California Proposition 8 Supporter and Anti-Gay Marriage Pastor Rick Warren Selected to Deliver Invocation at Barack Obama Inauguration

Barack Obama has chosen the founder and senior Pastor at California’s Saddleback Church, Pro-Life, conservative Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his inauguration. Warren is nationally acclaimed pastor and author of the New York Times bestselling “The Purpose Driven Life.” He previously announced  his support in favor of Proposition  8, California’s Protect Marriage Act that passed in November and restored the traditional definition of marriage (one man and one woman). 

Key Warren graph on marriage:

“For 5,000 years, every culture and every religion – not just Christianity – has defined marriage as a contract between men and women,” Warren wrote. “There is no reason to change the universal, historical definition of marriage to appease 2% of our population.”

But, the homosexual community is NOT happy.

The Human Rights Campaign and gay and lesbian activists are up in arms over the Obama transition team’s announcement that the Reverend Rick Warren has been selected to deliver the invocation at his inauguration in January.

The HRC sent a letter to president elect Barack Obama Wednesday expressing their disappointment in the selection of Warren.“Our loss in California over the passage of Proposition 8 which stripped loving, committed same-sex couples of their given legal right to marry is the greatest loss our community has faced in 40 years,” the letter reads. “And by inviting Rick Warren to your inauguration, you have tarnished the view that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans have a place at your table.”

Early in his campaign, Obama ran up against criticism from LGBT Americans for his inclusion of antigay political figures in his faith tour and on campaign stops. “Reformed gay” gospel singer Donnie McClurkin performed at an early event for Obama, drawing jeers from LGBT activists.

McClurkin has long claimed that God saved him from homosexuality.

Weeks later, the press latched on to Obama’s friendship with antigay minister James Meeks, from whom Obama had long claimed to seek regular “spiritual counsel.” This association led a number of on-the-fence LGBT voters to rally behind Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primaries.

Here is the text of the letter:

Dear President-elect Obama,

Let me get right to the point. Your invitation to Reverend Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at your inauguration is a genuine blow to LGBT Americans. Our loss in California over the passage of Proposition 8 which stripped loving, committed same-sex couples of their given legal right to marry is the greatest loss our community has faced in 40 years. And by inviting Rick Warren to your inauguration, you have tarnished the view that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans have a place at your table.

Rick Warren has not sat on the sidelines in the fight for basic equality and fairness. In fact, Rev. Warren spoke out vocally in support of Prop 8 in California saying, “there is no need to change the universal, historical definition of marriage to appease 2 percent of our population … This is not a political issue — it is a moral issue that God has spoken clearly about.” Furthermore, he continues to misrepresent marriage equality as silencing his religious views. This was a lie during the battle over Proposition 8, and it’s a lie today.

Rev. Warren cannot name a single theological issue that he and vehemently, anti-gay theologian James Dobson disagree on. Rev. Warren is not a moderate pastor who is trying to bring all sides together. Instead, Rev. Warren has often played the role of general in the cultural war waged against LGBT Americans, many of whom also share a strong tradition of religion and faith.

We have been moved by your calls to religious leaders to own up to the homophobia and racism that has stood in the way of combating HIV and AIDS in this country. And that you have publicly called on religious leaders to open their hearts to their LGBT family members, neighbors and friends.

But in this case, we feel a deep level of disrespect when one of architects and promoters of an anti-gay agenda is given the prominence and the pulpit of your historic nomination. Only when Rev. Warren and others support basic legislative protections for LGBT Americans can we believe their claim that they are not four-square against our rights and dignity. In that light, we urge you to reconsider this announcement.

Sincerely,

Joe Solmonese
President
Human Rights Campaign

Flap understands why the homosexual LEFT is upset.

Obama did name seven openly homosexual folks to his transition team but he has placed the issue of “gays in the military” on the backburner.

And, California African-American voters voted overwhelmingly in favor of California Proposition 8.

Now, Obama selects an anti-gay marriage Pastor to participate in the inauguration ceremony. It would be like President George W. Bush asking Barbara Streisand to speak at an RNC fundraising dinner.

But, Obama wants to be an inclusive President and irrespective of the homosexual community his voter base approves.

Exit questions: Will the radical gay marriage protesters that have marched against Mormon Churches, protested in front of Rick Warren’s church, harassed businesses and indviduals that supported Proposition 8, boycott or protest at Obama’s inauguration? Will they dare?

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