Mike Dunford was a graduate student in the Department of Zoology at the University of Hawaii, Manoa, where he studied evolution. Life as an army spouse has since moved him on to Pensacola, where he's currently trying to figure out what to do next. While he's doing that, he writes stuff here, although not usually in the third person. He's also a contributer to Unless you're in a coma, you've probably heard that President-Elect Obama invited megachurch pastor Rick Warren to give the invocation at the inauguration. You've probably also heard that this decision has royally ticked off quite a few members of Obama's base.
I'm not going to get into the political benefits or pitfalls of this decision. It's clear that Mr. Obama and his staff feel that the potential benefits sent by what they see as a message of inclusion outweigh the costs. That's clearly their call to make, and it would hardly be the first time that a politician has expended some political capital on their left to try to buy some on their right.
Instead, I'd like to look at whether or not this is really a message of inclusion. Matt Nisbet has Obama's remarks and some talking points given to staff. I think the key issue was nicely summed up by one sentence in the President-Elect's remarks:
Nevertheless I had an opportunity to speak, and that dialogue I think is part of what my campaign's been all about, that we're not going to agree on every single issue, but what we have to do is to be able to create an atmosphere where we can disagree without being disagreeable, and then focus on those things that we hold in common as Americans.
The problem comes with that whole "disagree without being disagreeable" thing. Rick Warren recently compared homosexuality to pedophilia, bestiality, and polygamy. That's not disagreeing without being disagreeable. That's being nasty without shouting. There's a very large difference, and it's a bit disappointing that Mr. Obama doesn't see that.
Politics
Comments
"Warren recently compared homosexuality to pedophilia, bestiality, and polygamy"
Pedophilia and bestiality I understand the insult but polygamy is a different case. There is nothing wrong, in principle, with polygamy if all the participants are willing adults.
As for Warren and his church I fail to see how he can be described as a moderate by the media. Its like saying that in Europe in the 1940s General Franco was a moderate.
I went to Warrens church website a few months back and was shocked to see the levels of extremist bigotry on display. Forgetting for a second about the attitude to homosexuality, stem cell research and reproductive choice have you seen their statements about evolution?
Its like a horrific intellectual lovechild of Ken Ham and Jonathan Wells!
Posted by: Sigmund | December 19, 2008 8:50 AM
I suppose the idea is that someone has to be the first not to be disagreeable. There is also a subtle dig involved since I heard the the benediction is to be delivered by a pastor who supports gay rights and opposed Prop 8.
As to polygamy, it's hard to see how Warren finds that so objectionable ... considering such godly people as Abraham, David and (especially) Solomon, a biblical author and all, were all polygamists.
Posted by: John Pieret | December 19, 2008 9:23 AM
It is so very, disappointingly ironic that the Obama team's idea of inclusiveness includes giving national, historic airtime to someone that does not even want equal rights for all Americans. Warren preaches exclusivity to thousands, and should be shunned for it, not given a podium on the national stage.
Posted by: jake | December 19, 2008 9:40 AM
Rick Warren teaches hatred and intolerance in his mega church but he controls alot of votes. Obama is pandering to him so that he can get more of the evengelica vote come reelection time. Obama knows that gay americans have nowhere else to go. What are they going to do, vote for Huckabee? This is nothing but a vote grab that will diminish and tarnish Obama's message of hope and change. I wonder how Obama would feel if Warren were comparing African Americans to child molesters?
Posted by: Carlin | December 20, 2008 6:07 PM
Some of a good thing is better than none of a good thing. At least Reverand Warren is accepting of Global Warming as being true and an issue that needs to be addressed from an active realistic point of view.
And now there is more room to stand on in confronting him about his outragious views on the bible, homosexuality, etc.
Ironic that he would relate homosexuality with incest, when the Genisis chapter from which comes the desctruction of Sodom and Gamorrah ends with Lot's two daughters getting him drunk so that they could have incestuous sex with him. Who's the incestuous ones?
Do you think Barak is showing that the radical ideas of Reverand Wright are no more central to his presidency than those radical religious right ideas of Reverand Warren?
Posted by: berniemk | December 28, 2008 2:27 PM
No, that's different. That was to preserve the purity of their race.
Wait...
Posted by: konrad_arflane | December 28, 2008 4:49 PM
"Warren recently compared homosexuality to pedophilia, bestiality, and polygamy"
...during a political discussion on FOX News, and then apologized for the rude comparison. He didn't do that at his church and he never has.
Posted by: tsuu | December 30, 2008 1:12 AM
bayrak imalati satisi
Posted by: bayrak | June 25, 2009 7:27 AM