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January 2009 
What do I think of Rick Warren?
Posted on Dec 28th, 2008
by 
Allison
Allison
Ok, so I am frequently being asking what my opinion is on the Rick Warren selection for the invocation at the inauguration, and it is time to get this out once and for all.
I am mad as hell that Rick Warren was selected to give the invocation. I am mad that on the biggest human rights issue of our day, the candidate I worked endlessly for has decided to literally begin his presidency by giving the stage to someone who worked so hard to take the rights away of so many California citizens. Take rights away, I can't believe I am even typing those horrible words. If I hear one more person tell me it was a smart political move for Obama, I just might throw up. I didn't work this hard for this kind of "smart political moves."
As a Democrat, as an Obama volunteer and supporter, and as a person who deeply loves gay and lesbian family members and friends I am nothing short of furious!
But I do not wish to write today from any of those perspectives (though it would be easy to do...)
Today, I wish to write to you as an OUTRAGED Christian! I just can't take it anymore! ENOUGH! Seriously, dammit ENOUGH!
How, I ask you, how can the millions of American Christians, sit back and continue to allow their faith to be tarnished and marked by injustice and prejudice. What world are they living in? What faith are they following that makes this behavior acceptable?
How is Christianity any place other than the leading edge of the fight for equality? How is Christianity any place other than the leading edge of inclusion and acceptance and wholeness! How can Christianity and its followers possibly be responsible for discrimination against a minority group of Americans?
So in all my fury and outrage, here I sit. Yet, again questioning if remaining in the Christian movement is something I have the courage to do. I sit deeply ashamed of mainstream Christianity in this country today. I sit wishing Rick Warren wasn't the face of Christianity to millions of people. I sit ready to act and fight and work to end this last form of socially acceptable, truly rotten discrimination.
And I simply sit.
As a child it was almost more than I could bare to come to grips with the reality that I was white while learning of the pain and suffering "my people" had caused African-Americans.
And yet, like it or not, it is a part of me. But I hope dealing with the pain of that reality took me to a place of greater awareness.
So much of my time in the Christian movement is time spent with those just like me. The Progressive Christians that aren't interested in dogma or particular beliefs. They don't take the Bible literally, but look to it as one of many sources of poetry and metaphoric wisdom. These Progressive Christians care about the earth, work for equality for all people, love to use their mind and intellect to question and wonder, are followers of Darwin, champions for the poor and are inspired social activists.
All Christianity is not equal. But all Christianity is part of the human experience of trying to understand life. And a part of understanding life is wrestling with prejudice, and injustice, and at times even hatred.
So for today, I will sit with the utter agony of holding both the peace and the pain that my religious tradition has caused so many (this is where that courage comes in). And if I am able to survive that just maybe that will lead me to sit more generally with the peace and the pain, that I personally have caused the world. And if I keep sitting, maybe one day, down the road, I will see that my peace and my pain, my joy and my sorrow are one.
And for now... I will promise to try contain myself while at the inauguration and will try my best not to throw my shoe at Rick Warren.
Access: Public
I have big feet if you want to take one of my shoes with you…you know, just in case inspiration arises.
I wouldn’t dare hang the actions of all Christianity on Progressive Christians.
Thought that might help take some weight off.
Blissings!
z