. Can anyone say Balkanization? “A heretic is a man who sees with his own eyes.” Gotthold Ephraim Lessing.

People need to get a grip. The guy is just offering an invocation. He is not setting policy. This is supposed to be a government by the people. As long as the guy doesn’t get offensive, let him talk. No matter what side of the gay or abortion issue you are on, both sides need to LISTEN to the other side. We don’t have to agree, but we do need to listen. I have no problem with the right voicing their opinions as long as I’m not forced to follow their lead.

I love Rick Warren and I think all homos should be hung.

I would be very surprised if Obama makes any attempt in his first term to advocate for gay marriage…to do so at a time when he needs the support of the conservative party to get legislation passed to deal with our economic crisis and the war in Iraq would be political suicide. While I symapathize with the plight of gay Americans and voted to allow gay marriage in my state, most Americans do not view gay marriage as a more significant issue than the economy and/or Iraq. By choosing Warren, Obama again (as he has with several Republican picks in his cabinet) is demonstrating that he will be a moderate president – NOT a liberal one. Given the needs of our country right now, I think he is on the correct path.

Obama is a bust. We didn’t elect him to ‘reach out’ to conservatives. We elected him to stop conservatives.

Thateldoo… I think U R right about Alfred E Newman

Face it folks the majority of heterosexaul parents would not perfer their child to be gay most would accept and love their child, they just would not perfer it.

lotzahair—LOL LOL LOL, it’s good to see humor among this mess we are in!

Gays and Lesbians are not the only people who should be outraged by Obama’s choice of Warren.
Let’s recall: this isn’t just a “difference of opinion,” it is elevating and celebrating and giving the bully pulpit to a man who equates homosexuality to pedophilia and incest..i.e., with criminal activity. He led the charge against prop 8 and is completely in keeping with evangelical commitments to eroding the separation of church and state. Warren should be free to preach whatever he wants, but what troubles me is what this says about Obama: that he condones and indeed celebrates intolerance in the political sphere just so long as it justifies itself by reference to religious conviction. That’s bad politics, and bad religion.

AlchyDave–Agreed. If all humans were to suddenly adapt the gay lifestyle, humankind would cease to exist. Mother Nature, you can’t beat her.

Have any of the people posting comments that refer to Rick Warren as a “bigot” ever met the man? Have you ever listened to a sermon of his or read one of his books? Have you ever listened to him in an interview? A bigot is defined as someone who treats members of a group with hatred and intolerance. Why are you intolerant of Rick Warren? Rick Warren has never said he hated or could not tolerate gays. He’s never called them names like “bigot”. In fact you will find that he welcomes them into the church and expresses his desire to see the church love gays. He has taken action to protect/preserve one of his beliefs, the belief that marriage should be for a man and woman. Gays have taken action to try to protect what they believe is right. Rick Warren would never call them bigots for doing that.

I, for one, am appalled. He is trying to include everyone, but this guy? He will raise his stature and Mr. Warren and his “religion” are not mainstream despite purporting to be Christian….yes, these people think they are all going to heaven and anyone who doesn’t agree with them will go to hell….not exactly a teaching of Christ.

IN THIS SOCIETY, no one would ‘choose’ to be gay. But we’re changing as a country. ‘Mother Nature’ has been making homosexuals since the beginning and will continue. I pray that Obama will help win equal rights for those that have worked hard to make this country great! He could have picked a better person to open this wonderful event though, for sure.

Nate and all others . . .
You can easily say “stop whining” or this and that . . . you are the right to do as you please. I do not think the gay community shoves anything down another’s throat. You mention stop showing it during prime time . . . then am I suppose to be subjected to seeing a heterosexual couple engaged in sexual activity. What’s the difference. I keep my business private; I do not actively support any public agenda; I do not protest for “equal rights.” What I do want, however, is people such as yourself nagging/complaining about what you believe is right or wrong to start evaluating your own life. With your posting, it is evident you are just like many other people . . . mindless and intolerant.

Disgruntled – I agree. I think everyone should get out a dictionary and look up the words intolerant and bigot and so on – then see who matches the definition.

Gee …. Rhonda Byrne and The Secret not available?
LOL to the extreme left. HRC supporters knew you were being had. Suck it up.

True Christians are praying for Obama, not against him. Christians are praying he will do what is best for America.
Could it be possible that Obama picked the pastor who he believes will have his prayers answered for the good of our country?

Mother Nature doesn’t “make” gay people. These people CHOOSE to live their lives a certain way. I call it laziness. To lazy to find an opposite sex partner? Go to a gay bar and have your jollies for the night.

JD… you must be 15.

The left is open to all opinions, except those that conflict with its own narrow viewpoint.

AAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWW SHUT UP!!!
I mean my goodness Rick Warren is just one in a million of others who don’t believe as you do! What are you going to do protest the majority of the world? It is just for a single prayer, he is not moving into the White House and if he was that would be Obama’s choice. Everybody don’t believe as you believe, just like you try to tell Christians you don’t believe as they do.
Big WHOOP!!!

You are all going to hell.

To label Warren as a “right wing evangelical” is ridiculously naive.
In the evangelical world, Rick Warren is considered a progressive. He and Jim Wallis (president of Sojourners magazine) are the modern face of the progressive Christian movement. This movement is more focused on eradicating poverty and hunger than on debating abortion and gay marriage.
And as supposedly open-minded lefties would point out, stereotyping anyone is the first step in biggotry. Evangelicals are politically diverse just as any other “group” you want to label is.
As an evangelical Christian who voted for Obama, I think his choices so far show the balance and civility he promised. I’m very pleased with his choices so far.

oh,boohoo—You can’t say White House, it’s now a racial slur, sorry!

Do you know what I love about all of this? The far left and pro gay rights people whine and complain about equal treatment. They get on their high horse and tell us we are all wrong for discriminating against gays. They are people too and their voices should be heard. But when someone from the right, a conservative Christian speaks, which is his right, to beleive how he wants to they call him a bigot b/c he doesn’t beleive the same way. I think it is time the liberal left in this country starts looking in a mirror. Practice what you preach! Maybe the right will be more receptive to your views or at least listen to you when you respect their views. Just b/c the beleive differently doesn’t make them wrong.
Posted by: Wells747
_____________________________
Amen to this comment. The liberal left are totally intolerant of anyone who doesn’t agree with them

So is Obama going to have a KKK representative at the inauguration??

Innocently, I am not a hate person, i have gay friends,I love lesbeans. But i think they have no right, they are sick people who need help and prayers?they need love,they should not be advocating it? Same marriage? what the objective?
please forgive me I Come from the Dark World[Africa] where there is no Gays because it is Immoral>>America is great,with unchecked freedom which has room for immorality such as gayism>> Obama has a right to pick his choice.

God: I look forward to meeting you there!!

JD, don’t know..ask your women.

Get off of it. Would not matter who he picked, it’s bound to offend someone.

McCain was right. Barry is bonkers.

JD: When God said man should not be alone he didn’t give him Steve, he gave him Eve. So how is it that Steve & Joe/Tonya & Eve or okay by the Creator?
Sodom & Gomorrah/Babylon do they not know why they were destroyed?

They do not want Obama to reach across the aisle they want a reach around!

Picking Warren to do his invocation does not mean that Obama is against gay/lesbian rights. There are many aspects to being President, but the one at the top is he is President of all Americans- conservative or liberal, evangelical or athiest. Being outraged is a human emotion, but using that outrage to create a wider chasm between those against gay rights and those for equality is not the answer. I am for equality for all American citizens and I’m not gay, but I believe that denying one group a fundemental right based on religious or any other belief is just plain wrong. However, I also know that bring both sides to the communications table is the only answer becuase it puts a face on the problem. It’s easy to say “those gays are the problem.” It’s much harder to say that “Fred and John are the problem.” (Or Cidy and Mary….) The same goes for the other side. Obama is searching for a way over the hurdle, instead of building a higher hurdle. Maybe it’s time to put the emotion on the back-burner and work toward a solution. Who knows, Warren may not be as closed-minded as you think.

alg–Again. Please point me to where in the Constitution it says that marraige is a RIGHT.

Jomuka
You sound about as intelligent as ahkmadenijead did when he said at columbia college “we don’t have gays in iran, America is full of immoral behavior”. Yeah, that is because they get their freaking heads cut off there!(and I would imagine the treatment gays receive in africa is not much better then in iran).
However, I did get a chuckle seeing all of the liberal traitors mouths drop at columbia that day. Afterall, they were just being “open minded” by inviting an American hating, holocaust denying, nut to speak at America’s prestigous college platform. All the liberals just looked like complete fools. Ha Ha!

danno—Didn’t Hitler give that same speach, about re-making the country block by block, I need your help? It was the Hitler Youth that he mobilized by the millions to go block by block! I fear this man as I fear Socialism!

JD
so you don’t think Americans have a right to get married?
well that sums up the argument doesn’t it
oy

Here we go.. Let the games begin. Who cares if this guy does a prayer. I’d much rather have him take his 10 min of prayer than influencing 4 years of policy. Let the religious right have their 10 min. The reform in the church community is coming and soon we will be relieved of all the old tired thinking that exists today. Then we can maybe not have Christianity shoved down our throats for forced into our lives. Then we can hear about love instead of Christian intolerance and hatred. I can only hope.

Who cares?

Obama has claimed his entire campaign that he is in fact a CHRISTIAN !! Good choice, I applaud this decision-that coming from a life-long republican. Mr. Obama, you need to read the bible in it’s entirety and not just pick and choose the warm & fuzzy stuff to believe in. It’s either all the truth or it’s all false. There are no gray areas….even when it’s hard and not popular to stand by God’s Word, it still needs to be stood upon as His Word.
May God Bless you in these next 4 years.

Maybe Obama will be reaching out to other hateful people, like David Duke, so that he can keep “reaching across the aisle” and make sure he fills his inauguration with diversity. I DOUBT THAT. I’m really offended. I wish I had voted for Hillary.

I think it is a disgrace. We should not have ANY religious nuts there. We need to move beyond superstition.

I don’t think any religious figures or religious events should be intermingled with state issues anyway. That said, yeah, I think Obama should have been more sensitive to the insult that this reverend represents to a minority group – gays. Those who try to control others based on their own religious or other unfounded prejudices should realize that it’s none of their business who someone wants to marry and shut the f up. Maybe we should put more restrictions on who non-gays could marry, see how you like that. And that said, I still have great hope for Obama; let’s cut him some slack! He’s not even president yet, for heaven’s sake.

