So president-elect Obama picked Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his inauguration. What is the problem? People are saying he is not mainstream enough…not even that. He is a radical! What makes him so radical? His conservative stances on abortion and same-sex marriage. A CNN article yesterday quoted the President of the American way, Kathryn Kolbert, as saying that someone who was “consistent [with] mainstream American values” should have received the honor [Link]. She went on to say that Warren’s ideas were “radical.”
The headline was that this attempt was so shocking that it was stirring up outrage! Outrage? About what? That someone disagrees with you politically? Grow up people! The attempt is to say that mainstream America will no longer put up with narrow-minded views like being pro-life or anti gay marriage. They are saying that is just not mainstream anymore to hold those beliefs. In fact, it is seen as radical. I don’t know about you but I think that is disturbing. Maybe that is becoming more and more true but I sure hope not. I sure hope we don’t end up with a country that because someone disagrees with your political or religious ideology that you become a radical and outside the mainstream. Or maybe it is a good thing to be outside the mainstream. I mean, isn’t that what God called us to in the first place was to be different? Aren’t we supposed to be aliens and strangers on earth…looking for a better home?
What do you think?
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The irony is that the left-wing is saying the same thing about Warren as the right-wing said about Obama when Warren invited him to come speak at the Saddleback church. Both sides said the other is a radical because of their views held on the same two issues. It seems as though this whole relationship between Obama and Warren is proving to be a good example as to how both the left and right can be intolerable to anyone who does not champion their cause.
Personally, I think this is great for a nation that is has become very polarized in recent years. People need to remember that when the day comes where we can not work with any person or group unless they agree with us on every last issue, then the “ship” stalls out and goes nowhere. Unless the right and the left learn how to work together, especially in the areas where they agree, this nation is in for a very difficult period in its history.
This is also very applicable for the church as well. Unity is not uniformity.
Grace and peace,
Rex
Ha!… I got so worked up about this that I finally had to blog it out this morning, too…
https://feetwasher.blogspot.com/2008/12/too-christian-too-pagan.html
What week this has been, Matt. Two hot-button political issues in a week. Both of them inexplicably passion-inducing even though they are for all practical purposes small issues (compared to the larger issues at stake in our world right now). And, even more than that, we AGREE on both of them! 😉
I’m curious to know if your attitude toward our President-Elect might be thawing any… 😉
Philip,
I blogged on the issue too. As long as both sides acts the way they do, neither side wins.
Grace and peace,
Rex
interesting and scary
just b/c some say it doesn’t mean it isn’t true, but if it is true, (we are not mainstream) who cares!