Barack Obama's Purpose-Driven Gamble

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/08/17/saddleback/index.html

One of the candidates for president strolled onto the stage at a massive megachurch in suburban Orange County Saturday night and started joking easily with the Rev. Rick Warren, maybe the most popular evangelical leader in America -- but just plain "Pastor Rick" to the candidate. He talked about his certainty that "Jesus Christ died for my sins, and I am redeemed through him," said Americans should be soldiers in the fight against evil and defined marriage as between a man and a woman -- "and God is in the mix." This particular Christian candidate was so on his game that after a segment on domestic policy ended, Warren told him -- his mic still live as the TV feed cut to commercial -- "Home run."

Oh, and John McCain was there, too.

Actually, McCain was just about as relaxed at Warren's Saddleback Civic Forum as Barack Obama. The conversational tone of the event, moderated by Warren, played to his skills better than standard-issue debates do. The night may have offered Obama the bigger opportunity -- especially if his campaign is serious about efforts to reach evangelical voters in ways that previous Democratic nominees haven't.

What more than 5,000 Saddleback Church members (and more watching the live TV broadcast at churches around the country) saw in the event's first hour, when Obama took the stage, was a Democratic candidate who was plainly comfortable talking about the role his Christian faith plays in his life, and who used his religious views to explain and defend his political ones. "I think America's greatest moral failure in my lifetime has been that we still don't abide by that basic precept in Matthew that whatever you do for the least of my brothers, you do for me," Obama said, with Warren affirming his choice of scripture by finishing the quote. "That basic principle applies to poverty. It applies to racism and sexism. It applies to, you know, not having -- not thinking about providing ladders of opportunity for people to get into the middle class." Not bad for a guy who's still trying to hammer it into some voters' heads that he's not a Muslim.

Of course, what they also saw was a Democratic candidate who -- though he sometimes seemed more at ease with his faith than McCain -- disagrees with many evangelical voters on issues from abortion to who sits on the Supreme Court to the role of faith-based organizations in providing government services. And while McCain didn't drop religious language into his answers as easily as Obama did, and he's had his own struggles with the Christian right over the years, he certainly knew that his career-long record opposing abortion, his support for conservative judges and his relentless focus on defeating al-Qaida would play well with the crowd.

-snipped-

Still, the event -- and Warren -- offered Obama a chance to show he could play on what's been unfriendly territory for Democrats. Warren tries hard not to emulate fire-and-brimstone social conservative preachers like Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell; his best-selling book "The Purpose Driven Life" borrows from the language of self-help, and he's focused his church more on issues like poverty, climate change and global AIDS than on whether, say, a gay rights parade in New Orleans caused Hurricane Katrina. Obama had spoken at Saddleback before, getting a warm reception on World AIDS Day in 2006.

who were not in the audience.

Warren said that homosexuality is not a natural way of life and thus not a human right. “We shall not tolerate this aspect at all,” Dr Warren said.
That's your guy, right there. It is just wrong for you to paint him as kinder and gentler toward gay people as he is not. No human rights. Glad you find that to be open minded and worthy of support. I do not.

hearing the name of his book, I no absolutely nothing about him.

And I suggest that knowing a bit about him prior to posting a pro Warren piece might be an act of wisdom.

HINT: The piece is NOT ABOUT WARREN.

Warren isn't focused on appealing to the homophobia in religious society the way that Dobson, Hager, Robertson et al are. He and his church is trying hard to steer the 'evangelical' movement towards issues that require personal .... investment. The 'pro-life' 'anti-gay' mantra that has obsessed the religious community in the US doesn't ask much personally from its followers. Their involvement is mostly telling people what they 'should' and 'shouldn't' do- It doesn't ask them to question their gluttony, their arrogant 'me-first' attitude', their apathy in the face of suffering.

I agree with you that Pastor Warren's views about GLBT equality are WRONG- What I find somewhat positive is the fact that he is not capitalizing on the bigotry and 'easy righteousness' that other 'christian' leaders do when they play the 'gay' or 'abortion' cards, while ignoring the harder, more personally challenging societal issues. ?? not sure I'm voicing this right.

:hi:

Obama couldn't care less about GAY brothers (and sisters). He threw them to the wolves last night as he kissed Warren's fat ass.

"God is in the mix" - my ass.

personal feelings, without being condemning.

Would you rather hear pretty words that had no substance or intention of being followed through on? Or which were being spoken for political gain without any genuine personal investment??

He spoke about his own personal 'take' on the issue. I don't agree with him, but I respect that he doesn't seek to make his 'view' LAW. He has said he does NOT favor DOMA. Not ideal, but honest.


:shrug:

his book was written to reinforce authoritarian patriarchy not equality. x(

I found him to be no different then the rest of them. Allowing McSame to ramble on with his stump speeches