This is such a funny discussion! The Anti-Christ! Let’s let Obama select who he wants to do what he wants, and see how it goes? We here don’t have a vote on any of his appointments or choices, so….. I don’t think whatever this Rick Warren person does on Inauguration Day is going to have any effect on anything. Let’s just breathe. We definitely have bigger problems. (And any gay folks who got robbed with Prop 8 can come to Massachusetts – it’s a nice place! – and settle here, and get married.

Hats off to President Elect Obama and Pastor Warren. The act of praying at the inauguration is not anti-anything. It’s just an acknowlegdment that as we begin a new era in our country’s development, we need God’s guidance and help to move our country forward for all people. Afterall, the angel proclaimed, “Peace, and on Earth, good will toward all people.” Let’s pray that that prayer is heard for all Americans.

*glimmer* of hope coming from Obama…despite all the naive hater’s out there…Right ON….choosing Warren a person of integrity…..

seansatx—LOL LOL LOL, it’s not possible to read such postings without going to the extreme! And, believe me, if you were to read Obama’s Agenda, page by page, you would NOT think my comments had anything to do with drugs! Please go to change dot gov and read, read with an open mind, then return here and comment again!

I don’t think any pastor, preacher, priest, rabbi, etc… has any place in politcs, let alone a nasty, bigoted evangelical like Rick Warren.

especially if his mother lived in a neighborhood that bought into that popularly held belief about a small “left wing” section of the population.

JD
you have the RIGHT to marry the person you love.
denying you that would be denying you the most basic structure of our society…
our society is built on the oppotunity to be two by two

If gays are “born that way”,and they are not, then the gay community would have to say ,”Pedafiles are born that way, which also is not true.

WONDERFUL!!! Mr. Obama has ticked-off various political persuasions about “something,” yet offers enough to keep them on board! Brilliant strategy. He can avoid being accused of pandering to one leaning. I look forward to this man’s leadership. We will be at the “healthy” center.
Listen up! Gays are, were, and will be here. Whether you like it or not, gay marriage is on the horizon. It may not be here today but it is my prediction that our country will have this freedom under 5 years. You have to ask yourself; What is it that gay people know about marriage that (given the divorce rate)heterosexual people do not know about? Especially, since gay people are fighting SO hard for this priviledge, yet heterosexuals take marriage so lightly and for granted?
Men. Let’s not cite the statistics of how many men have had at least one homosexual experience or fantasized about such. Church men, in particular–don’t get me started…
By the way, the revered King James version of which we so fervently hold… well, there is MUCH credible evidence that Queen James, err…King James, walked “lightly,” and loved her…err, his heels. So, who knows what her…err, his motivations were! (snap) (snap)

Why do headlines always aim to incite drama? The Gay-Lesbian Community can be displeased without the “Left” in all its totality being enraged. The Gay-Lesbian Community may be PART of the left, but the “left” is a WHOLE LOT more than just the Gay-Lesbian Community.

dl–NO. I have the priviledge of marrying the person I CHOOSE to. I have the RIGHT to say what I please, I have the RIGHT to a speedy trial, etc… Let’s face it, the dl’s of the world will never be happy until all fits under your umbrella of “acceptable behavior.” The only problem is, you are arguing against a large majority that doesn’t agree with you. And making yourselves even more on the fringe. If you “get in my face,” expect to lose some teeth.

waiting forjesus
if you can’t tell the difference between two adults loving each other and an adult taking advantage and hurting a child…
people shouldn’t let you near their kids.

This country was founded on God and His word, so I think it’s great that Obama has chosen a Godly man that stands on God’s Word. My only hope is that Obama values God’s Word the same and stands up for it over the next 4 years.

Rick Warren is a coset “New Age-er” who’s only interest is destroying the Christian faith from within for the next generation. Of course Obama, a fellow false prohpet, would be happy to embrace him. Who is surprised by this?

JD
I won’t lose teeth trust me
and the majority overhwlemingly agreees with me
this is not about marriage…I could care less…but the facts are there…
the only people fighting like you are against it
are people who are fearful of themselves…
and their own proclivities
or whose lives suck so bad that have to empower themselves by oppressing someone else.
and 20 years from now that is how your children (god bless them ) will view it.

and I do not care about gay marriage that much
I care about the moron mentality that fights against it for absolutely moronic reasoning.

AMERICA PLEASE STOP BEING PITY AND GET A LIFE. THE MAN IS JUST PERFORMING THE DAMN INAUGURATION, SO WHAT. WHY IS EVERYONE MACRO MANAGING OBAMA, HOWEVER, BUSH DID WHAT THE HELL HE WANTS AND ALL OF YOU HAVE THE TIME TO BE ON THIS CHAT LINE TALKING ABOUT THIS STUPID ISSUE. YOU NEED TO WORRY ABOUT YOUR OWN BEHINDS AND WHETHER YOU HAVE A JOB, HOUSE OR EVEN WAKE UP TOMMORROW. I CANNOT BELIEVE THE PITINESS OF THIS COUNTRY. WHOEVER PERFORMS THE DAMN INAURATION WILL A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE THAN SOMEONE ELSE NO MATTER WHO HE OR SHE IS. WE JUST NEED A REASON TO WHINE!! I HAVE MORE RESPECT FOR THE FOUR YEAR OLD CHILDREN IN PRE-SCHOOL AT LEAST WE KNOW WHY THEY ARE IMMATURE.

Dear queers: don’t like Obama’s choice? Then you should’ve voted for Hillary.

I thought it was Obama’s inagural not the gays-He can pick who he wants. And for the record there is no such thing as CIVIL RIGHTS for gays- It is such a thing as human rights. Everyone I believe has the right to do whatever they want in their OWN HOME with a consenting adult. I am heterosexual and have the same right. But I keep my business to myself and not broadcast my sexual conquests. There should be NO special rights for who you sleep with. If so I want my special rights(don’t leave me out). Marriage is from God. God said what marriage was-a union of one man to one woman. Many gays hate GOD but want to use his word “marriage”. Call it something else you want but not marriage. For the record most gays are rude and demanding(because they are unhappy). That lifestyle is degrading and will NEVER be accepted by the masses because it represents death(to the human race). They want the word marriage to be accepted for something they know in their heart is wrong.

Man created god, not god man. A prayer from ANYONE will do. It’s formality.

Obama + Rick Warren = CHANGE YOU CAN BELIEVE IN……..LOL

Yes, the economy, jobs, war and other issues may be important, but look at it from a gay person’s perspective. In this last elections states have taken away our rights to marry AND raise children (Arkansas). What issue is more important to you than your families? That’s why I’m so angry. They (the right) are coming after our families. There is nothing more important.

again I ask
what if this preacher preached popularly held beliefs of the past
like women should subortinate to men in marriage and if they are beaten they should turn the other cheek
or that interracial marriage was unnatural
or all Jews are going to hell (Oh warren did say that)
people need to take a look at what Warren has said
if this were any other subculture Obama would never say it was okay for him to give this national religius honor.

It doesn’t matter who he chooses for this. All Religion does is cause wars and hate between people (I think these posts prove that). All Religion is false! And yes, 95% of the population of earch is absolutely brainwashed into believing in Religion.

lilla–The 14th Amendment was writtn to grant RIGHTS to freed slaves. Not for “in you face” homosexuals to be granted the priviledge of marriage. Learn your history.
Are black people not offended by these comparisons to the civil rights era of the 60s? I know I am, and I’m a white guy.

dl–Did you vote for BHO?

FIRST, AS AN AFRICN-AMERICAN, I TIRED OF PEOPLE SAYING THAT GAY RIGHTS IS JUST LIKE CIVIL RIGHTS. THAT IS B.S. FIRST, I DID NOT CHOOSE THE COLOR OF MY SKIN, HOWEVER, I SURELY MADE THE CHOICE OF WHO I SLEEP WITH. I’M SICK OF THE GAY B.S. ALSO, I SICK OF THIS NOTION THAT YOU ARE BORN GAY. PLEASE!!!! IF THAT IS TRUE, THAN A CHILD MOLESTER CAN SAY HE OR SHE CANNOT HELP WHO THEY ARE ATTRACTED TO. IF THAT IS TRUE, THEN WHY DO WE NOT SLEEP WITH OUR PARENTS OR SIBLINGS; BECAUSE WE KNOW BETTER. WE LIVE IN A CULTURE THAT TELLS US NOT TO SLEEP WITH ANIMALS, CHILDREN AND OUR FAMILY. THE QUESTION IS WHY DOES AMERICA THINKS IT’S OKAY TO SLEEP WITH THE SAME SEX. IF EVERYONE WAS GAY, HOW WOULD WE CONTINUE WITH LIFE??? I WILL NOT BEND ON MY VALUES, GOD, FOR NO ONE, NOT EVEN THIS COUNTRY!!!!

Wow…. so many Obama love slaves are getting disgruntled, and the guy isn’t even in office yet. HA HA HA I will be the first to say I told you so. He is a politician which means he is a lier or he wouldn’t be a good politician. There is no change coming, there is no sunshine and golden harp music awaiting you. Just more typical political lies and garbage. I hope I am wrong and he makes this country into the best it ever has been, but I doubt it. We haven’t had a president who gave a crap about this country since Reagan and none before in my lifetime. Ford, Carter and Bush Senior were jokes. Clinton sold our country to the Saudi’s and Nafta then set up the economy to fall with unreasonably low interest rates and policy’s that have ultimately came to doom our economy. Bush had the chance to save our country and it’s economy but sold it to the oil companies and let the mess hit the fan without leading us away from it. Obama is not worried about our country in the least. He is showing his true colors and later he will show us his true agenda. I hope I am wrong and he is really really really great but I don’t think so. Nothing will change except the name on the door on the White House.

Someone commented, This country is still a “majority rule” society. Well let us not forget that is how Nazis came to power and how a 11 million people, Jews and other undersirables were exterminated. Majority rule can quickly turn to tryranny of the majority, but when only the minority who is being ruled against is complaining then guess what, the listening audience may be limited.
How quickly we forget that as of 1967 there 16 states were interracial marriage was illegal. Obama’s parents would not have been able to marry in these states. But Obama was not part of this history and unlike gays who are part of this history he is removed from it despite what he says. Reality is when it happens to you.
Proposition 8 was not about taking anyone else’s rights away but about granting rigts to those who don’t have them. When those opposing Prop. 8 made it about their rights then they made it tyranny of the majority and not democracy. Wake up, America, there is a difference. When you begin to make execeptions or suggestions at the possibility of legalizing the absurd then we have not come very far from 1967.

