Read some of the comments at Pharyngula. They raise some good points.

First of all, it wasnt specifically Obama that chose him: "This time, though, the decision to get involved with Saddleback was actually not Obama's. The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, run by the House and Senate, put together the program for the swearing-in ceremony. Congress, not Obama, invited Warren (as well as scheduling a musical performance by Aretha Franklin; here's hoping she doesn't reprise the 2005 inaugural performance of John Ashcroft's "Let the Eagle Soar")."

Second, as the commenters point out: "I agree, bad move. But to say "Same as the old boss" is to mis-judge the situation, IMO. It would have been nice to see a secular invocation, but its a small fish and Obama decided not to choose THIS fight as his first, though he could have picked many less rabid preachers then Warren. I'm willing to let it slide."

And: "Hey, if he follows a strategy of making symbolic gestures to the fundamentalists, but follows a progressive strategy on what he actually does, that's great strategy."

And: "Obama has to have a pastor to keep the heathen Believers from forming a lynching party. Now, if one of them gets an invite to stay over in the Lincoln Bedroom on a regular basis I'll worry. Until then it's more pandering to keep the unwashed masses of Xtianity quiet.

To me the only sad part is that he feels obligated to do something to keep the Xtians quiet."

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Eight years is enough. Enough. Enough wingnuts. Enough fundamentalist extremists. Enough backwoods culture. Enough narrow-minded facism. Enough enough enough.

Stop pandering to these bastards. Be the president of your own vision, Barack. Be your own man. Why the hell do you think we voted for you?

Rick Warren? WTF, Barry?

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after the performance Warren gave during that so-called "debate" at Saddleback... you remember, the one where he set him up for the abortion question (among others), and how McStain supposedly had been locked in the "Green Room" so he couldn't hear Obama's answers -- but then we found out that McStain heard it all anyway???? (Coincidence? I think not! I smelled a set-up all along.)

Why on earth would he allow Rick Warren anywhere near his innaugural?

While Obama may not have been responsible for choosing Warren, he damn sure could have said NO! I find it strange that he didn't.

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where, exactly, is he getting this figure from? seems Rev. Literalism has missed an awful lot of passages about polygamy, especially polygyny (pretty much every major figure from adam through the kings, if i recall correctly). and even from david on, that's only 3000 years.....

i am so tired of being quoted at by people who can't seem to comprehend what they're quoting.

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"To those Americans whose support I have yet to earn -- I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your president too," he said.

That's what he said. And then he chose Rick Warren to give the invocation at the Inauguration.

Does it mean that Rick Warren now runs the country? Does it mean that Barack has changed? Do we now have license to be the cynical wretches we all were in the Bush Administration, laughing up our sleeves at the dishonesty we perceive?

I don't view the choice of Warren as a strategy. It's not pandering, or throwing bones, or kow-towing to religious people. It is a gesture of welcome, made in the most heartfelt way. It says, "I am your President too, and here is your face at my inauguration."

Surprise, surprise. Someone just behaved the way he said he would. And is able to accept some good in someone along with what he doesn't agree with. That's how bridges are built, that's how bipartisan efforts are made, and that's how the work of healing and strengthening our country will get done.

If we can't accept this small gesture without characterizing it as other than it is and touting it to be something underhanded, dishonest and hateful, then we're going to find the near future very difficult, indeed.

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Barack repeatedly stated that he would be a President of all Americans, which is what I believe he's trying to signal with these choices. We know he's personally grounded in Christianity, which doesn't bother me as long as he doesn't let it get in the way of his job, and this is a way to give national exposure to two very different branches of that faith. I suspect that he will, at some point, bring clergy from other faiths to perform some of these rituals as well.

Warren may endear himself to his followers, but he will also expose himself to the scrutiny of others during this event. No doubt these two preachers will avoid being too political during their presentation, but nearly all of America will be watching and will see some of what they are as humans. It may end up actually reducing Warren's overall influence.

It's tempting to adopt a position of, "You guys stuck it in our face for the last 8 years, now it's our turn", but that's not going to help get the work done that we all face.

