What's the Problem with Rick Warren?

Pastor Rick Warren
Saddleback Church

Cross-posted by Gary Fouse
fousesquawk


So now Barack Obama is facing outcries from the Gay Community for his choice of Pastor Rick Warren to give the invocation at the Inaugural on January 20. Warren, a nationally-known pastor of the Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, was host to a joint forum at his church with Obama and John McCain during the election campaign. And why is the Gay Community so outraged? Because Warren is opposed to gay marriage and supported California's ballot initiative declaring marriage to be between a man and a woman.

In the interest of full disclosure, I have occasionally attended services at the Saddleback Church though I am not a member. I do know, however, that the church does a lot of great work helping the less fortunate. One couple who are friends of ours went to Africa as part of a Saddleback Church group where they helped build infrastructure in small villages. The church also has programs to help those addicted to drugs and alcohol or are involved in marital difficulties.

None of which counts to the Gay Community, which organized protests outside Warren's church after Proposition 8 passed. None of that means anything to Barney Frank, who is criticizing Obama's choice of Warren. Frank takes exception to Warren's taped response to a question about same-sex marriage that he was against the redefinition of marriage, just as he was opposed to incestuous marriage, polygamist marriage or marriage between a child and an adult. (I am paraphrasing). Apparently, Frank and others object to Warren putting gay marriage in the same breath as the other three.

Of course, every time Barney Frank has the temerity to condemn anyone, I will be quick to point out his involvement in a gay escort service run out of his Washington residence by his then-boyfriend several years ago. I will also not hesitate to point out Frank's role in the whole Fannie Mae fiasco including his conflict-of-interest relationship with a former Fannie Mae executive, Herb Moses. That is because Barney Frank is a hypocrite who has no business being in Congress.

Am I digressing here? I'll try to stay on topic. It seems to me that this so-called Gay Community-whoever it represents, is acting like a bunch of spoiled, narcissistic bullies-lashing out at whomever is opposed to same-sex marriage. Apparently, they believe that anyone opposed to same-sex marriage isn't fit for anything except perhaps scrubbing toilets. Now they are going to try and put pressure on President-elect Obama to rescind the invitation to Warren. This is a signature moment for Obama, where we will see what he is really made of. If he caves in to the gay lobby and the Barney Franks of the world and rescinds this invitation (or Warren is discreetly asked to remove himself), then we will know that we are in store for a weak president.

Weak as in Jimmy Carter weak.