On the subject of intolerance. Most gay folks would implore us to believe that they are born, or “hard wired” that way. I have no proof to the contrary, so I am prepared, until/unless conclusive evidence shows them wrong, to accept that. I however, am “hard wired” to be revulsed and disgusted by gay sexual activity (NOT Gay people). I was born that way. The Gay Community will not accept that. They label me bigotted and insist I CAN change. That being the case, why, praytell, can’t THEY change? If, on the other hand, THEY CAN change, why should we change our laws to coddle and accomodate them? Now, if they, in fact, cannot change, and because of that they understand and accept the fact that I can’t change either, WHAT ABSURD IMBECILITY MAKES THEM INSIST THAT I SHOULD. AND, if they understand that I can’t, and won’t, what makes them fantasize that I will endorse changing any laws?

WWJD?
Jesus would not judge anyone.
Jesus had love, forgiveness, compassion, and tolerance for all people.
Please, instead of fighting over such “issues” try to find a way to really make this world a better place where so much suffering and struggle no longer exists.
Besides, nobody has a “right” to demand anything of anyone which is within their constitutional rights, including Rick Wareren and Barack Obama. This is America where freedom is supposed to be for all people, not just “politically correct”persons bowing to specific agendas.
WHO ARE THE INTOLERANT ONES HERE REALLY?
Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Life book is a beautiful testament to how we all could try harder to live a life with “true’ purpose for all people and not just ourselves.
Peace!

So, would Obama’s idea of inclusiveness and honoring different viewpoints include having a member of the KKK speak at the inauguaral? Nope. I didn’t think so. Obama’s a Grade A hypocrite who has chosen to provide a platform to someone who equates homophobia with pedophilia and incest.

If I could take my Obama vote back, I would. This is a calculated move by Obama to please the blacks–especially the blacks– and social conservatives and to insult the gays who voted for him.

JD: You really need to get over yourself. The very same thing you are spoutingabout your rights and your choices and you are trying to shut those who disagree with your views. The old double standard..YOU can’t have it both ways. How do you know that in this society the majority feels the way you do? Have you, yourself, talked to every living being in the US or are you just assuming that is correct because you believe it to be? MAke sure you have all of the facts before you spout yuor vicious anger. Marriage is not a right it is a choice, but, we accept “marriage” as if it is a right, so if two people of the opposite sex truly love each other, what is the problem for them to get married? I mean they are not asking you to live their life..it really makes no diference and in the end we are not the one who makes the final judgement..so leave them alone.

To: Effort,
You are as ignorant as it gets. Obama is not here to please you or anyone else. His job is eradicated the B.S. that the Bush created. Religion, sexual perference, color is the least of our problems. I voted for OBAMA because I need him to invest in the middle class. I could give a damn about his pick for the invocation. He ran an excellent campaign and is doing an awesome job with his transition team. AND AMERICA HAS NOTHING BETTER TO DO THEN TO WHINE ABOUT THE MOST STUPIDEST ISSUE THERE IS!!!! TALK ABOUT PITY!!!

whoa- are you all really arguing about gay people being born that way/not born that way? Why?
The article is about Obama choosing someone to speak at his historic inauguration that is very, very homophobic. It is the WORST possible message to send to the American people.

To wake up:
You shouldn’t talk about things you know nothing about.

Not sure why it matters that there are more people who oppose gay marriage and other rights for gay people, than there are people who support them. When the Supreme Court rules on a Constitutional issue, the fact that the decision is unpopular doesn’t make a darn bit of difference. So, to the people who DON’T WANT GAY MARRIAGE, that won’t change a thing if it’s decided that laws prohibiting it are unconstiutional. You will still be able to oppose gay marriage–it will just happen anyway. Can you live with that?

Wow, Robin, I hope there are very few people like you left in the world. You’re one ugly human being.

Robin
you pick who you are attracted to?
so you like the ladies?
since you can choose.
I wonder jhow many people on here can choose like Robin.
all you guys…you like the menses…just choosing the ladies?
stupid is as stupid types.
it is not a choice who you are physically attracted to
and there is slowly being realized that there may be a scientific and sociological reason why a species has a certain percentage of homosexuality in it’s midst.
perhaps so some aren’t focused on just the advancement of their own gene pool but the humanity as a whole
perhaps if we didn’t have such moronic and weird hateful bologne going on we would discover that.

and Robin oppression and violence toward any population in the US
is not
“the stupidest issue there is”
your argument might be though.

Robin, take that kind of garbage to your chat rooms.

Change you can believe in? What a joke! I want Hillary. We’d probably have Maya Angelou delivering the invocation instead of this hateful dirtbag Rick Warren.

Do most christians actually read their bibles or do they just believe what they hear from pastors about what it says? I’ve actually read it, a few times now, and I just wish that people would do their own research and decide things for themselves, then they might notice that homosexuality is less mentioned in their big book than greed is. How much is RW worth again?

TO: DL
YOUR ARGUMENT MAKES NO SENSE. LIKE I PREVIOUSLY STATE, “YOU ARE NOT BORN GAY”. THE MIND IS THE MOST POWERFUL ORGAN IN THE BODY. YOU CAN CONTROL WHO OR WHAT YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO. WE LIVE IN A COUNTRY THAT ALLOWS HOMO-SEXUALITY. IT’S ILLEGAL IN OTHER COUNTRIES. JUST BECAUSE YOU ATTRACTED TO SOMEONE OR SOMETHING DOES NOT MAKE IT RIGHT. LIKE I SAID, CHILD MOLESTERS ARE ATTRACTED TO CHILDREN, DOES IT MAKE IT RIGHT!!!

JD
do you read
this is not about the marriage issue…oy
it is about Warren’s statements about gays
which feeds the marriage issue.
most of the population is way past the moronic belief that gays are going to hell and blah blah blah…yes most…no matter what Hannity wants to say…
Warren still believes in that outdates weird belief that gays are on par with pedophiles and incest.
Homosexuality hurts NO ONE.
This is all about self empowerment for people who want to feel better by excluding other people.

The one good thing about this whole controversy is that it’s forcing all the ignorant homophobic bigots out of their closets where we can see them. Kharma’s a drag. Wait ’til someone hates on you. Especially you, Robin, What an ugly excuse for a human being.

Robin as I have said before…
if you can’t tell the difference between two adults who love each other and an adult taking advantage of hurting a child
then people should keep their children away from you.
and considering you think that you are choosing who you are attracted to… I would say they should keep both boys and girls away from you.

Robin: you ignorant slut. I could not use my brain organ no matter how much I try to be attracted to men. Who fed you that bs? You got issues girl.
LMAO

Robin is the only self-admitted black person posting here. So far she has been called “stupid,” “ignorant” and “ugly.” So much for the “party of tolerance.”

TO: DL
OBAMA AND WARREN ARE TRYING TO OPPRESS AND COMMIT VIOLENCE, WOW – GET A LIFE. IF YOU A HETER, BI-, HOMO, YOU ARE PROTECTED BY YOUR CIVIL RIGHTS. OKAY.

DL:
You think homosexuality hurts no one, it hurts EVERYONE! It separate you from nowing the true everloving God.

Obama claims he’s a fierce advocate for gay and lesbain rights. LOL!!! There’s only one thing Obama’s for. Obama.

someone really needs to ask him in front of a camera
or Joe Biden
what he would do if a president chose a preacher who was vocal about interacial relationships being unnatural or a sin as was the popularly held belief that his mother faced …
that on occasion incited anger and violence toward those who fell in love with someone of a different race.
if a president picked that preacher to give the National Inauguration Invocation saying he was being inclusive by including exclusivity…
what would Obama have said about that president.
I think he would have said he
“is full of Sh..” I am pretty sure that is exactly what obama would have said.

As a gay man I’m okay with this. I do agree that the far left has become many of the things they claim to hate about the right. I see it with many of my friends, who have become almost totalitarianism in there way of thinking. They of course they don’t see it, but I do. Obama clearly said in his campaign he would bring everyone to the table and his choice here reflects that.

Hey bible wackos, you can save your preachy hellfire garbage. No one here wants to hear that crap.

John: If you are a gay man then Obama is giving a platform to a man who has equated you with pedophiles and incest abusers. Are you truly okay with that?

Here is the problem, the liberals are angry that Obama is not oppressing non-liberals.

Robin–you are seeing this issue in the right light. Gays are trying to say that they are being oppressed the same way blacks were pre-1965. I don’t recall mass lynchings of homos, them being taken captive and seperated from their roots, or being denied their chance at prosperity. They are just trying to make “gay” mainstream. Keep up the good fight.

Based on Robin’s comments maybe there really is some truth about how deep homophobia runs in the black community. Truly ironic given all the hate that was tossed their way for so long. Ignorance knows no reason.

I agree with Monty. That’s usually the case with the loudest anti-gay people.
Closet cases, gay pasts, self-hate= anti-gay movement

Effort, what are you afraid of, aren’t we all entitled to free speech?

afraid? no, I’m just tired of people like you ramming your religion down my throat.

Jackson, Why can’t a Godly man simply preach the Word, instead he’s a closet, I don’t think so, you have lost touch with reality.

I’m not ramming anything.

frank–Did the Holocaust happen in America? The more you argue the more you show to be thinking with the wrong head.

In the future:
“While Obama does not agree with [insert dictator's name here] stance on stoning women for adultery, Obama has great admiration for [dictator] and hopes we can look past our differences.”

Angelo: “and we are tired of getting the “Tolerance” propaganda down our throat. Welcome to America.”
Well, America was SUPPOSED to be a tolerant and welcomong beacon of hope, until the theocrats ruined it.

dl — do you not understand that pedophiles can use the same logic you use for being attracted to the same sex?
They can say that they were born attracted to children, and I will ask the same question that Robin asked, Does that make it right?

To: Frank
Please do allowed me to disgust you. First, how dare you compare what African Americans went through to what Gays are going through. THAT IS INSULTING. THERE WAS A GENOCIDE COMMITTED ON OUR PEOPLE. SECOND, I WOULD NOT HAVE VOTED FOR OR AGAINST PROP 8 BECAUSE I DO FEEL THAT ADULTS HAVE A RIGHT TO LIVE THEIR LIVES THE WAY THEY WANT. HOWEVER, I DO HAVE A RIGHT TO BELIEVE IN MY FAITH AND ITS VALUES.
WE BOTH BELIEVE WE ARE RIGHT, HOWEVER, I DO NOT DISRESPECT HOW YOU FEEL. YOU BELIEFS DO NOT MAKE ME SICK BECAUSE THEY ARE YOUR FEELINGS AND I RESPECT THEM.

Angelo
one more time
if you can not tell the difference between two adults who love each other and an adult who takes advantage of and hurts a child then people should not let you around their children.

