Comments on: Rick Warren’s Traditional Marriage

By: Ben in Oakland

Ben in Oakland — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 18:15:29 +0000

Green-eye: i think you have hit on something. It has always amazed mehow many gay relationships succeed, despite all of the social prssure against them, and how many straight relationships fail, despite all of the forces arrayed to support them.

And then we have the Warrens.

By: Robert in San Diego

Robert in San Diego — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 16:04:29 +0000

Wow you know, I really don’t blame her for never being attracted to him. But once all that free money started to flow in I’m pretty sure that she could then see past anything. SO let me see if I get this straight (no pun of course), voices in his head “ok”, voices in my head “bad” and the voices in the little boy who killed his brother this week somewhere in between “good & bad”. But then again GOD has commanded many people to slaughter their family members. Look at all the sacrifices that are mentioned in the bible, mostly animals of course. I mean when the voice in me tells me I’m hungry I blame slaughtering animals on the bible to eat.

By: GreenEyedLilo

GreenEyedLilo — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 17:18:53 +0000

Damn, Tom, that’s sad!

I’m beginning to wonder if some anti-gay conservatives don’t feel at least a slight and unconscious twinge of jealousy. It’s not like most of us are encouraged to enter same-sex relationships, let alone marry a same-sex partner. It often takes a great deal of backbone to pursue and maintain our relationships. Therefore, we escape the bonds of societal/familial/religious expectation and follow love and happiness instead. I hope this makes sense and doesn’t just sound mean or petty.

By: Tom

Tom — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 16:57:20 +0000

Warren “Cubby” Culbertson, “spiritual giant” to Mark Sanford, says this about Xtian marriage:

“Because it’s not feelings — it’s not emotions. For most Christians, at some point in your marriage, if you’re married long enough, you do it because that’s what we’re called to do — out of obedience instead of out of passion. And I think that’s where Mark and Jenny are right now.”

http://realitybong.wordpress.com/2009/08/12/sad-portrait-of-christian-marriage-living-a-lie/

By: John

John — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 01:38:41 +0000

Traditional arranged marriages are set up by the families of the bride and groom. Brides and grooms have some say in many of these. I don’t think there is any evidence that this was a “traditional” arranged marriage.

He felt that he “needed” to marry this pastor’s daughter. It was either to further his religious career or more like to cover his homosexuality.

By: GreenEyedLilo

GreenEyedLilo — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 01:23:43 +0000

Wow. I sort of feel sorry for them both, until I remember how much Prick Warren has profited at our expense and how slow he is to exercise real compassion. I dearly wish that straight people would read this stuff–see what anti-gay conservative Christian leaders think *their* marriages should be–and understand that when the right-wingers are done kicking same-sex couples around, they’re next.

By: David Blakeslee

David Blakeslee — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 00:03:37 +0000

Timothy,

I think this disclosure empowers your argument.

Not perfectly, but helpfully.

He is saying he is directed mystically (in picking his spouse).

How can secularists or non-mystics apply his values if they do not share his subjective experiences?

Does Rick Warren expect secularists and non-mystics in the larger culture to apply his motivations to their decisions?

By: Transplanted Lawyer

Transplanted Lawyer — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:37:16 +0000

Now, I’d agree that arranged marriages often work out well and sometimes actually do result in love between the spouses, and maybe that’s what happened here. But this is just plain weird.

Anyway, it’s no wonder Rick Warren doesn’t think he’s doing anything hateful when he urges his congregation to deny gays the right to marry. If marriage isn’t such a wonderful good thing for him, it can’t be for anyone else, either, right? So he’s doing gay people a kindness by making sure they can’t get into bizarre, loveless, interminable relationships inspired by disembodied voices in their heads.

By: Timothy Kincaid

Timothy Kincaid — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:35:40 +0000

David,

This highlights the problems with pride and arrogance that far too often accompany religious ascendancy.

Warren has gone from “I hear God calling me to sacrifice” to “Therefore you should sacrifice.”

One is not the logical outcome of the other. Nor is the level of sacrifice.

I am “willing to listen” to those gay people who have not adopted bigotry but who find that God wants them to live celibate. I may not agree, but I respect that they are not glib or cavalier.

However, I really have nothing to hear from those who do demand of me what they do not have to experience. It’s all far too convenient.

And as far as Rick Warren living in obedience and sacrifice by getting married, it is but foolishness and hubris to suggest that this qualifies him to demand that I not be allowed to marry.

By: Burr

Burr — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:07:32 +0000

Yeah it does, David. It says he’s a spiritual masochist and is miserable and therefore everyone else needs to be miserable just like him.

I don’t value advice or someone interfering with my freedom for stupid aims like that.