Baby Steps
Rick Warren's Saddleback Church recently held a conference on AIDS. Among the invited speakers were Senators Sam Brownback and Barack Obama. Brownback's name was familiar and unremarkable. Obama's, however, raised the hackles of some Religious Right groups, who told Warren it was wrong -- that is, immoral -- for Christians to work cooperatively on any issue with anyone who supported abortion rights.
In other words, "He that biddeth him God speed is a partaker of his evil deeds."
Take a biiiiiig whiff of that one and let it out slowly. Ahhhhhhhhh. Smells like home.
Anyway, Obama offered to bow out, saying he didn't want his presence to obscure the purpose of the conference. Much to Warren's credit, however, he told the hackled (behackled? hackle-risen? hackle-berisen? hisle-beracken?) groups to buzz off. AIDS was too big a problem, he said, to turn down help from others who wanted to save lives.
It's progress.
In other words, "He that biddeth him God speed is a partaker of his evil deeds."
Take a biiiiiig whiff of that one and let it out slowly. Ahhhhhhhhh. Smells like home.
Anyway, Obama offered to bow out, saying he didn't want his presence to obscure the purpose of the conference. Much to Warren's credit, however, he told the hackled (behackled? hackle-risen? hackle-berisen? hisle-beracken?) groups to buzz off. AIDS was too big a problem, he said, to turn down help from others who wanted to save lives.
It's progress.
posted by juvenal_urbino | 4:17 PM
8 Comments:
Agreed. I have some serious reservations about Warren's lottery ticket (Also known as The Purpose Driven [fill in the blank]).
But it was quite refreshing to hear a religio-mega star tell the religious right they were wrong.
hey, if Bono can work with W, then Sam Brownback can be at the same event with Obama. good lord, sometimes I wish these people would take a moment to pull the corncob out.
I think the "my way or the highway" mentality of the Right was repudiated in the last election. In addition to hoping that the Democrats in power don't fall into the same trap, one would hope that the more conservative groups would also get the message.
Score one for Warren.
One hopes the president got that message, too, unicorn, though what he's had to say thus far on the Iraq Study Group's recommendations isn't promising.
The Purpose Driven [fill in the blank]
I've joked on occasion that a man might make a mint by writing a book called "Purpose-Driven Sex"; there's something in it for almost every market segment.
I've joked on occasion that a man might make a mint by writing a book called "Purpose-Driven Sex"; there's something in it for almost every market segment.
Didn't Navin Johnson write that book in the seventies?
Exactly. Look how rich he got.
Now we need a new edition for the marital-sex-positive Evangelical generation. With photos featuring Joe Beam and Kim Cattrall.
(You can all have the brain bleach as soon as I'm done with it.)
J_U:
The Prez is not too good at getting messages he doesn't want to hear. Supposedly he was good at working with the Demecrats when he was Governor of Texas. Maybe he can beam himself back into that persona next year.
I'm not hopeful - but since we're stuck with him - even though wishin' don't make it so - we can wish.
Keep hope alive.
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