J D you must then be a person of impeccable morals, right? You know, because you’re hetero? Lord knows all heteros are absolutely perfect and have never done anything wrong!

dl | Dec 18, 2008 3:43:46 PM –
You are condemning a person because they feel that they were born with something that they can not control. OR, are you saying that pedophilia is a choice?

Robin, There was a genocide commited on my people too in Germany in the 40′s and pretty much throughout history. Being gay like being black made you less of a person. Don’t hide behind religion and take sides with the same Fascists who if had been alive during slavery would have used the good book to whack blacks back to the fields just like they’re trying to whack gays back in the closet today.

Robin: you give God, love, and humanity a bad name.

Robin do you know the suicide rate difference in the gay vs. straight population.
In todays society if any population was beaten as much as the homosexual population has been in the last decade for being part of that subset population there would be an overhwelming national outrage.
Every year in every city in America…never mind rural places…gay men and women are attacked for just being gay.
African Americans have had genocide and gays have fought for them
Women have had their rights removed and gays have fought for them
etc etc.
if you had to stack a hierarchical grouping of who society found most okay to throw away…
(and there are study upon study and even games they play that over and over reinforce this) it is the homosexual.
until you read a little more and accept yourself a little more I don’t think you will understand that all of these things are bad
and we fight for ALL of them to be corrected.

see what I mean? DL is ignorant as well as bias.

No matter how you were born, being attracted to the opposite or same sex and enjoying a relationship between two consenting adults is LEGAL. Sex with children is illegal. Gay marraige will win out…anything else would be NOT equal. Obama made a poor choice in this man..that simple.

jd- even if you were “really drunk,” it still counts as a gay experience.

I am a liberal and a strong advocate for gay marriage. That being said, I think the cultural and religious division that has been ripping this country apart needs to STOP. I despise what Warren stands for, but we all need to find ways to constructively engage each other, not just ignore or push away the people we don’t agree with.

I’m sorry, when in history were homos bought and sold as property? Other than by other homos?

Hp, JD did say that he wished all gay men were “hung”. Could that have been a Freudian slip?

J D | Dec 18, 2008 3:53:31 PM –
Acutally they kind of are in the porn industry.

wow, what happened with all this tolerance talk from the left? oh that’s only when YOU’RE shouting it at the Right

JD, there were gay slaves. Gays aren’t just white. You are such a tool.

frank–That wasn’t me that made the “hung” comment. Unlike you, I do not wish to have anything put in my mouth. Even words.

I’m very happy that Rick Warren has been chosen for the Invocation. While some of his views may be politically incorrect, he has done real work in AIDS and orphans charities in the U.S. and abroad.

LOL, I’m loving this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have been sitting here reading the hate spew form both sides for over 30 minutes now…I AM NOT PRO-GAY, You should not, and I hope you are not, ever able to get married, what you do in your bedroom is your business, but STOP trying to push your sin on me!!!!! I have enough of my own, I don’t need to constantly have your’s also shoved in my face!!!! By the way, I voted McCain, didn’t do any good, but I LOVE seeing that all you gay Obama voters are all mad… What, did you actually think he was all for gay rights???? Here is a news flash, unless you are gay, no-one really cares about your “rights” to marry!

Robin, we are all tolerant of your complete inability to spell or use correct grammar so maybe you should be tolerant of others as well.

Exactly who could be chosen that would make everyone happy. No One Exists To Fit That Bill.

Rick Warren is a man of compassion and kindness. More than many of the folks on BOTH sides of the gay issue.

Uh oh. I must have done something right. Homos are putting down their decorator magazines and turning off Lifetime to bash little ole me.
An army of pink stands against me. I probably be a little more scared if they didn’t have on those little bity shorts and work boots.

The trend is clearly established: Obama interprets “reaching across the aisle” to be the sole obligation of progressives on the left to move steadily to the right: where in his cabinet choices or in this choice is a similar sacrifice demanded of the right? From where I sit I see nothing but capitulation and an abandonment of the very principles and the people who got him elected. Hugely disappointing.

Eddie
Do not be disgusted? You are attracted to women because you live in culture where the norm is hetersexuality. Eddie, we are not attracted to the opposite when we are young. Do our young minds really know how to turned on??? Wow, I do not think so. You realized during puberty or middle school that you start liking the same or opposite sex. It depends on what a child has been exposed to at a early age. You assimilate what your parents are doing, or rather the adults or older people or even your peers. But make no mistake it is learned behavior. You want to be accepted so you will do what the majority does. You only do what you have been shown because that all you know.

Well, I’m with Sarah. I voted for Hillary. There is something fundamentally untrustworhty about Obama. I think we’re just seeing the tip of the iceberg on that. And, Steve, there is nothing “compassionate” about a man who compares gays to pedophiles. That’s called hate.

Christine, tell me something Obama did that you would consider ‘untrustworthy’ I’m waiting.

This is a state occasion, may I ask why an invocation is called for?
Would not a prayer be more offensive to more Americans?

I heard Sarah is hot.

I hear what you are saying dl and agree. You should feel safe walking down any street in any community in this country. It is sad that you do not. I don’t know all the details of what Warren stands for, I guess I should. I was thinking more broadly that in general we all need to be willing communicate with those that we have least in common with. Maybe Obama should not have picked Warren, you may be right. I just hope that at some point in the future we have the capacity to respectfully disagree. I admit it is not easy, though. The thought of having any respect for and finding any common ground with someone who watches Bill O’Reilly or listens to Rush is daunting, but I must try!

Atleast I didn’t catch HIV/AIDS, right Frank?

Rick Warren’s tacky Saddleback Church attracts the dumbest of the evangelical Christians. His congregation is made up of mostly ingorant bigots who believe the world is ten thousand years old. Obama could have selected a respectable religious leader from a pool of hundreds. Why did he select this homophobic ignoramous?

dl–Seen 300 a few too many times have we?

There’s NO way I believe that a gay guy is more rugged than us straight dudes.

Uh, Kevin, why don’t we start with the whole “I never knew Rev. Wright said the types of things that have been shown on TV.” Or “I am a fierce advocate of gay rights.” Or ” I guarantee I will have all troops out of Irag within 16 months.” Or “I never would have voted to authorize the war in Iraq.” Or “My father was airlifted out of Kenya by the Kennedy family.” Does that give you a start?

Kevin,
You did not have to go there. I’m not a frustrated lesbian. Please why should I be, I have the same thing as any other women. I can feel my own breast and I’m surely flexible enough to eat. If that was my choice!!!!

And didn’t the Spartans in 300 laugh at the Athenians as “boy lovers?”

Christine,
Let me guess. You stay inside all day and listen to Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. That’s your first mistake. There is NO way you can be well informed getting your ‘information’ from those 2 clowns.

“Homos give us diaper wearing straights a bad name.”
Bwuauhahahahahaha…

I wonder how Robin would feel if George Bush had had a member of the KKK speak at his inaugural? Would that have been okay Robin? After all, that’s just being inclusive, right?

So what have learned today for the homo community?
All opposed to “gay marriage”(oxymoron) are closet homos. We get all our information from Hannity/Rush. And we are comparable to the Gestapo.

dl, maybe I shouldn’t mention this, (because I can’t cite the exact study–maybe you know it), but since Robin admitted to being an African American female, there is a study which showed that black women had a higher intolerance of gays–particularly gay men, then women of other ethnicities. What the study concluded is that it had nothing to do with sexual preference or morality but more to do with the lack of men particularly black men available. Gay men are viewed competitively.

The Only Problem I have with Gays are the “AIDS” Factor. Their Sexual Preference is their own but the Repercussions of their Preferences are Something We ALL will be exposed to, suffer from, and pay for as a Soceity. What Body Part they want to Stick in their Holes is their business BUT when they cross over in Normal Soceity then We the Sheeple are Affected or Infected. Keep All of It in Your Own Bedroom…Including the Diseases. Our Schools are Already Dealing with Hepa B & HIV Problems therefore having to take Mandatory Precautions for ALL Teachers and Students B/C of Someone Else’ Bad Sexual Choices or Drug Habits.

Are you kidding me AlchyDave? Have you read any history? Ancient civilization was filled with homosexuality. In fact, it was revered. And why in the world does homosexual “activity” repulse you? If you’re not a repressed gay then why do you even think about the sexual activities of others? I’m comfortable with my heterosexuality so I don’t spend time thinking about the sexual activites of others. Why do you?

Would you fudge-packers please stop using the term ‘homophobia’? Just because someone disagrees with your disgusting, perverted lifestyle, it doesn’t mean they’re afraid of you or your sickness. Trust me on this point: I fear no queer.

President elect Obama is completely comfortable in any situation with any person or group of people no matter whether they agree or disagree with him. This is why he will be a great leader for us.

Anyone who believes homosexuals should repent their “sin” should take a good study of Leviticus, then READ the biblical accounts of Jesus’s words about sin, sinners, forgiveness, greed, hate, etc. and really REALLY think if they themselves have repented all of their “sins” yet. Did you appologize to god for wearing pearls, or eating pork/shellfish, or wearing cotton with wool (or any synthetic or mixed fibers), or not forgiving others, or doing anything outside of worship on the sabbath, or ever disrespecting your parents, or ever praying to Jesus instead of just to God (the one and only – it’s one of the top ten rules if you can’t recall)? I don’t believe the bible to be “the truth” myself, but it seems really odd to me that the people that thump it the hardest have never even read the whole thing. Either that or they are prejudicely selective over what parts their god “really meant” for them to follow. I wish enlightenment for you all, that compassion and reason will one day be your compasses, and that you will find true happiness from within yourself, and no longer rely on your beautiful fairy tales which cause such ugly disharmony within humanity. Om mani padme hum.

Notthatgullible—”Dear queers: don’t like Obama’s choice? Then you should’ve voted for Hillary.” you poor, pathetic, homophobic, bigoted fool. i hate when teenagers post on here.

Mpass….are you completely ignorant to the fact that AIDS crosses all racial and sexual preference boundaries? Are you insane?

Calm down everyone…he just asked him to do the deliver the invocation at his inauguration not become his Vice-President. I mean, who really cares?

Somehow human rights are negotiable to Obama. What a fraud. Words are cheap. He can get up and read a speech someone else wrote for him about how he supports this and that…but guess what? Actions speak louder than words.
Given this and his selection of Emmanuel who has links to Blago…the whole Chicago thing…I smell another political fraud.
This fraud that I voted for clearly has no moral compass and is just another politician. I’m disgusted I voted for him and regret doing so.

carrie–AIDS spread to the straight community due to the perverse acts of homos. That is a FACT.

