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News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbyDecember 23rd, 2008
When the Rick Warren controversy arose, I looked for evidence that Joseph Lowery, the Methodist minister giving the benediction, actually does support gay marriage. I couldn’t find any quotes saying so.
Because he doesn’t. Here he is on MSNBC’s 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
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Nelson G
December 23rd, 2008
Thus it would seem that when Obama meant “Change”, it was of the ex-gay kind.
James G
December 23rd, 2008
At what point did “separate but equal” make a comeback? How is this even acceptable in polite society?
a. mcewen
December 23rd, 2008
I hate to be the one to say this but let’s proceed with caution on this one.
Rick Warren has done much to get criticized for but let’s not make it look like we are putting up some type of litmus test for pastors who will be participating in Obama’s inauguration.
Patrick
December 23rd, 2008
Obama doesn’t support marriage either, so we shouldn’t be surprised by the pastors not supporting it either. I sincerely doubt Obama chose pastors based on their views of marriage. The problem with his selection of Warren is Warren’s insulting comments and activities, not that he doesn’t approve of marriage. At least Mr Lowery admits his problem is just discomfort and unfamiliarity with the concept not some moral opposition.
Gregory
December 23rd, 2008
I have to side with mcewan here. While I am strongly supportive of gay marriage and gay rights, I do not think that we need to establish this as some sort of litmus test that determines whether a candidate (let alone an inaugural “invoker”) is “worthy”. Certainly there is a time for such disputes, but I have to agree with some writer somewhere (I can’t seem to remember) who stated that this is in fact not an attack on GLBT, but an attempt to reach over to the other side, something Obama promised earlier on.
Furthermore, it is not as though President-elect Obama has made Rick Warren his spiritual advisor. While this is a great honor, and I think there are some legitimate problems with Rick Warren (personally, I am not a fan of his recent “assassin” comments, a little too pat robertson for my tastes), on the whole he has done much. Remember, he came into the whole pro-Prop 8 thing late, and records show he didn’t contribute (significantly?).
I hope this ordeal doesn’t reveal GLBT activists to be non-compromising, as sometimes compromise is necessary. Biden said it well when he stated that this was in no way a step away from gay rights, but a step to be more inclusive.
Those are my ten cents.
Timothy Kincaid
December 24th, 2008
Personally, I’ll take Joseph Lowery’s support and not for a moment consider him bigoted because of his hesitation to recognize that marriage can be other than as he’s always known. He’s a supporter and a hero.
But I find it interesting that this is playing out as pro-marriage v. anti-marriage when it’s really about pro-decency v. demonization.
I don’t mind that Warren supported Prop 8. I would have been surprised if he hadn’t. But there were literally thousands of pastors in this state that supported Proposition 8 without tying gay relationships to pedophiles, polygamists, or the incestuous.
werdna
December 24th, 2008
And many pastors who supported Prop 8 did so without lying about the impact of same-sex marriage on their ability to preach anti-gay bigotry from the pulpit.
AJD
December 24th, 2008
Lowery’s position is only disappointing within the context of the fact that Warren was invited. Otherwise, it wouldn’t matter, I don’t think.
Still, I agree with a. mcewen that Lowery is best left alone. He himself did say that he was against marriage amendments, after all, and he described his feeling as a “culture shock,” so he could just as easily have meant that he was against same-sex marriage on a more personal level, as opposed to be actively opposed to it.
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