[Fox Forums]
The inauguration invocation is the high profile event for a member of the clergy. It’s only been around since 1937, but it’s grounded in a rich, religious history that’s helped shaped this country. At President-elect Barak Obama’s inauguration, Pastor Rick Warren will have the honors. Pastor Warren is the senior minister of Saddleback Church in Southern California and the uber-bestselling author of “The Purpose Driven Life.” Liberals objected to Warren because of his conservative views, specifically his support of Proposition 8, the ballot initiative that banned gay marriage in California.
What some see as a move to placate the gay and Lesbian community was the selection of the openly-gay Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson to say the prayer for the star-studded, kick-off of the inaugural week. The Inaugural Committee says it wasn’t about “righting” a perceived “wrong.” They said Bishop Robinson had been on their list for a while and they chose him for his message of inclusive civil rights.
But the reality is that selecting Gene Robinson for any inaugural event would make headlines. Bishop Robinson is the openly gay bishop whose elevation has caused a riff, or even schism, in the Episcopal Church and the wider Anglican Communion. Court battles over property are ongoing as conservative Episcopal congregations and dioceses leave over the issue of homosexuality and authority of the Bible.
My greatest shock, though, upon reading stories about Bishop Robinson’s inclusion was not that he’s an openly gay minister living with his partner. No. My biggest shock was that Robinson commented in The New York Times about past inaugural prayers. He said he was “horrified” at how “specifically and aggressively Christian they were.”
“Horrified?” I’m not sure I’ve ever heard a Christian minister react so negatively about the faith he professes to preach and uphold. Was the Apostle Paul wrong when he said:
Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith’ ( refers to Habakkuk 2:4)”.
Does this mean Bishop Robinson is “ashamed” of the gospel he’s been ordained to preach? Bishop Robinson explained to The Times that, “The texts I hold sacred are not sacred texts for all Americans, and I want all people to feel that this is their prayer.” (NY Times)
Fair enough. And if Bishop Robinson had said only that, I would’ve applauded him. But his other statement revealed to me a question about what his faith means to him and how he defines it.
I could understand a Muslim being horrified, even offended… or for that matter a Hindu, a Jew, or any non-Christian. After all, we are supposed to have a separation of church and state and be accepting and respectful to all religions. But to my knowledge no person of those faiths has been “horrorified” by the Christian message during inauguration (Although Atheists are demanding that the words “So help me God” be taken out of the inauguration oath. President Elect Obama has told Chief Justice Roberts he wants it to remain.)
Read more here.
[From me]
What does Bishop Robinson expect from a Christian minister? As a minister of Jesus Christ, my job is not to worry about offending someone with my prayers. I would expect people of other faiths to know I pray to Jesus. I would expect a Muslim to pray to Allah and a Buddhist to pray to Buddha. So why would a “Christian” pastor/Bishop be “horrified” to pray a prayer that expressed his faith. President-elect Obama picked people for their faith’s not to worry about what they say. I don’t get it.
What do you think?