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Gay Bishop to lead Obama's inauguration week prayer

jonks

jonks

Lifer
He had to have planned this all along. Piss off the libs with Rick Warren, then put out the fire just before the inauguration. Not just a pro-gay bishop or a bishop accepting of gays, but an actual gay bishop.

I didn't have any skin in the game either way about the Warren pick, it seemed BO's MO at this point of picking people one wouldn't expect. I imagine many on the right won't take this any better than the adament left did Warren.

http://www.usnews.com/blogs/go...bama-inauguration.html

After Rick Warren Flap, Gay Episcopal Bishop Tapped for Obama Inauguration
January 12, 2009 11:24 AM ET | Dan Gilgoff | Permanent Link | Print
The Episcopal Café has gotten word that the Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson, the first openly gay man to be ordained a bishop in the Episcopal Church?provoking a national rift in the church?has been invited by Barack Obama to give the invocation to kick off at inauguration week. The symbolism here is obvious: Obama's invitation to Rick Warren to give the invocation on Inauguration Day triggered a firestorm of criticism in the gay community because of Warren's disapproval of homosexuality and his advocacy against gay rights measures. The question is whether the gay community will accept this gesture as ample recompense. Robinson, for his part, sounds like he does:

It is also an indication of the new president's commitment to being the President of ALL the people. I am humbled and overjoyed at this invitation, and it will be my great honor to be there representing the Episcopal Church, the people of New Hampshire, and all of us in the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.

I'll be checking in with gay rights groups today to gauge whether other leaders are as ebullient. Picking Warren and Robinson, Obama is trying to satisfy two constituencies that are often diametrically opposed to one another. Rick Warren has gone so far as to invite conservative Episcopal parishes that have left the mother church over their objections to Robinson's ordination to meet on the grounds of his Southern California church, Saddleback. But because the inaugural events are purely ceremonial?which is not to say unimportant?why wouldn't he be able to pull it off?
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Obama takes both sides of an issue and never actually offers his real views on hard, controversial subjects that don't lend themselves to easy compromises? I'm shocked at this turn of events 😛
 
Originally posted by: loki8481
Obama takes both sides of an issue and never actually offers his real views on hard, controversial subjects that don't lend themselves to easy compromises? I'm shocked at this turn of events 😛
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Yeap....


The first time he is forced to make a 'hard' choice it will be interesting to see what he does.
 
Originally posted by: Ocguy31
I wonder if Obama's ass is going to start hurting from sitting on the fence so much.......
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It's not the fence that's paining him, it's the rocks being thrown from both sides of the fence. Apparently being fair and open to both sides gets you reamed from both sides. I know everyone would just prefer he be simpleminded and onesided. Love gays or hate gays for christsake pick a side! Sorry to disappoint you all yet again.

Care to explain what's wrong with allowing opposing groups to both be represented so that everyone feels they are being recognized? These aren't policy decisions he's making here, it's guys in funny hats beseeching invisible entities.
 
the democratic party has a history of paying lip service to the gay community and then sweeping us into the kitchen when company comes over. it's oddly enough pretty comparable to the republican's relationship with the christian right. stuff like this just reinforces that in my mind, but there's going to have to be a time when they put up or shut up. Obama can't ride the fence forever and there are no compromises that are going to please everybody.
 
Originally posted by: loki8481
the democratic party has a history of paying lip service to the gay community and then sweeping us into the kitchen when company comes over. it's oddly enough pretty comparable to the republican's relationship with the christian right. stuff like this just reinforces that in my mind, but there's going to have to be a time when they put up or shut up. Obama can't ride the fence forever and there are no compromises that are going to please everybody.
Click to expand...

lol.... Blame Obama and the democrats for not making American society shift fast enough for your taste....

and ignore that if the rightwing base didn't continue to use gay/lesbian rights as a wedge issue, you might see more progress concerning it....

 
Originally posted by: UberNeuman
Originally posted by: loki8481
the democratic party has a history of paying lip service to the gay community and then sweeping us into the kitchen when company comes over. it's oddly enough pretty comparable to the republican's relationship with the christian right. stuff like this just reinforces that in my mind, but there's going to have to be a time when they put up or shut up. Obama can't ride the fence forever and there are no compromises that are going to please everybody.
Click to expand...

lol.... Blame Obama and the democrats for not making American society shift fast enough for your taste....

and ignore that if the rightwing base didn't continue to use gay/lesbian rights as a wedge issue, you might see more progress concerning it....
Click to expand...

certainly not "blaming" them, but at least I know where I stand with the GOP.
 
Originally posted by: loki8481
Originally posted by: UberNeuman
Originally posted by: loki8481
the democratic party has a history of paying lip service to the gay community and then sweeping us into the kitchen when company comes over. it's oddly enough pretty comparable to the republican's relationship with the christian right. stuff like this just reinforces that in my mind, but there's going to have to be a time when they put up or shut up. Obama can't ride the fence forever and there are no compromises that are going to please everybody.
Click to expand...

lol.... Blame Obama and the democrats for not making American society shift fast enough for your taste....

and ignore that if the rightwing base didn't continue to use gay/lesbian rights as a wedge issue, you might see more progress concerning it....
Click to expand...

certainly not "blaming" them, but at least I know where I stand with the GOP.
Click to expand...