Time will tell. Some of Obama's choices thus far have been puzzling (or even disappointing) but I think we should reserve judgement til after the administration takes power and begins to perform. With Bush, half of us knew we would get screwed. As good as it might feel in the short term to "stick it to" those guys on the other side, I never enjoyed being a recipient, and neither would they. We really do need to pull together if we're gong to survive the circumstances that we've created and reshape the world. Perhaps this will help in some small way.

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always thinking many moves ahead, you might get his queen, only to find you are in check with a couple of pawns. IMHO Obama is thinking many moves ahead. Not unlike the bride thinking of her wedding day, and the groom thinking of the wedding night, Obama is thinking about the wedding night.

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Is more fundamental. My issue is that there IS an invocation at all.

But barring that, he picked a Christian wacko to perform the invocation. Yeah, what choice did he have? Can you name a Christian that doesn't have SOME ideals that conflict with progressive ideals?

No, you can't, because progressive ideals are not Christian. They have progressed beyond it.

A woman's right to choose is not a Christian value.
Gay marriage, certainly is not a Christian value.

They are better.

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would have been fine with me, as long as we have to have a prayer at all. The "god damn america" speech isn't nearly as controversial as the msm made it out to be. It was a bloody damn righteous sermon.

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Who were they suppose to choose for this opening prayer? Normally it has been the pastor of the church that the new President attended, but Hillary and the Republicans made sure that it was not the man who married the Obamas or baptized their children, so who could they pick that would offer a balance to this occasion where we have a divided nation, and when the new President cannot have the minister who welcomed him into his church 20+ years ago, Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

Would you all of preferred someone who was of the Jewish faith or Islamic faith or perhaps just a Catholic priest from South Chicago or a Buddhist monk? Perhaps by choosing someone that would appease the Congressional right and the people who believe in this minister's rather twisted interpretation of Scriptures, the committee was hoping to create a sense of inclusion for the losing side. The committee has balanced this with a more moderate, progressive minister at the end, so why the flack?

Did it ever occur to anyone that this order is clearly a way of symbolizing "out with the old, in with the new" and that the swearing in ceremony is the transition from fundamentalism to ecumenical-ism?

Stop sweating the small stuff. Watch for the shift as power changes hands, and then who will remember what Warren said on January 20th. Listen to the new President, and forget the invocation. If you do not, you will miss the best part of history on that day.

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Rick Warren has done unspeakable damage to my granddaughter, daughter and our family by working to overturn the marriage that would have legitimized our family.

We are all feeling horribly betrayed, not only by ignorant homophobes like Rick Warren, but by supposedly enlightened leaders like Obama. For all of us who have Gay families with children and grandchildren of gay and lesbian couples, this appointment of Warren to do the invocation, after he fought to deny our families their rights to exist is a slap in the face to our community. The invocation figure is usually held up to the nation as the official religious leader of the people, as was Billy Graham. How would Obama have felt if David Duke had been appointed to give an invocation at George Bush's inauguration? Well, maybe he would have avoided that event and maybe he would have given a speech about how those views are just unacceptable. Well, Barack, Rev Warren's views and destructive actions are unacceptable to us. We spent much time, money and effort making calls for you, and donating our services and money. We all feel very betrayed, it is deeply felt, and very hurtful. Do you even care?

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but does anyone else think that Reverend Warren looks eerily similar to Jerry Falwell???

Minus the goatee???

Creeeeeeepy!

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Ted Rall recently published a cartoon which pegged Obama and all of his cabinet appointees as conservative Democrats, except for one Republican. I'm afraid Obama's friendship with Warren indicates that his inaugural role is more than just a gesture in the direction of creationists and anti-scientists, but a signal of willingness to "compromise" with them on cultural issues. The problem with compromising with people in denial is that you have to participate in their denial. If this is the "only" gesture to the fundamentalist theocrats Obama offers, it will soon be forgotten. If it turns out to be more like co-operation, then we would be better off with McCain. He never was friends with the Christian right.

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