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Rick Warren's Church Removes Anti-Gay Statements from Web Site

Posted by Matt Corley, Think Progress at 4:00 PM on December 22, 2008.


Warren's Saddleback Church has taken down statements that said "someone unwilling to repent for their homosexual lifestyle" would not be accepted.

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On Friday, AmericaBlog's John Aravosis pointed out that the Web site for the Rev. Rick Warren's Saddleback Church explicitly said that "someone unwilling to repent for their homosexual lifestyle would not be accepted as a member at Saddleback":

 

 

warrenchurchbansgays.jpg

Today, however, Aravosis notes that the anti-gay language has been pulled from the Web site. View a Google cache of the original page here.

Digg!

Tagged as: evangelicals, obama, conservatives, lgbt rights, rick warren, inauguration


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Gee . . that's nice.
Posted by: newsound on Dec 22, 2008 6:27 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Well, I guess that makes everything OK. This bigoted asshole can now participate in the inauguration of BHO and we will welcome him and his church with open arms. That's what Jesus would do, right?

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gays are welcome just not equal
Posted by: sonofloud on Dec 22, 2008 8:12 PM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
that should make obama happy

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Obama Previously Called for MSNBC to Fire Imus
Posted by: tony12000 on Dec 23, 2008 1:37 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
This is too rich. Well, talk about "revising" appearances, Obama called for Imus to lose his job in 2007. Of course, that was during the Democratic primaries, when Obama sought to appeal to the party's liberal base that is dominated by women and black voters. Now, he is appealing to centrists and conservatives. Dissing gays is part of the agenda.

Rick Warren versus Don Imus: Obama's Inconsistent Positions

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Makes me wonder...
Posted by: pelican beak on Dec 23, 2008 2:41 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
If the Saddleback Church first believes what it said about gays, and now it doesn't, it makes me wonder whether they have any truly abiding beliefs.

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» RE: Makes me wonder... Posted by: tony12000
» RE: Makes me wonder... Posted by: Lauren
» RE: Makes me wonder... Posted by: pelican beak
» RE: Makes me wonder... Posted by: morticia
Give Warren a break
Posted by: rcase on Dec 23, 2008 5:41 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Why must progressives always be so cynical about the motives of persons they simply don't like? Whatever George Bush does, it is not to be affirmed because it is most likely for ulterior motives. People do change, and grow, and that should be appreciated. Bob Jones University not only changed its policy on inter-racial dating but publicly repented for the sin of its past actions. Saddleback Church obviously still has strong feelings about the importance of the traditional (that is, what all cultures and all religions have affirmed at all times until Sweden and California) marriage, but Christian compassion is not served by condemning statements. So they took the statement off the web page. Maybe it was the Obama influence. For once take something at face value. The statement was once on the web page, now it is not. The world is a better place.

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» RE: Give Warren a break Posted by: madmac10
» RE: Give Warren a break Posted by: jiclemens
» RE: Give Warren a break Posted by: drmflorida
» Here's a Break: Posted by: tony12000
» RE: Here's a Break: Posted by: morticia
» RE: Here's a Break: Posted by: Longdream
» RE: Here's a Break: Posted by: morticia
» RE: The Best Part? Posted by: Longdream
» RE: The Best Part? Posted by: morticia
» RE: Give Warren a break Posted by: Longdream
Delusional, religious wangdoodles don't deserve a break. People
Posted by: thekidde on Dec 23, 2008 5:59 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
such as Rick Warren are a boil on civilization's ass and must be lanced. Anyone who is a bigot because of their supposed god is destructive of human rights and a civil society. Religion is inherently bigotted and exclusionary - oh, and delusional, perhaps even downright stupid.