Jesus Christ could make an appearance on earth again and give the prayer at Baracks innaguration, and there would be plenty of people would say he was a terrible choice to be the one to give the prayer. Wanna know the best way to make someone on the far left or far right complain? Let the candidate they voted for win the election.

“It’s no secret I’m a fierce advocate for equality for gay and lesbian Americans,” Obama said.
B U L L S H I T

The Messiah-elect will save us!!

So, RealStory, if I believe it’s a sin to be black does that mean I’m not a racist?

Mpass86. At one time I would have agreed with you. However, how do you explain the very high percentage of men who engage in such behavior but somehow rationalize that they are straight?
This group is similar to the Clinton;”I did not have sex with that woman.” syndome. They would be able to pass a lie detector test.
I’d rather deal with someone who tells me they are gay (and fight for their civil rights), rather than someone who leads a double life and destroys the lives of a woman, possibly children, etc.
So, my point is that I can converse & debate issues with someone who acknowledges that he/she is gay. I have no problem with gays being married. I don’t worry about AIDS etc from this group. All I want to know is that you maintain your lawn & house.
Its those “others” that scare me.

No JD…AIDS started in Africa, among heterosexual partners.

And, JD, if AIDS were only a gay disease how did it “spread” to the heterosexual community?

carrie–No. AIDS in humans began as a homosexual disease and was passed onto the straight community by some bisexual pervert.
The origin of HIV/AIDS is still up for debate.

I personally don’t care much about the word marriage
i do care about a man who has reinforced a belief that holds back all of society…
Rick warren is misguided and yes as effeminate as Huckabee… he makes any straight person …never mind gay person’s gaydar go off…I have to agree…
Not to mention the two of them …are just like the rest of them…Ted Haggard, Larry Craig, Lonnie Latham…
tell me if you went to school with them you wouldn’t be wondering…
they all make me look like Goldberg, John Wayne and Xerxes wrapped up in one

good points robby1001 and Jeff. It is just a prayer. GET OVER IT!!!!

carrie–If AIDS started as a straight disease, then how did homos acquire it in hugely disproportionate numbers?

To: FS
First, I have a man, second, why would a women be jealous of a gay man. If a man is gay, she would want him to be gay and be with that man. African American women do not feel gay man are a threat. We feel that their is a culture of young boys with no father figure in the household that attributes to our men being gay.
I also believe that there is a promiscous culture that have introduce both sexes to the culture. I volunteer in the high schools and you would believe what they tell me about their sexual experiences, especially when drugs and liquor play a role.

Gay rights is going to be tricky. I think that this is part of the trick. If Obama and the left are more inclusive, even to religious nuts, then the right gat-haters become more isolated and foolish looking. The middle will not take the right seriously and become more pro-gay rights. And then it is done, the ballot measures that support gay rights will pass, and the right will be walled off in their little cell of their own making.

Good politics. Good for the country. He’ll also have some political cover when he advocates the end of the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy.

As a proud gay American man, I am all for inclusion; heck, what do you think that the civil rights movement of the 1960s was all about? But, come on Barack, inclusion of a self-professed Anti-Gay Bigot?! Give me a break! Barack’s rediculously lame arguement is tantamount to having Gov. George Wallace speak at LBJ’s 1964 inauguration! But then again, this is typical Barack Chicago politics style; “baffle ‘em with BS”. In the fine words of Sen. Hillary Clinton; “Shame on you Barack Obama! You know better than that!” Well, we too “Shall Overcome”!

Picking someone to perform a ceremony is not a wholesale endorsement of their policies. There are certain things that the Warren pick represents, and perhaps is the gesture to bury the hatchet with the God squad religious right. The outrage here is indicative of our society’s hypersensitivity to every single issue plaguing us.

Looks like much of the population that voted for BO feel totally betrayed. This line is one of the best I’ve read: “Obama…needs to remember that this isn’t just his big day, it’s also a huge occasion for our country, and he has a responsibility to present people who represent the best of American life, not the worst”.
Well said–he’s taking what was going to be a glorious occasion and RUINED IT.

Liberals can’t be Bush in reverse. We have just been through eight years of “with us or against us” idiology. If we engage Warren civilly in a discussion on gays then Warren will lose it. Anti-gay behavior makes no sense. But if we just face off and hurle insults at the other side they will not change because their leaders are not talking to anyone but the choir. Why should they be influenced by the left when all the left does is yell at them? This is the trap the GOP and Bush fell in to with the radical right which is now the GOP mainstream.
Calm down. Learn how to play chess.

robby
If you are a gay activist for as long as you say (because I am not) and you are sayinfg Bravo to this choice…
one of two things
you don’t know the statements that Warren has preached
or you mus be …I don’t know…kookoo.
sorry but I am not a gay activist…gay yes gay activist no
this is the first issue …gay issue I have ever been overwhelmingly drawn to speak up about…
probably because I smell hypocrisy and a very destructive (mistaken but destructive) endorsement in this that should have never happened from someone like Obama who ran on and was able to because of intolerance being fought against.
Yet he says to reach across and give that intolerance a platform is inclusivity…
would it be the same to give a platform to someone who believes African Americans are something less than…or interracial relationships were unnatural or that women can be beaten or subjegated on occasion by their husbands?
would that be inclusivity?
would that be talking to our enemies…to have them read the invocation?
would Obama agree with that…if a president did that.
would he not be up in arms if a preacher who preached that interracial relationships were wrong was chosen for the invocation of the President that he fought tooth and nail for
this is not a case of being beholden to a population or about some stupid gay marriage thing (because it is the other statements by Warren that are disturbing more than the gay marriage BS)…
this is a case of being beholden to the equality that he has always held as important and choosing a man who reinforces a part of the population of this nation to feel those who would attack them for being who they were
would have backing from the word of God…and that interpretation was factual and fair enough to be sanctioned by the President of the uNited states of America
it is not the man (warren) alone…it is the message that man embodies…
and the slap at equality and the fight for it…an equality that without it and it’s fight Obama would never be where he is.

CARRIE: Your hypothesis about the origin of AIDs is probably correct. However, the heterosexual couples involved were likely primates other then Homo Sapiens. The desease, at least in the U.S., probably spread to the Heterosexual Community by way of Bi-Sexuality and other sexual deviations. What prevented it’s containment, and therefore caused the death of millions, was the political invertabrates whom refused to quarentine the (then) small groups in San Francisco and New York know to harbor the virus. It has been (and is) done to limit the spread of Leprosy, Tuberculosis, etc., but fear of the outrage generated by the (dare I say it?) Gay Community allowed the infected to run loose. Run loose they did!

PLEASE EDUCATE ME ON HOMOSEXUALITY BECAUSE WHAT I SEE IS CONFUSING.
FIRST, WOMEN ARE ATTRACTED TO OTHER WOMEN, HOWEVER, I LIVED IN NEW YORK AND THE WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREA; I’M NOT GENERALIZING, HOWEVER, THE WOMEN LOOK JUST LIKE MEN AND THEY SAY THEY WEAR A BELT WITH A FAKE —- WHY WEAR A FAKE —– WHEN YOU CAN HAVE A MAN?
ALSO, WITH MEN, SOMETIMES THE MEN LOOK LIKE WOMEN, SO ITS CONFUSING. BECAUSE I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW YOU ATTRACTED TO A MAN, AND THEN YOU WALKING DOWN THE STREET HOLDING HANDS AND ONE LOOKS LIKE A WOMEN AND ONE LOOKS LIKE A MAN. SHOULD BOTH LOOK LIKE MEN!!!

It’s not all about you.
It seems that this whole thread is about gay rights. There are other issues. Rick Warren is a good man who speaks from a heart in tune with God’s words. If you disagree with the Bible then your beef is with God not the man Rick Warren. I’m sure that if you were to convince Rick that his interpretation of the Bible were inaccurate he would change his stance on a given issue. He has studied the teachings of God incarnate his whole life and I for one have never heard anything come out of his mouth that was not in line with the Bible. Rick Warren and God both love homosexuals. They both agree that homosexuality is a sin. Get God to change the words in the Bible and Rick will probably change his opinion too.
This invitation to Rick to speak is a chance for us to hear what Rick Warren feels about the presidency, the nation and his interpretation of what our priorities should be. He will ask a blessing on the nation from his God, and mine. Listen to what he has to say. He might surprise you with his genuine Love for America, Americans and the people of the world.

How many promises will Obama break before people stop making excuses for him? He has truely pulled the wool over everyones eyes by saying many things he will never follow through on.
The left and the center have been taken for a long ride of double talk.

Warren believes that gays are sinners just like the rest of us and that they need to repent and live right and forsake the gay lifestyle. There is nothing wrong with that message.

What I just cannot understand is why do Gays and Lesbians have so much hate when others do not support or believe in Gay rights. True Christians do not hate gays they just don’t belive in the lifestyle. God does not hate gays, what God hates is their sins of being homosexual. I don’t think anyone should hate Rick Warren just because he doesn’t support the gay and lesbians. Obama may support gay rights as a politician, but believe me, I know he doesn’t personally believe in that lifestyle! His personal beliefs in his heart on this issue are bible-based and what the word of God says-that it is a sin.

carrie—you are correct of course, i know you need anyone to tell you that. but HIV/AIDS did come from Africa and wordwide is a disproportionately found in heterosexuals. there is an epidemic in Africa now with some rates of infected individuals over 25%.
JD is a cruel racist, bigoted, homophobic fool who gets off on hate and says cruel things on any blog on abc he can. why he doensn’t just go to O’Reilly and Limbaugh is beyond me. some people just enjjoy feeling hatred and it’s quite sad. pathetic really.

Pastor Rick Warren is wonderful!

Or is that the “thug life” we ignorant white people “don’t understand?”

Noodles—i agree with you completely. it’s also important to remember that not all gays are the same. i am a very liberal person but i don’t hate straight people of christians at all. some gays, myself included, do not like how “california elite gays” present gay people. they do not represent me.
you are right about this issue being about hate. i think Pastor Warren will bring a healing presence and a uniting presence in that we may not agree with him but we can have love and peace and still disagree.
most people, whether they know it or not, know gay people, work with gay people, co-exist with gay people every day. the peace and tolerance is there it just need to be deepened and strengthened.

If I work and pay my taxes like everyone else, why can’t I just have the same rights? Let’s try to remember “seperation of church and state”. However, the reaction from my peers over this matter is a little over-the-top. lol

Now that Obama is under the bus. He can talk to all of his old friends there.

JD, I am sorry there are gay people in your living room. Have you considered building a cyclone shelter? That way when the gay people come into your living room and start bothering you, you can move down to the cyclone shelter. You can keep a fridge and some snacks and stuff in it, and it can be called a Gay Shelter. You can tell all your friends that you’re sorry you haven’t been around lately, but you had to hide in your Gay Shelter because it was just getting too gay out there. I’m sure everyone will be very sympathetic and will give you lots of personal space so that you can recover from the ordeal.

