Rev. Ricky Hoyt has a moving post about President elect Obama's choice of the controversial Rev Rick Warren to give the invocation at the inauguration. He was moved by an article by Melissa Etheridge asking, “Am I really about peace?” He wants to be one of those who's willing to talk.
I'm all about talking, too. But I'm having a hard time trusting a man who asked his congregation to have the same commitment as Hitler's brown shirts.
5 comments:
That's really weird.
CC
Igather he is trying to rally his folks with the usual shibboleth that the human forces of evil are large and totally committed, so the triumph of good will require equal commitment and numbers.
The disturbing part is that he is using examples of evil that are generally accepted to gather troops to overwhelm the far more nuanced and delicate American electoral process.
And as for "whatever it takes," isn't that the motto of people who murder women's health providers in the name of the "unborn"?
From a polity point of view, I admire some of Warren's work. But even though I blog under the name "politywonk," I don't think good polity trumps unjust social vision.
This is more than weird; it's a little scary, and leaves me wondering what MY greatest, most passionate commitment is now, and how best to devote myself to it. I've been a quiet admirer of Rick Warren's since I first heard him interviewed on "Focus on the Family" back in the late 1980's, and have consciously incorporated many of his ideas (especially those early insights from "The Purpose Driven Church") into my own ministry. But the idea of a cadre of American Christian "brownshirts" evangelizing the world with their "Good News" of -- what? It's really something of a nightmare.
I'm reading this on my Blackberry, so didn't look at the video. I read Etheridge's story and also Rev Ricky's. I don't think either of them are saying we should embrace Rick Warren or trust him open heartedly but that it would be better to leave the avenues of dialogue open and allow the possibilty of understanding to develop, particularly because Warren has opened that door.
As people who profess the inherent worth and dignity, vilification does not help our cause.
"As people who profess the inherent worth and dignity, vilification does not help our cause."
No one here has done any villification, UUCamper- the references to Hitler and the brownshirts are Warren's own. So is "Whatever it takes"
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