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Sick of the 'Evangelicals' Getting More Public Exposure
Posted by: Purple Girl on Dec 23, 2008 7:35 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Haven't we suffered enough. Hasn't all the other Denominations under the Umbrella Term 'Christian'been maligned enough by this group being the focus of conversations regarding the Christian belief ?
Let's be Honest the only reason they call themselves Evangelical is in reference to St Johns Revelations. Not all Christians view Revelations with such reverence as this sect.
Many consider it a warning as to How things could go, Not a Blue print nor a Goal.
Not all Christians want others to be sent to the bowels of hell, and realize it is not for Us to judge, too far above our pay scale. Nor is it ours to Know, 'Only the Father Knows' when the end will happen...so we don't assume ourselves the 'anointed generation'.And we certainly do not put limitations on Gods Seating capacity, or right to change the number of 'saved' should that occur at all.After 30 yrs of Farwells, Bakers, Hagee, Dobson, Parsley....Must we endure an Public spectacle from another Evangelical? Can't another denomination get a lil' air time once in a while. The Evangelicas have been hogging the spot ligt and the mic for 3 decades!!
haven't we all figured out the Jest of their doctrine, why do we need more enlightenment. Hell these 'End of Day'zealots have been around long before even Jesus! It's not really a 'new' Religion, just found a Gospel to Hitch their wagon too. We get it, We are all being judged by your Wrathful God and vengeful Savior.We're all gonna Burn in Hell and it could happen any day now.
It's not just Warrens stance on Gays Or on abortion, I find him and his ilk to be philosophically and spiritually offensive.
I do not Know or even understand 'Gods Design', but I feel we have been given the ability to act as his Stewards. In reality if we are creation of a Superior being or merely Freaks of Nature, our Species is the only one on the planet who can Manage it. It is not ours to Destroy or even productive to contemplate it's destruction, and by No means glorify that possiblity.I do Not Judge personal decisions beyond the basic laws of man (based on the 10 commandments), It's Beyond My Mortal limitation influence over 'the Afterlife' and Frankly, Responsibilites.
I am sick of Evangelicals being the Face of american Christianity, Because they are NOT. Some are as sociopathic as the Muslim Jihadist, Lest we forget Jim Jones, Heaven Gate, Branch Dividians...All facinated by the 'End of Days' and their own Rapturous epilogue.
Evangelicals Are NOT Religious Moderates.Their name denotes the 'Saint' they follow and St John's made the mistake of trying to forewarn Us of the tyranny he had suffered and would likely plague man into the future and to succumb to such 'evils' would be the Enslavement of Humantiy.Poor John He probabaly never meant to create such a sect who is so pessimistic they think it is inevitability instead of just a self fulfilling Prophecy. Free will or Pre determination? A Very Basic Philososphical Question not all christians answer the same.Let''s hear from the 'Free Will' Side, It fits the 'Yes we Can' ideology so much better, then these Chicken Littles.

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» RE: Sick of Posted by: carolcsme
let warren repent
Posted by: sherman on Dec 23, 2008 7:59 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
foe being judgemental, then let his fat ass roast in hell.

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» RE: let warren repent Posted by: morticia
» To the 1-rater: Posted by: morticia
Warren is a pissant
Posted by: willymack on Dec 23, 2008 8:56 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Not worth a fraction of the coverage he's getting. How many people will remember his name, outside the fools in his church, after the inauguration? There are more important things happening in this world. Jeesh!

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Correction: Homophobia just moved to another part of Saddleback's website
Posted by: tabb17 on Dec 23, 2008 11:51 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Note that Saddleback's homophobic position has moved to: http://www.saddlebackfamily.com/home/bibleqanda/index.html ; scroll down to question #22 and listen to the sound file. Pretty much the same as before. The format changed but it's still there in Rick Warren's own voice (?) I presume. One way to dialogue, if Warren ever cared to, is to discuss what the Bible actually says. Their statements at both old and new websites are derivative from Bible paraphrases, not a careful "exegesis." Oddly, despite their privileging the Bible, they have not made a biblical case for their position. They have only made assertions based, I suppose, on some general sense of what the Bible says.

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Good Sign?
Posted by: jmmartin on Dec 23, 2008 2:57 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Amusing to say the least! One supposes that during the controversy over Warren's choice for inaugural invocation, he might have learned a thing or two, such as, duh! you already have congregants who have not given up their homosexual lifestyle. We do know that Warren spoke with Melissa Etheridge at the recent Muslim group event. Perhaps she got him thinking. Maybe Obama has brought change we can believe in after all. The Lord moves in mysterious ways.

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cheney heart attack
Posted by: sherman on Dec 23, 2008 4:29 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
congress should pass an act prohibiting recisstation in event of cheney heart attack

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A better saddleback
Posted by: AMERICAN VETERAN on Dec 24, 2008 10:10 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6dx8AfTmQk&feature=related

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