The Power Of Prayer

If parents reading here could stop to think what those who wish for gays to just remain celibate are asking of their children, I think they would better understand the debate. Would they wish for their child to be alone and lonely for their entire life? To never have someone they love to bring them soup when sick, provide them with a refuge when things go wrong at work, to help them buy a home and create a place in the world? We know that those who are married live longer and are happier. So asking our gay family members to always be celibate would be to ask them to be ill more and die earlier. I've been happily married for 39 years. All four of my children have seen the love between their parents. All wish for such a love for themselves. That one is gay shouldn't mean he can't have the same wish. To say he should marry a female and change is to ask him to marry someone else's daughter dishonorably. Would you wish my gay son as a son-in-law? There are many gay couples who have been together for decades. Do we want their monogamy without marriage to influence our straight kids to "shack up too? Wouldn't it be better to expect the same legal rights and responsibilities for all? To hold all loving couples to the same standard? To force all to divorce legally for the sake of order and any children in these households?

Its not just the issue of equal rights for gays with Warrens bigotry. Try the African American community whose preachers Obama has thrown under the bus too! This guy doesn't believe in evolution! Haven't we had enough of this kind of religious dogma pushed on us from the Whitehouse for the last eight years. Now Obama wants to spoon feed us this ignorance at his inauguration. It is beyond insulting it is truly disturbing.

Separation of Church and State, what a brilliant idea! This is truly the best point so far! And, to the not so smart people out there, gays and lesbians are not looking for your approval. We just want equal rights.

HEY ! DWILLSON.

SO YOU WATCH THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL AND KNOW THAT THERE ARE BIRDS AND ANIMALS THAT ARE HOMO - SEXUAL.

WOW !

YOU ASSUME FALSELY OF OTHERS.

YOU OK ! GAY RIGHTS ;BECAUSE, DUCKS DO IT WHEN FEMALES ARE NOT AVAILABLE ?

YOU ARE SUPPOSE TO BE A BIT MORE INTELLIGENT THAN A DUCK.

yplese:

Would you be saying the same distracting (your main purpose here) things about adultery if the issue was consensual man-boy love or polygamy? This is a slippery slope my friend and once you start degrading what actually defines marriage then you have opened a pandora's box. Adultery is wrong and it hurts families, but it is a ugly reality that takes place within traditional marriage. The bigger issue is how do you hold society together when there are no norms? The Homosexual agenda is one of selfishness and it completely disregards what is good for society in favor of one's own personal satisfaction. Do you want what's best for society or do you want society to pay because you want to fulfill your own lusts and have society endorse it as normal?

First things first: I am pro-choice and pro-gay rights. Yes, I think Warren is a terrible choice.

That said, I am surpised and saddened by the immaturity of many of these posts. Obama has not even taken office yet, and people who voted for him are giving up on him due to one bad judgment call?!? Get real. Warren is not being appointed to office and he has no power in the new administration. Okay, Obama screwed up, but get over it.

For those of you whining that you wish you had voted otherwise, who exactly do you wish you had voted for? Did you think McCain would be more pro-gay rights and pro-female rights? Uh-huh.

So, for those of us with progressive views, can we admit Warren is a lousy choice, make our views known, and get on with our lives, rather than taking this childish "I'm taking my toys and going home" attitude? News flash: Obama is not going to make all your dreams come true. But, hey, look on the bright side - at least he's not Bush!

This discussion is good but also pointless. If Warren (against gay lifestyle) is at the beginning and Joseph Lowery (favors gay lifestyle) is at the end, then what is the problem? Sounds like a move towards unity and inclusiveness to me.

I haven't gone through all the posted comments, so apologies if someone has already made this point. Why are we even having an invocation at a formal government function? Government is not supposed to be supporting any particular religion. The choice of Rick Warren is abysmal on many levels from my viewpoint. What about those Americans who worship a different god (or gods) than Warren (or Obama) does? What about those Americans who, like me, worship no god all.

Please. Let's keep church and state separate. We have only to look toward the middle east to see what happens when fundamentalism becomes the law of the land.