Just one last comment before I go back to work!
Religion is, suprise surprise the origin of this conflict and most others. There is such a thing as civil marriages lots of people get married at city hall and I think the gays would be fine with that. Marriage does not have to be religious. In fact in Canada churches are not forced to marry gay people if it goes against their beliefs. Let the religious people have their church marriages and let the gays have their city hall marriages. No harm done everyones happy! That day will come and in maybe 50 years we will look back and say “I cant belive gays werent allowed to marry!”

Paul Wall- I too agree with you. I do know Gay people, and most of the ones I know are some of the most kind, loving and giving people I know. People in general are all different. And when I talk about sin, remember that sin is sin no matter what it is. If I were to murder,lie, cheat or steal God still hates those sins.
thanks.

paulwall–Of course I don’t take any satisfaction knowing that blacks now acquire AIDS at a high rate. But when you say that it is due to a lack a healthcare, you are wrong. There is no preventative medicine that can keep one from acquiring AIDS. The only way to not obtain it is by having a lifestyle that is noncondusive to it. Things like sharing needles, and having unprotected gay sex are surefire ways to obtain the “ikky”(as I’ve heard blacks refer to it). When 70% of new HIV cases are in the black community, it tells me that those in the black community are not abiding by such rules. 70% is huge, considering blacks barely makeup 13% of the overall populace.

Ok…I have been an Democrat all of my life and I am 61 years old. If someone like Rick Warren is picked by Obama, I refuse to vote ever again..because there is no point any longer.

TOLERANCE; To be tolerant of other opinions and culture. To understand there are other ways of thinking. To understand that you may not be right all the time. To act with respect to others who do or think differently. This doesn’t sound like Obama voters here.

As a straight person…well said LSF.

pamela–Perhaps you should have saved your money. Putting your hopes and dreams into a politician is not very intelligent.
BTW: why is BHO still soliciting donations?

Funny how all the Obamamites that loved him for his inclusiveness now hate him for his inclusiveness. I guess he should only include the gay and black community and that is ok. You bunch of gay babies need to get a life. REALLY!

Pamela, are you aware that Obama has chosen Joseph Lowery to give the benediction? I’m no fan of Warren, but it does look as though, by selecting these two very different clergymen, Obama is attempting to present a balanced Christian perspective.

This just goes to show how brainwashed BHO supporters were. Barely 2 months after his election and liberal cracks are beginning to show.
To all gays that are questioning their votes for him, maybe now you should question your lifestyle CHOICE.

MOST blacks hate gay people – so where’s the shock here?

The IG’s are mad as hell and they aren’t going to like BO anymore. He won’t even notice. He is headed for the center because he actually wants to be a good pres? He might not be to bad after all.

The Warren choice is small potatoes compared tot he larger trend: Obama puts the onus of “reaching across the aisle” squarely on the the shoulders of the progressive left that got him elected. His choices so far indicate no requirement for a commensurate sacrifice from the “right,” and indeed things are shaping up to carry on the worst instincts of both the Bush and Clinton administrations. The only difference in our foreign policy will be that we now add we add a dash more “American idealism” into our bombing campaigns. We have in no way transcended the mindset of “American exceptionalism,” where we believe that our “good intentions” justify our too often abhorrent foreign adventures. And for those claiming that this is a left wing cabinet: he cross-wired his appointments. Exhibit A: Hillary Clinton is a social progressive, but a foreign policy hawk more to the right than her husband. If Obama wanted the “lefty” Clinton he would have given her Health and Social Services. But he want the the “Hillary the Hawk”—you remember, the one who four square behind the Iraq debacle, against talking with our enemies, and all for the “war on terror” and the Constitutional crises it engenders. Obama is jettisoning his vision and his mandate before he even gets into office. The writing was on the wall when he capitulated on FISA…downhill ever since.

you didn’t really believe the campaign promises again did you!!@!

I think the gays should just chill and enjoy the inaugural festivities.

I am in elected office, and I find it critical to work with the opposite side of the isle. To do this, you need to select those who will hold a reasonable conversation and avoid the hate slingers.
Warren has impressed me as someone that holds views I disagree with but is willing to not focus only on differences but will also acknowledge agreements.
Everyone with different views on choice and gays is not our enemy. Some are because their only goal is to promote hate.
I am a very strong Democrat and liberal. I think Obama is heading in the right direction. Lets not copy the extreme’s in either party who promote hate and discourage inclusion.

Mr “Public Official” Pat Higgins–It is tough to work across a narrow strip of land located in a large body of water(ISLE).
Since you work across the AISLE so often, learn to spell the word.

Pat Higgins,
You are a hypocrite. It is one thing to work with others on issues like taxes, education, health care, etc.
But it is completely different to “work with other people” on issues regarding human rights. What do you not understand about equality.
Would you negotiate with dictators committing genocide or starving their people because “it’s important to work with people on the other side of the aisle”? What about Iran if they wanted to throw all Christians in jail or execute them….you want to work with them too?

We didn’t destroy the country.
We have a right to be intolerable of the right.
Posted by: GOP is for Dummies.
That statement is unbelievably and ridiculously arrogant.

I think the Rev. Warren is exactly the man who President elect Obama should choose! If the left and the gays don’t like it, well they can’t have everything their way! I think Obama is moving more toward the middle and that is a good thing!

First, I must say,I am a Christian who does not appreciate Rick Warren’s style. I’d invite another pastor – maybe Franklin Graham, or R.C. Sproul. But I’m not the President Elect. As for Warren’s position on gay politics… 1) I am sure that Warren does not hate anyone – anyone who practices any behavior in the privacy of their own homes, 2) I am sure that Warren prays for any gay person with whom he has had personal interaction, and 3) I am sure that Warren’s position on gay political matters will not be what he’ll be discussing in the Invocation address. He’ll be asking God to bless and direct this new talented young leader.
I’m also asking God to do this.

This is not a matter of “Left” or “Liberals” vs. Obama. Nor is this a dispute of ideas. Rick Warren is a man who clearly expresses his willingness to exclude an oppressed minority group based upon status from the full benefits – and entitlements of liberty. This would be the equivalent of having a white supremacist give the invocation. Shame on Barack Obama. Whatever credits I had given him for his willingness to heal the rifts between us are now gone.

I think with this invitation that Barack Obama might be showing signs that he may not be as far left as the left wing gays and liberal democrats thought he was. I think this is a good thing!

HIV/AIDS is also available through blood transfusions. Not all people do each other, some are just unlucky to have needed blood that was infected, like my nephew. He was not gay he was only 5! I am a true believer in the fact that all things happen for a reason. I no longer attend church due tot he fact that first it is about giving money and second it is about constantly telling us that that those who do not follow God will perish and don’t forget that only Baptists will go to heaven, that is a good one! My husband was Baptist and I was Lutheran and his mother didn’t like our relationship for that reason, we married anyway, 38 years ago, and neither one of us attend an organized religion..they stray too far from the message and are too judgemental..wow, imagine that!!

I am a democrat and a supporter of gay rights…however the gay population better be carefull…they are a major, major minority and need the support of the mainstream to do anything…Obama is trying to unite all of america not just fight for you…convince people on the power of your argument not demonizing people who disagree with you…people like me will stop supporting your causes if you appear as intolerant as the right…

CARLYNONSUE:
I’m mildly embarrassed to admit that there may be some truth to what you say. I certainly hope so! If There is, we can’t get too much of a good thing!

I am liking Big O more each day, this guy just might turn out to be OK!

Do not panic at this time in America.This is not about economic disaster but about blessing the new president elct and not on curse on any Americans regardless of faith, sex or religion.
Global Freeze

I want to clarify something that seems to confuse the right wing religious bigots on this thread. If there is anything that the history of the 20th century taught is, it’s that tolerance of everything is the quickest way to wipe out tolerance completely.
Tolerance does not mean tolerance of everything; it means tolerance of everything except intolerance. “Tolerance means tolerance of intolerance!”, on the other hand, is the cry of generally intolerant people who think that generally tolerant (not absolutely tolerant) people who use this tolerance of intolerance as a means to increase their power and increase intolerance. This has now happened over and over again.
Now, gay people are not intolerant of Christians. Many gay people are Christian, including me (I do not regard this as making me “better” than non-Christians, but it’s a fact that my own relationship with ultimate reality owes itself to Christianity). Gay people and others who are committed to tolerance (generally, not absolutely) are, however, intolerant of attempts to foment intolerance and to write it into law. Mr. Warren has successfully done this, and intends to continue doing it. Opposing his selection to give the opening prayer at the inauguration of a president we worked hard to help elect is a matter of intolerance of intolerance, which is not incompatible with intolerance generally, but the only way it can be preserved.

This media made story is a perfect example of how the liberal media actively works to manipulate public opinion.
Any sensible and well informed person know this story is meaningless. Obama will pick liberal judges who will invent a constitutional right to gay marriage.
The purpose of the story is to create the illusion that it is controversial to support keeping the defintion of marriage know to every society for millenia as between a man and a woman. The headline “firestorm” says it all when only a small percentage of the population cares. News stories are written in such a way that it gives the illusion that controversial and fringe people in the same sex marriage issue are those that are against it rather than those that are for it.
If, for example, a pro-life group protested a selection, the liberal media would not even bother with a story. In the slim chance it would, the headline and story would be written is such a way to make pro-life advocates appear to be a fringe group.
These type of stories done over and over again do have an impact on public opinion. The same-sex marriage advocates know it and the media know it, so they play the charade that they are upset with Obama, but they know he’s their man.
This story has has the benefit for Obama to give the illusion he is moderate, when in fact he will work to redefine marriage with judicial appointments.

Why on earth would you, Mr. Obama, pick Mr. Warren to do an invocation at such an important event?

VERY WELL SAID JERRY. i couldnt agree more, as sickening as it it.