You should have gone down to Watts or Hawthorne on election day and asked those democrats what they thought about homosexuals.

There is "fear of teh gay spreading" on both sides 😉

 
I thought that many voted for him precisely because he was supposed to work both sides and be a 'uniter'? That a major criticism of the Bush administration was the polarization of Washington politics to one ideological extreme? I'm personally ambivalent to having the nutjobs on either side placated on the social issues, while progress can be made on real national issues (the economy, foreign relations, immigration, etc). For me the real litmus test will be whether or not progress is being made on the important issues, which of course remains to be seen. In the mean time he can have as many gay bishops and religious-right nutjobs (who both happen to cherish saddleback, but have dramatically different definitions of the term) invoking baby jesus as he pleases.
 
Originally posted by: loki8481
the democratic party has a history of paying lip service to the gay community and then sweeping us into the kitchen when company comes over. it's oddly enough pretty comparable to the republican's relationship with the christian right. stuff like this just reinforces that in my mind, but there's going to have to be a time when they put up or shut up. Obama can't ride the fence forever and there are no compromises that are going to please everybody.
Click to expand...

As I see it gays in America have about the same political choice as black people. You have one party that largely ignores you (Democrats) and you have one party that has made race/gay baiting part of their campaign. (Republicans) Not a good choice, but you have to admit by any measure Obama is already the most gay friendly president we've ever had considering his platform to repeal DOMA and 'don't ask, don't tell'.
 
Next up on the list, I want a topic on P&N telling us how the color of Obama?s suit offends certain groups. If we can dredge up pastors on Inauguration week as relevant, then the color of his suit shouldn?t be a problem either.
:disgust:
 
Originally posted by: JS80
Originally posted by: halik
Errr gay bishop?

Isn't that in itself hypocritical?
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let he who is without sin throw the first stone
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Yeah, you missed the end of that story:"... go and sin no more."

I'm don't consider myself religious, but having a gay pastor to me makes about as much sense as having a practicing contract killer pastor. Your job is to steer people clear of sins and lead them to haven/jesus/* ... being a practicing gay guy doesn't exactly set a good example.
 
Originally posted by: halik
Originally posted by: JS80
Originally posted by: halik
Errr gay bishop?

Isn't that in itself hypocritical?
Click to expand...

let he who is without sin throw the first stone
Click to expand...

Yeah, you missed the end of that story:"... go and sin no more."

I'm don't consider myself religious, but having a gay pastor to me makes about as much sense as having a practicing contract killer pastor. Neither one follows the scripture.
Click to expand...


What percentage of Pastors, Priests, etc actually follow it to the letter anyway?


They are all about as bat-shit crazy as it gets...gay, straight, or otherwise. They all interpret the book in whatever way they think will pry the most $$$ from their congregation on a weekly basis.
 
Originally posted by: Ocguy31
Originally posted by: halik
Originally posted by: JS80
Originally posted by: halik
Errr gay bishop?

Isn't that in itself hypocritical?
Click to expand...

let he who is without sin throw the first stone
Click to expand...

Yeah, you missed the end of that story:"... go and sin no more."

I'm don't consider myself religious, but having a gay pastor to me makes about as much sense as having a practicing contract killer pastor. Neither one follows the scripture.
Click to expand...


What percentage of Pastors, Priests, etc actually follow it to the letter anyway?


They are all about as bat-shit crazy as it gets...gay, straight, or otherwise. They all interpret the book in whatever way they think will pry the most $$$ from their congregation on a weekly basis.
Click to expand...

Yeah that's why they're hypocrites also, but that doesn't excuse this particular guy either. As a christian priest you're supposed to be a paragon to the people.

I really don't see how you can subscribe to the dogma and comfortably ignore the parts that talk about your sexual orientation. If that's ok, then you might as well have the swinger priest, combo christian/hindu priest (save time!), the klepto priest etc.

 
You know....perhaps the pick of Warren and this other guy had NOTHING to do with homosexuality. People are just trying hard to be outraged or have too thin a skin when it comes to the issue. If these guys preach only about homosexuality, then they themselves have missed the point. I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt for now until I hear the speeches...
 
Obama's not stupid, he's got to know how deeply everyone in the world is going to be looking into the symbolism he chooses to use for his inauguration.
 
My take on it is, the OP nailed when he said Obama is a sly dog and a very smart cookie. Formerly, the radical right won by demonizing Gay and Lesbians, basically saying retreat back into your closet, so we do not have to deal with you or see your ugly faces. A basically segregationist "us" vs "them" debate the overwhelming majority is certain to win if they pretend hard enough.

And Obama is sending the loud and clear message, both of you groups are going to have to sit across the the same table if you want to have anything to eat from my table. You exist, they exist, now find some common ground.

IMHO, not only sly but very wise. We are still all Americans.
 
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