There are 4209 American soldiers dead. There are over 30,500 injuries to American Soldiers many of them with mental conditions that will effect them for the rest of their lives. Those soldiers that have returned home are killing themselves at an alarming rate. We have soldiers getting their vehicles repossessed from them while they are fighting for their lives. Shame on every person that has made this a story. There is a time and a place for this type of news and it is not right now. This country has citizens dying and people are concerned about the SYMBOLISM of a preacher saying a prayer..
I believe the fact that we even have to have this discussion is appalling. It is 2008 and we actually still have to have people fighting for their rights in the so called Democratic beacon to the world. I wonder why other countries mock us. Stay out of peoples lives, religion should to be about YOUR relationship with the god. I dont see why gay people should have to battle this but right now is not the time and EVERYONE learn to set priorities. Those killed may not be your chidren,spouse, or parent but they are still citizens of this country and deserve for their stories and the stories about the disgraceful things being done to soldiers by finance companies and by our own government should be DOMINATING the news. I am ashamed of all of you, its a disgrace

The ignorant and close-minded statements of so many on here are quite saddening--from both those who aren't gay, as well as those who are. Does it really help a thing to fling insults at one another? Not one bit. I happen to be a gay man, raised in a very religious family and community--with beliefs I still hold to, and I'm telling you, the hatred being spewed from both sides of the fence is sickening.

For those who are straight and think telling gays they're essentially burning in Hell, I'd suggest you first look at your own life before you start casting stones. Last I checked, there wasn't a straight person in my life who is perfect and had any room to judge another. Beyond that, just because you don't understand another's choices doesn't make you correct and the other wrong. Learn some tolerance--not even acceptance per se--but tolerance. And don't even remotely claim to be Christian if you cast judgment upon another; I've read the Bible from front to back and last time I checked, the Lord said it wasn't our place to judge others. It's His. You're not God, so get over it.

To the gays who are all up in arms that Obama would dare choose Warren to pray, as somehow this ruins all progress towards equality made by the LGBT community, I would suggest you put things in perspective. Yes, Obama could've made a less politically-charged choice here, but he didn't. So, cope. There isn't a way for every group to be supported here--there is only one person giving the invocation and one giving the benediction. It can't be a woman, black, male, gay, straight, lesbian, disabled, pro-choice, anti-abortion, conservative, liberal, young, old, middle-aged person all-in-one. There are multiple groups who aren't being represented here; being hyper-sensitive to the fact that one of the men chosen is anti-gay doesn't accomplish a thing. What it comes down to is the fact that Warren, just like any other person who could give the prayer, is an American. Plain and simple. He may not be an American with whom you agree, but that doesn't matter as someone else wouldn't agree with your personal choice.

Essentally 50% of the country voted for McCain and those people are, I'm sure, quite disappointed it's not going to be their candidate on that inauguration stage. However, they have a choice in that they can either support the office of the US President and hope Obama does well (fully realizing he isn't going to be perfect) or they can spend the next four years hating life and finding reasons to complain. The latter won't serve them a single purpose and is a total waste of time. This same logic applies to this current prayer situation. Those who don't agree with Warren giving the prayer can either support the fact it's an American who isn't perfect up there on that stage or they can be all sorts of bitter and waste time being offended when there most likely wasn't any offense intended. It's all a matter of choice--and tolerance for BOTH sides.

The e-mail I sent to Obama???s campaign

As I read Newweeks and many other blogs, listen to the talking heads, asking if Obama will pay any real political price. For me, what is missing in this argument is the complete lack of RESPECT Obama has for some part of his party.

After sent the e-mail, I put down my once very happy pro Obama website built with love during the campaign. This is the price he paid.

The e-mail

When I woke up crying this morning I know it was over, throw me under the bus. You chose a Republican before a member of your own party - taking on your own party ???why? I still don???t understand why you would place that pastor ahead of me. I worked as hard as I could for you, gave all the money I had, talk, blogged, writing editorials, speaking with people who were so afraid of you, they started buying lots of guns, believing you would take that right away, ask them please give you a chance.

All I wanted was one day. One day to celebrate a victory YES I said victory of the Democratic Party and historical moment for the country. What is ironic, I believe in everything you said. We need to bridge the divide, find the common good, work together to form a more perfect union. All I wanted was just one day for all of us, Now that I understand, how unimportant my feelings are to you. Hope those people at Saddle Back Church will do all thing I did. I am glad I took that presidential ride with you; I forgot what it felt, like, being a true believer I JUST WISH IT HAD LASTED LONGER.

Phyllis Jaramillo
Flagstaff AZ
bookpage@hotmail.com

People who believe being gay is a choice are the ones who belong to the equivalent of the Flat Earth Society. Who would chose "gay?" Someone who would have chosen to be a slave, I suppose. There are hundreds of pastors in the US who would have been better than Warren. Many right in Barack's neighborhood in Chicago. This selection is an insult to all of us who worked for Barack. I can think of lots of protests the observers could do which MLK would approve of and if I were to be there, I would simply turn my back on the podium as Warren has turned his back on my friends who were born gay. My vote is as good as yours; you people should remember that. It counts even if I am not civil, just as yours counts if you are not offended by this choice.