Gays and lesbians are not happy about Rick Warren’s support of Proposition 8 in California. They are demanding “marriage equality”. Why does marriage equality seem so illusive? Is there a way for two men to blend their DNA in their offspring? Until that happens naturally we will not have true marriage equality. Protests can not change that basic reality.
William Wesley Roughton

I feel bamboozled. I would never have donated my money (what little money I have) or worked locally to help get Barack elected if I knew he’d have that hateful man speak at the big night. Saying gays are on par with pedophiles and incest? My God, can I please take my vote back?

npage…
not sure if you realize this, but the left is not very good at recognizing anything. even when its totally apparent to others. thes is ALWAYS a villain to those on the left.

mom – Obama said why he chose Warren. He’s an open minded person who invited Obama to speak at his church even though Warren knew Obama supported positions diametrically opposed to his own. Obama wants an open minded and fair presidency. That’s not so hard to understand.
-Page

and by the way Rick to answer your post question…
does he want this fight…
NO.
absolutely not.
He loses support of those who support gays… by as much as this is shaping to be…his job is going to get very hard.
Let us remember there are a lot more gays and lesbians and their families and supporters… …than evangelicals that say gays are pedophiles.
and he knows it.

dl…
what you are forgetting, is that even though warren has said some terrible things, HE HAS A LOT OF INFLUENCE. therefore, all obama is doing is getting in the ring. you cant win the fight without jumping in the ring.

I’m a bit relieved that every Presidential decision over the next four years won’t have to pass through a GLBT filter first. The Gay Rights Lobby apparently is going to hear the word NO occasionally. Get used to it.

J D—i respect what you wrote about in your post and apologize for writing that you are a racist. i am sorry. and you are certainly correct in how HIV is acquired and agree with you that there is certainly no cure. the only thing i would differ with you is on the access to healthcare. the majority of african-americans who get HIV are poor and lack access to the type of healthcare that a middle-class person does. there are drugs that people can take (antiretrovirals) that will inhibit conversion to AIDS for years, for some people decades. wealthy and middle-class gay men can “afford” to get HIV. they are well insured and can perform unprotected sex with many partners. i hope that the CDC, Health and Human Services can make a concerted effort to educate minorities and convey the seriousness of risky sexual behavior. i honestly don’t think minorities living in crippling poverty ever really get much information on AIDS, if any at all. many think it is a “gay disease” and don’t worry since they are heterosexuals. i’m gay but i would like to make a moral arguement that uneducated minorities deserve access to the same drug treatments that gay white yuppies get. they should get the same drugs. i know african-americans living inpoverty who get infected with HIV and are dead in 16 months. that is similar to third world nations. often in a big city the gay elite get infected with HIV (being fully educated to how it is contracted), get the regimen of treatment drugs and live for well over ten years while an african-american living in that same city, has not received education on prevention dies at 1 year.
the moral irony is that african-americans living in poverty getting infected are acquiring the virus through unprotected hetero-sexual sex (like the bible says, according to churches), even in a marriage, while middle-class gays who are “commiting sin” live the good life for decades in many cases.

Why do people keep saying this is a silly diasgreement over gay marriage and differences in opinon? Gay Americans can deal with differences of opinion as well as anyone. Don’t forget, gays are black, white, asian, hispanic, jewish, catholic, muslim, mormon,christian, young, old, upper class, working class, and on and on. Gays don’t all have the same opinions or beliefs as one another. We’re a diverse group. Most of the closest people in my life are not gay. BUT BUT BUT…this is not about differences and diversity. This is about Obama giving a platform to a man who has said hateful, demeaning things about gays and lesbians. Obama would never invite a minister who was a racist or an anti-semite. So why does he feel it is okay to include a homophobe?

Obama has the right idea. I hope they gas and slaughter them gays next. Then any muslims and non-christians.
“If a man lies with a male as with a women, both of them shall be put to death for their abominable deed; they have forfeited their lives.” Leviticus 20:13
PUT TO DEATH
People need to follow the Bible more! Those fake Christians who don’t understand the Word of God and what He tells us to do!
Go Obama! I hope that you continue on the path of rightiousness!

Damn homosexuals taking over our country. Should be put to death, all of them. Like the Bible says.

JD (the other one) you don’t remember “mass lynchings and executions of Christian/Jews” because you don’t want to. Constant police raids, constant police brutality, being arrested for wearing clothing not appropriate to one’s religion, being fired for being Christian/Jew, being denied housing for being Christian/Jew, being beaten and tied to a fencepost in Germany/Iraq and Burma and left to die for being Christian/Jew… the list goes on. But as long as you don’t want to remember then we can just remain the focus of your ignorance without you having to feel guilty about it. Yes, being forced to accept perversion because of the hate and brutality of the queer nation… your intolerance speaks volumes.

Thank God to Obama. Hes the dang worst person who has ever lived in Ameerica. He is a dirty Muslim who brainwashed Americans into believing that he is the new saviour. Obama will NEVER be the new saviour. Jesus will alaways be that person.The person who will come back soon and save us from condemnation.
But Obama you may be at the beginning of earning your soul back for siding with a true Christian hero who is Warren Jeffs to speak at your ceremony. Maybe you can learn from him. How the world should be. Maybe you will realize you cannot save America and you can go back to Saudi Araba. Where you came from. And only then Obama can you begin to save your soul.

You people posting about killing others because they are gay are not Christians and should not attempt to pose as Christians to make others hate them.
The Jesus of the Bible did not harm one hair on anyone’s head but came to take the punishment that had been declared upon sinful mankind. And He did so by dying the most hideous death of his day.
Don’t pull that Old Testament stuff out, unless you’re prepared to eat only kosher foods (i.e. no more bacon), walk through the desert, not use products made from pitch, and not let women talk in church.
I’m sure you’re not.

The simple thing to do is what I intend to do. When the good pastor opens his yap, I mute the television and get a cup of coffee.

Reposting…
Folks on this board saying that gays should be killed because it “says so in the Bible” are not Christians. I don’t know what you are but you are not Christians.
If you’d like to pull out the laws from the Old Testament and start stoning folks, be sure you’re ready for the whole thing. Disobediant children should be stoned, murders should be given a city of refuge or killed themselves, those caught in adultery shoulld be stoned (what is that, like 80% of Americans?), you should all go live in tents for special celebrations once a year, you shouldn’t eat any meat near the back of the cow (rump roasts and all hamburgers are out), you can never eat bacon…and so on.
You’re masquerading as something you’re not so you can stir up hatred against Christians.
Christians believe that their savior came to save them AND EVERYBODY ELSE from the punishment that was in the Old Testament and the ultimate punishment, everlasting death.
Your hate-mongering isn’t Christian – IT’S HATE. There are laws, in this country, against that.
-Page

The “gay” concern is a red herring. Obama is clearly using Rick Warren (albeit with Warren’s approval) to reinforce the ridiculous notion that he is a Christian. It’s designed strictly to corral political support that Obama believes is intellectual soft. Obama has no intention of actually governing in accordance with anything evangelical. He has made that abundantly clear. When he doesn’t he will be in for a rude awakening from evangelicals who have plenty of experience dealing with Bill Clinton’s “Christianity” and his Rick Warren-Tony Campolo.

just the title Rick Klein wrote “Obama vs. The Left: A Fight He Wants?”…encourages fighting, in-fighting from the get-go. if it was just Obama responding it would have been no big deal. i think journalism loves encouraging (for lack of a better word) culture wars and fans the flames of disagreement.

Paul – lol. I just read your post directed at me. So…for the second time, I agree with you. :-)

NPage—and that makes the third time you’ve inspired me :)
happy holidays and merry christmas and i hope the new year is better than this year.
peace.

Ron—as a gay guy i agree with you. the hollywood gay elite do not represent many gay people’s views. marriage is not a concern of mine. and the way gays behaved after the election was appalling, especially the racism. it was over the top and didn’t change any minds. change comes with diplomacy. as a guy person i am living ok. i’m happy with my nation, the new president, Pastor Warren. this is Obama’s day, he should chose who he wants to pray at his inauguration.

Just curious: How many straight people are actually homophobic (as defined by a dictionary) as the gay people love to call us?
Show of hands?
No one?
That’s what I thought.
Not liking or even hating someone is not a phobia.

There are millions of people who do not believe in proposition 8. I believe marriage equals a man and a woman. The male and female body was built the way it is for this reason. If there are gay and lesbian people who do not like the fact that everyone does not believe in gay marriage then they need to quickly get over it. I do not want my kids or neices and nephews seeing explotive man on man or woman on woman. Many do not find that wonderful. You have to deal with that fact. As proud as they are to be gay, I am just as proud and just adament about my beliefs. I will fight for my beliefs as well. I do not want my children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews exposed to nasty open sex acts often shown in these crazy protests. Our beliefs and we who do not believe in gay marriage have just as much a right as you have to say to do believe. You are no better than anyone else. Marriage is a male and female only.

And Lilla, you ignorant, trifling, disrepectful person.
Do not ever compare freeing slaves to you choosing to homosexuality and forcing it down everyone’s throats. Until a gay person is on a plantation, sold and purchased and have been a slave, how dare you compare what you are to what African Americans ancestors have endured. Until you endure slavery for 400 years, shut up. Until you are owned and brought is slave ships packed like sardines, shut up. Until you are raped and whipped and killed and denied being acknowledged a human person, yet alone a voter SHUT UP. YOU IGNORANCE is SHOWING !!!!

At least Jeremia Wright’s ‘controversial’ comments were based on historical facts. Warren is just another idiot picking one part of the bible to harp on and make himself popular w/ bigots. I prefer J. Wright.

I don’t like Warren. I think he is another so-called evangelist that espouses hate under the cloak of self annointed sainthood by discriminating against gays, and women’s rights.
One thing I just learned though that went UNREPORTED is that there will be 2 ministers attending, one that does not hold the same beliefs as Warren. This I think is the leadership we need. One that understands, one that acknowledges the right of people to worship however they choose. Unity under our great free country. I like it. Now that I have the whole STORY.

Just because someone has a strong point of view doesn’t make them a bigot. We have the right in this country to discriminate for ourselves that which we think is wrong from that which we think is right. If that makes one a bigot, then we are all bigots and the label is meaningless.

I am almost shocked with outrage of gay community against American most respectable pastor, Rick Warren.
Please American gays and lesbians,
wake up and open your eyes. President-elected in United States Obama no more can’t be representitive for American gay of 1%, but should be it for Christian of 88% even though you voted him. Rick Warren was a wonderful choice
by BHO.

Obama supporters should shut up. This is par for the course for someone who is only about himself. He will throw his friends and supporters under the bus whenever it is convenient. You voted for him, now live with the consequences.

The guy is giving a prayer. What is the problem again?

Slavery is not dead and still goes on all around the world even now. Violent acts of homophobia that result in sexual assault, rape and death have as long a history as slavery and are ongoing around the world even now. Religious leaders throughout history have had no qualms in getting involved in politics, especially in this country, despite our Constitution’s clear mandate of separation between church and state. Everything old is new again — will Obama really be the change agent he claims to be?

