Pastor Rick Warren Disappoints and Comes out for Prop 8

by Michael Jones · 2008-10-27 14:47:00 UTC
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Rick WarrenRick Warren has made a decent living, leading a new crop of evangelical leaders who are supposedly above the partisan rancor that defined the Jerry Falwells, Pat Robertsons and Ted Haggards of yesteryear.  Sadly, Rick Warren's public statement today that he supports Proposition 8 shows that he's no different than the Haggards or Robertsons.  He's just another partisan minister interested in putting words in the mouth of God to fit his own political agenda.

Warren's statement is particularly troubling today, because he passes support for Proposition 8 as (1) something God would have supported, and (2) that being against gay marriage is something both Democrats and Republicans can agree on.  I think I speak for a lot of Democrats, and a lot of Republicans that support gay marriage, when I say that Rick Warren is just an absolute clown on this issue.

Though Warren would like to think that God might be against gay marriage, Jesus never once (that means zero times) mentioned homosexuality.  Not once.  Not a whisper, a note, not talking in his sleep.  Never.  Warren also discounts the wealth of religious leaders who have come out in support of marriage equality across all denominations.

It's also sad that Warren cites the fact that both John McCain and Barack Obama object to gay marriage as vindication for being a supporter of Proposition 8.  It's times like these where it would be REALLY HELPFUL if Senator Obama would weigh in on this issue, instead of ignoring the subject.  But even without an official comment from his campaign, Warren oversteps his bound.  Obama has given no indication that he would support Proposition 8, and in fact, he's said before (as has John McCain) that he does not support the idea of writing discrimination against LGBT people into constitutions.

So there you have it.  Rick Warren -- just your typical pastor, looking to peddle discrimination instead of an authentic religion rooted in love, understanding and support for the marginalized.  Doesn't sound very Christ-like to me.

Please, visit No On Prop 8 and/or Equality California today.

Michael Jones is a Change.org Editor. He has worked in the field of human rights communications for a decade, most recently for Harvard Law School.
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