President-elect Barack Obama

[ggould]

Bumping this thread back up; surprised Gaz or someone hasn't commented on the Rick Warren-at-the-inauguration story.  "Ah am much much unhappy" about it.  Flock Rick Warren and his fuck, er, I mean, fuck Rick Warren and his flock.

yeah, it's kind of weird.  Gavin Newsom was on Rachel Maddow's show tonight, and while still supporting Obama, and saying he strongly disagrees with Warren, he feels it's a mistake, but is giving Obama the benefit of the doubt.  I personally cannot remember a presidency in transition that had so much focus on it before the inauguration.  I just can't wait for January 20, and just hope we can all survive until then!

[Gazoo]

Bumping this thread back up; surprised Gaz or someone hasn't commented on the Rick Warren-at-the-inauguration story.  "Ah am much much unhappy" about it.  Flock Rick Warren and his fuck, er, I mean, fuck Rick Warren and his flock.

I've got no love for Warren, but I respect that Obama's trying to win over the large segment of America that does.

And to be sure, Obama could have done far worse in the God Squad.

[RGMike]

Bumping this thread back up; surprised Gaz or someone hasn't commented on the Rick Warren-at-the-inauguration story.  "Ah am much much unhappy" about it.  Flock Rick Warren and his fuck, er, I mean, fuck Rick Warren and his flock.

I've got no love for Warren, but I respect that Obama's trying to win over the large segment of America that does.

And to be sure, Obama could have done far worse in the God Squad.

you disappoint me.

As the guy from Americans United said last nite, Warren is just "Jerry falwell in a Hawaiian shirt"

[ggould]

I was reviewing a blog post I did about Rick Warren 4 years ago, and the pattern is similar.  He pretends to be impartial, but then tells us the non-negotiable opinion of God.  I trust Obama so far, but I really wish he hadn't included Warren in such a celebratory day.

[RGMike]

and in other gay-bashing news (tho' this one's technically Bush's fault):

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2008/12/19/MNB914QRON.DTL

[mshray]

Bumping this thread back up; surprised Gaz or someone hasn't commented on the Rick Warren-at-the-inauguration story.  "Ah am much much unhappy" about it.  Flock Rick Warren and his fuck, er, I mean, fuck Rick Warren and his flock.

I've got no love for Warren, but I respect that Obama's trying to win over the large segment of America that does.

And to be sure, Obama could have done far worse in the God Squad.

I agree with Gaz...this was a pretty easy bone to throw.

One thing about Warren, unlike any of his peers I can name (and certainly never Dobson, or the late Falwell, or anyone else who's ever appeared on FAUX News) he unremittingly preaches about service to others.  He may not have gays in mind when he does (and I don't forgive him that), but he's on the right side when it comes to the 3rd world, the environment, and lots of other issues.

Lest we forget, he not only personally conducted the Tsunami relief effort in 2006, he was the one who broke the story to the national press.

[mshray]

and in other gay-bashing news (tho' this one's technically Bush's fault):

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2008/12/19/MNB914QRON.DTL

Rama Yade, France's Human Rights Minister (and how cool is it that France has a ministry just for Human Rights?)

No offense, but I'd be inclined to agree with anything she said.

(ETA: unles of course she was using her thumb and forefinger to descibe me in some way    )

[mshray]

I personally cannot remember a presidency in transition that had so much focus on it before the inauguration. 

Unless you were listening to the radio in 1932, you wouldn't.  Hence all the FDR comparisons.

[RGMike]

Bumping this thread back up; surprised Gaz or someone hasn't commented on the Rick Warren-at-the-inauguration story.  "Ah am much much unhappy" about it.  Flock Rick Warren and his fuck, er, I mean, fuck Rick Warren and his flock.

I've got no love for Warren, but I respect that Obama's trying to win over the large segment of America that does.

And to be sure, Obama could have done far worse in the God Squad.

I agree with Gaz...this was a pretty easy bone to throw.

One thing about Warren, unlike any of his peers I can name (and certainly never Dobson, or the late Falwell, or anyone else who's ever appeared on FAUX News) he unremittingly preaches about service to others.  He may not have gays in mind when he does (and I don't forgive him that), but he's on the right side when it comes to the 3rd world, the environment, and lots of other issues.

Lest we forget, he not only personally conducted the Tsunami relief effort in 2006, he was the one who broke the story to the national press.

Sorry to be the unrepentant atheist here, but the God Squad is still the God Squad, and if they're anti-gay and anti-choice and anti-stem cells... then all that service to others is just window-dressing. Laudable, yes, but window-dressing nonetheless. I am very tired of those people telling me I'm going to hell. VERY tired.

[mshray]

Okay, I don't want to put myself in the position of defending Rick Warren nor Chritianity in general, but there are probably more Christians in favor of marriage equality than there are gay people in the US.  It's just that within the broader Christian community we are still outnumbered.  But the only way to make change happen is to engage people & make them change their minds.  Much as I viscerally hate their attitudes, insulting them won't change their minds any more than Jim Briggs & Anita Bryant could change mine.  And I was only 15 back then.

To that end I did a little research & at least Warren is meeting with the opposition (http://kimolsen.wordpress.com/2008/06/07/rick-warrens-latest-gay-fathers-day/).  In fact I intend to follow this group's activities (see http://www.soulforce.org/article/1473) because I think they are on the right track. 

I can say for sure that my folks & wife & both my kids (9 & 7) represent an 'Allied Family'.  I wish I knew how to get Desmond Tutu & Nelson Mandela to come over here & explain to the African-American community why they had no choice but to support marriage equality in South Africa - "Human Rights do not exist on a sliding scale."

[Lightnin' Rod]

Jon Carrol weighs in on Warren.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/12/23/DDHR14RE7L.DTL

[RGMike]

Jon Carrol weighs in on Warren.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/12/23/DDHR14RE7L.DTL

Superb as always. Thanks for that, Rod.

[RGMike]

Obama makes the front page of the Post because of pecs, not policies:

[RGMike]

Jon Carrol weighs in on Warren.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/12/23/DDHR14RE7L.DTL

Superb as always. Thanks for that, Rod.

the best thing I've yet read on the subject, from Christopher Hitchens.

http://www.slate.com/id/2207148/

Hitchens is an odd bird: a neocon who was a big Iraq war supporter (Hiss!), but who is also an unrepentant atheist (Yay!). And so his basic premise -- "Never mind the gay thing, Warren is a sleazy huckser. Period." -- is both amusing and true.

[RGMike]

this is the dawning of the Age of Obamaquarius!

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2008/12/30/findrelig123008.DTL