Obama is a smart man.
Obama is a proponent of diplomacy over warfare.
Solution? Let's leverage Rick Warren's sermon for our own ends. (By "our", I mean Obama's base.) Let's start a dialogue with him and the Evangelical, Christianity-first, right-wing communities in this country on our turf. The inaugruation is our achievement, but it's also our opportunity to set this country on a new path of inclusion.
So start offering constructive criticism for how Obama can leverage Warren's acceptance of his invitation. Tell him what Warren should say; tell him what Warren canNOT say. (With all due respect.)
Because, let's get real, there's no way Obama can disinvite Rick Warren and not declare war on -- or have war declared on his administration by -- Warren's audience.
Click the title or the "click here" to read my suggestions...
I reiterate, Obama is a smart man.
One could argue that by honoring him w/ the invitation to deliver this sermon, Obama is in fact co-opting Rick Warren as a messenger to the Evangelical, Christianity-first, right-wing communities in this country.
As many in this blog and all my favorite news sources have said, Rick Warren is undeniably, unabashedly, and unapologetically a "homosexual denier" (my own term -- like the "Holocaust deniers" refuse the realities of the Holocaust, Warren denies the reality that homosexuality is not a choice). He has made some outrageous comparisons between homosexuality and sexual deviants, yes. He led the movement to deny a minority rights through Prop 8, yes. Anyone pushing for discrimination against a minority i not someone I think should have any influence in this country.
But he does. And we need to get him on our side in this conflict of "values". This war for the soul -- and the future -- of America.
So what do I mean by warfare? Evangelicals have essentially declared war on progressive, liberal views and morals; progressives and liberals have difficulty not viewing evangelicals as their enemy. (I say this from experience as a progressive myeslf.) Our two visions of America don't mesh.
What we need is dialogue between the two sides, and -- maybe, hopefully -- that is what Obama is going to get with Rick Warren's sermon. Obama has every right to set parameters for Warren's sermon, and we all should make our voices heard to that effect. Remember, there's no way Obama can disinvite Rick Warren and not declare war on -- or have war declared on his administration by -- Warren's audience.
So what do we do? Take a leaf from "real politik".
Keep posting these blogs, but start offering constructive criticism for how Obama can leverage Rick Warren's acceptance of his invitation. Tell him what Warren should say; tell him what Warren canNOT say. (With all due respect...)
Warren understands that Obama is taking a HUGE risk by inviting him to deliver a sermon. If he has any humanity in him, he'll be respectful of the occasion and spirit in which the invitation was proffered and not use it to insult us all.
So, my suggestions to Barack Obama...
Warren's themes should be,
What he canNOT say,
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