America is all about inclusion, tolerance and coexisting. As minority, the gays have been prejudiced for such a long time and now they have finally gained increasig acceptance. We have to protect the minorities and clearly if conservative christians are not main stream, they must also be lifted up and represented as well. African Americans are definitely a minority group in the U.S. why would they support to elect Obama president if they believe their rights are just as important as rights of christian conservatives .. can we all just get along? Where’s Rodney King?

Ya know, no matter who he chose, it would have made somebody unhappy. It’s his inauguration, let him decide who he wants to do it.
Did you plan your wedding by asking everybody in your town to vote on the arrangements?

To those who disagree: ” Work on your own life instead of trying to judge somebody else.” DITTO!!!

If choosing Rick Warren were really about offering different points of views then why doesn’t he invite a racist and an anti-semite to give prayers also just to even things out.

Until 2 men can get together and produce a baby without the help of another woman the way a male and female couple does , I do not see why they are the same thing ! . Yes everyone is equal , but different events called for different names . Christmas is not the same as the Buddha’s birthday , why must we want to call the Buddha’s birthday Christmas ??? If 2 gay men want to live together , so be it , but why do they want us to call their union “Marriage” which is the term for The Union between the Female and Male species of the Human race??? This is crazy and need to be stopped as soon as possible for everyone’s shake!

i dont know why anybody, makes this such a big deal, you republicans have lost and now you are trying to turn OBAMA in to some gay haters and watnot, you know you should recognise the DEFEAT i told YOU you were going to lose, but when i see your comments here i realise that OBAMA has really won and you finaly going to give up power, because critics goes with any american president, so who mc cain would have picked A GAY PASTOR with republicans? i dont think so , so please chill go to TEXAS OR OKLAHOMA OR SOMEWHERE sit down and make up more lies

I don’t like Obama, and I don’t like Rick Warren. However, this hoola over Obama’s choice to deliver a prayer is much ado about nothing. Gay rights activists have their priorities in the wrong place as usual. Instead of marching against preachers delivering invocations and “marriage”, they need to get back into gear fighting the rampant increase in HIV infections in their community due to the rise in unsafe sex and the ridiculous use of crystal meth and other recreational drugs and the explosion of online sex hookup sites. Once again, fiddling while Rome burns…

The President-elect’s choice of Reverend Warren to participate his inauguration is a stinging slap in the face to all of those LGBT people who invested themselves in Obama’s campaign and who honored him with their votes. To include someone in this important event who has worked diligently to deny LGBT people their rights under the law and guaranteed under our Constitution shows a lack of sensitivity to the needs and aspirations of the gay community who substantially supported his candidacy and election. Reverend Warren and others of his ilk who’s preaching against our community causes those disposed toward violence to physically attack and in some cases kill us is not worthy of the honor being bestowed upon him. There are many pastors, rabbis and mullahs who minister to and support all of the members of their congregations even those who happen to be LGBT. Any of those men or women would have been a more appropriate choice. To claim that inviting Reverend Warren to be a part of his inauguration indicates that “what we have to do is to be able to create an atmosphere where we can disagree without being disagreeable” is at best disingenuous and at worst an insult to the intelligence of the LGBT community. I dare say that if Reverend Warren was as vehement a racist as he is a homophobe he would not have been Obama’s choice to pray for his presidency and our country. As a gay man and a supporter of President-elect Obama I am deeply disappointed that he has chosen to disrespect and disregard the feelings of the great numbers of LGBT Americans who believed in what we were told during the campaign and who enthusiastically supported him with our time and with our votes.

“It is no secret that I am a fierce advocate for equality for gay and lesbian Americans,” Obama said Thursday at a press conference in Chicago.
Why of course, everybody except homosexuals know the Progressive Left uses homosexuality as a perpetual cash pipeline for campaign donations. That said; it wasn’t Mormons who defeated Gay Marriage in California, it was Obama’s black and latino supporters who voted against gay marriage
Leftists are not about rights, they’re about power and making the money to keep that power.
“is a stinging slap in the face to all of those LGBT people who invested themselves in Obama’s campaign and who honored him with their votes.”
Oh please, like all those sexist, racists, homophobic, environmentalist stuck on the Democrat Slave Plantation you’ll forever vote for the Progressive Left come hell or high water; you need your Slave master.

Its interesting how people are more “caught-up” with the gay sex act than that of gay civil rights. It just shows me how ill-informed we all are (even gays) regarding this issue.
In my opinion, gay marriage is just about fairness, and plain decency…
Let me ask all of you this question or give you something to ponder; How would you feel if you have spent 40 years together as a couple, building a life together, and then one dies leaving the estate (even with a will) to the surviving partner. Yet, family members (not necessarily immediate) can contest the validity of that couple’s union and strip the surviving partner of everything? Happens quite often depending upon the state.
Using this same couple… how would you feel if you are not allowed to visit this person in the hospital, be kept informed of their medical care, make decisions regarding their health (especially since you are intimately aware of what they would want), etc. because this union is not looked upon as legal?
How would you feel if your son, daughter, brother, sister were walking down the street, AND given the culture you came from, it being quite normal for same sexes to hold hands or have one’s arm around the other. It does not necessarily mean one is gay. However, a group observes this and makes that assumption. They then beat both people senselessly and even kills one? Just happened here in NYC (the cosmopolitan place!)
Unfortunately, “civil unions” cover a lot of ground but much is not covered by that legal status.

While I think there were better candidates that our newly elected President could have picked, I’m hesitant to read too much into this choice.
Warren has somewhat positioned himself as a “pastor to the presidents,” in much the way Billy Graham did, so I suppose he was a logical choice in that regard.
President Obama (which, incidentally, is how he should be referred to) could have made a “safer” choice – and that might have been smarter for him from a political standpoint – but he recognizes that our country has become deeply divided- by politics, by religion, by economic status.
In order for our society to survive, we all need to reach out to those we may strongly disagree with. When you do this, you can change minds and change beliefs. When you don’t do this, you simply foster the “us vs. them” mentality that has been strangling this country for years.
His critics in the comments above will continue to scoff at this, but I believe it to be true.
Was the inaugural invocation the best venue to do this? No, it wasn’t. As remarkable a person as he his, our new President is still just a man and he will make mistakes.
I think that the LGBT is right to be upset, but I hope that they, and everyone else, will give President Obama the benefit of doubt and reserve judgment for when the time comes to do actual policy making.

Get over yourselves! Rick Warren is
a respected pastor.
You are a small group that has gotten
pretty much everything you want. You
are lucky to be living in the U.S.A. where
you have a right to fight for your “rights”.
I didn’t vote for Obama. This is a nice
gesture for him to reach across the aisle and indicate he is willing to listen to ALL Americans.
Stop being so self-centered and realize
you are not the only ones who live and
work in this country who have rights. Stop WHINING!!!

Gays are making a big mistake here bgy targeting Christians. Christianity is one religion that grows in persecution. Be careful gays.

“You are a small group that has gotten
pretty much everything you want. You
are lucky to be living in the U.S.A. where
you have a right to fight for your “rights”.”
You are lucky to be living the U.S.A. where you are free to be a complete fricking moron.

Honestly, I can’t follow your post and I have no idea what the broader point is. But I’m a big fan of “litteracy.”

Big Mistake, I don’t believe the gay population has targeted Christians. I would think it to be quite the opposite! It is wonderful that YOU have YOUR religion and that YOUR religion works for YOU. However, YOUR beliefs may be in opposition of opinions and beliefs held by others. Would you like to to be subjected to something that you have no belief in?
That’s why I say that ALL unions should be civil. Everyone on an equal base! If a religion chooses to recognize a whatever marriage than so be it. If not, so be it.
Gays are, were, and will be here. Whether you like it or not, gay marriage is on the horizon. It may not be here today but it is my prediction that our country will have this freedom under 5 years.
You have to ask yourself; What is it that gay people know about marriage that (given the divorce rate)heterosexual people do not know about? Especially, since gay people are fighting SO hard for this priviledge.
Yet heterosexuals take marriage so lightly and for granted. If we are such believers in marriage, maybe we should be more concerned about divorce laws rather than who is marrying whom?
So, if this minister is against gay marriage, so be it! I am more interested in knowing what he is doing and how he counsels his congregation regarding divorce.

I don’t know why people are surprised by this. Obama has been very open about his Christian faith, talked about it often on the campaign trail – and Christianity is not a cafeteria-style religion. You can’t pick and choose which parts of the faith you’re going to follow and which you’re going to throw by the wayside. It doesn’t work that way. Why is it surprising that a devout Christian would share some of the same values with this famous pastor?

MR. OBAMA, GUESS THIS JUST PROVES THAT IF YOU ARE NOT WHITE IN AMERICA, NOTHING YOU DO WILL EVER BE GOOD ENOUGH.
THESE GAYS CLAIM DISCRIMINATION, BUT ARE THE FIRST TO DENY OTHERS THE RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH AND ASSOCIATION.
LMAO.

That’s nice- a comment from alchey about exterminating gays. What a pyscopath. Let me guess, “Christian?”

FS, your absolutely right! Please send me a postcard from Tehran – soon.

JEEP: I didn’t create the fact, just brought it to your attention! Other then “Shoot the messenger”, whats on your agenda for the day?

Gays are clueless when it comes to marriage just like many heterosexuals. Modern America has made marriage out to be a mere sexual union based on mutual feelings of affection. Marriage however is not about that and has not been about that through centuries in cultures. Marriage was a design to to raise the kids. Marriage provides kids the best environment for parents to raise children that share their OWN genes. Of course there are exceptions to this. But marriage is about having and raising children for the vast majority of the married people. Gays cannot by nature have children through their marriage relationship. No, it is not just about puppy love. Our society and our children will continue to suffer until we realize this truth.

FS:
Nice try, sweetheart. Clumsy, ackward, but you get points for the effort.
Some homosexual marriages have ALREADY failed and resulted in divorce.
I have been heterosexually married for over 40 years.
I am pointing out facts.
You are attempting (poorly) to use redirection to obscure that. ( Don’t blush, it’s a tactic commonly used by those whose arguments lack substance.)
If I point out that Alaska is north of me, and you don’t like that, it is unimpressive for you to respond that New York is east of me.

AlchyDave25, thanks for the compliment. However, you failed to answer the question. Given, that the divorce rate is so high, what are you doing to preserve the sanctity of marriage amongst heterosexuals? What actions are you taking to curtail the high rate of divorce amongst heterosexuals?

Screw morality! This issue is not about Homosexuality. It is about equal rights. People do not get married by the church; people get a marriage certificate issued to them by the local government. The fact that a church leader would even take up this fight and a President would invite him to give the invocation is appalling. It sets a very precedent. Some church leaders can still find passages in the bible that justifies slavery.