Barack Obama has selected the Rev. Rick Warren, the evangelical pastor and author of “The Purpose Driven Life,” to deliver the invocation at his inauguration, a role that positions Mr. Warren to succeed Billy Graham as the nation’s pre-eminent minister and reflects the generational changes in the evangelical Christian movement.
I don't like this. I don't like it at all.
I don't like Rick Warren's ideas, and I don't like that either Obama is a more conservative Christian than I understdood, or he's proactively pacifying the conservative Christians.
UPDATE: After rereading the whole article, it seems the inauguration is pretty balanced. Obama's making a real effort to include ALL Americans in his presidency; the Conservative Christians are being represented. Sigh. So, I'll continue trusting Obama's intention and his vision of the 'finish line'.
UPDATE UPDATE 12/18/2008: I seem to be a little behind the times these days - apparently this selection of Warren has caused a lot of brouhaha already. I checked in at Huffington Post and The Nation and they're talking about it.
So, my question is this: which of my reactions is the correct reaction?
1. The original feeling that it was a huge mistake, or,
2. The second feeling that gives the benefit of the doubt to Barack Obama, or
3. My current feeling that maybe I shouldn't have let Obama off the hook so easily.
UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE 12/19/2008: The left is upset that Obama picked Warren for such a prominent role because of Warren's stand against gay marriage. The Conservative Christians are upset that Warren acepted an invitation from a pro-choice, pro stem cell research president.
I'm still disappointed by the choice because I don't like Rick Warren's philosophy as I noted in a recent blog entry, and his position on gay marriage is irritating.
In addition, I do wonder why Obama had to pick Rick Warren of all the preachers out there. Part of what makes Rick Warren offensive to me is the size of his church and the number of followers he has. I don't trust religious people who want to gather that many people into a church community. How effective can that community be when there are 25,000 members? And what is the benefit to being the head of such a church unless you're trying to gain power or notoriety? I wonder if Rick Warren can be characterized as 'nakedly ambitious'?
Barack Obama invited Rick Warren because he's the current popular face of the Christian right. Which makes it transparent as a way to pander to the Christian right. But, also meaningless because its a choice based on expediency and appearance rather than on truth and meaning.
To be honest, I wouldn't mind if Barack Obama was the kind of Christian who doesn't find meaning in outward symbols of Christianity or religion, but rather meaning comes from a personal experience with God. If that's the case, then the benediction is just a ritual that gets followed. It doesn't mean anything.
And that's a whole different blog post - can a ritual that's followed but not believed have the same effect as believing in the ritual; is it a formality that has become meaningless over time and overuse, or by its very act, does the ritual create meaning and so even if you don't believe it, you're supporting it? Actions speak louder than words probably applies here. In that case, Barack Obama made a mistake in my opinion.
On the other hand, he has to govern a WHOLE nation.
Back to the first hand, he didn't have to pick Rick Warren, he could have picked a different Christian.
On the second hand again - but in order to send a message that he is going to govern with ALL Americans in mind, Barack Obama had to pick someone with views that opposed him anyway. Why not pick the popular one right now?
I guess I'm left with continuing to trust in Obama's vision of the finish line.
FINAL UPDATE 12/19/2008: Article from the Washington Post references Obama's response to the criticism about Rick Warren.
I'd also like to note that I recognize of all the decisions Obama could make that I don't like, this one is about perception rather than substance so it doesn't really deserve this much time and energy. But, I do think the main struggle in the world is between the spiritual and the physical (our goal is to combine those two features of humanity seamlessly - we're still a long way off). Which is why decisions about religion and spirituality and rituals and perception are so important and get a lot of attention. Spirituality is also something everyone lives with in their daily lives, either through its practice or its absence. So, its easy for people like me to spout off about! HA!
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