things have been very, very hectic at work lately; my experience from last year is that it’s always that way at the holidays, as everyone rushes in to get a book to read while visiting family or whatever. and with budget crunches taking their toll in ways like additional work for staff to do since our page hours were cut, i’ve once again managed to neglect not only my blog, but yours. sorry about that, again. i’m off work on monday, at which time i’ll make the rounds and find out what’s new in your world. 
BUT. i’m not leaving today without airing a grievance. for well over a year, to say that i was enthusiastic about the obama campaign would’ve been a bit of an understatement. i was hyper-enthusiastic, bordering on stark raving mad. or something. and when obama won, i thought that finally people other than the religious/conservative right would be heard. i was elated.
and then this happened.
speaking as not only a still-enthusiastic obama supporter but also as a bisexual woman, i can’t tell you how this upsets me. i can certainly appreciate obama’s wanting to bring the country together and include everyone in the celebration, but giving possibly the biggest stage in the world to a man who has, in the past, on film, put gay marriage in the same boat as incestual, pedophilic and polygamous marriages? seriously, you couldn’t find someone else to do the invocation? i mean, it’s great that he wants to work with these people and try to foster a culture of tolerance and possibly even mutual respect, but damn. warren has stated that people who don’t believe in god aren’t fit to hold public office in america. where does that leave people like me, who are bisexual and agnostic? how about his comments comparing abortion to the holocaust? are those the views of a moderate, middle-of-the-road person of faith?
for an administration based on change, i’m still feeling just as left out of the love as i have for the past eight years. and some may argue that i’m being overly dramatic about the issue…but am i? what if rick warren were known for anti-semitic remarks, or for encouraging racist viewpoints? would people be okay with this invocational choice if that were the case? probably not. but since he’s only opposed to gays, pro-choicers and the non-religious, it’s okay. no, i don’t think that obama is going to run his administration in the same way rick warren would. and i’m trying really hard to remain optimistic. but of all the qualified clergy who could’ve done the invocation, obama chose one of the crazies. that doesn’t inspire hope in me…and i hope i’m proved wrong, but we’ll see…
Well it definitely wasn’t a politically savvy decision, which is really surprising from a group that put together such a politically savvy campaign. I think it was definitely an unfortunate choice that will make a lot of people feel the same way you do. If it were up to me, I’d do away with the invocation all together — and I’m a Christian. But I’m a Christian who feels very strongly that there ought to be a separation of church and state. Religion is too passionate an issue to mix it in with politics without hurting people.
I started to say, “Amen, Nichole,” and then noticed the irony of that statement and had to amend it.
But yes, I also believe that church and state are separated for a reason, and it’s not cus those of us who think so are big meanie God-haters.
Stephie, I agree that this decision seems kinda bizarre coming from that camp, but I’m hoping that, based on his other GOOD decisions, maybe there’s an angle here that I’m just missing. Maybe Warren has had a change of heart and will use this forum to express it. My judgment is on hold till after his speech.
And it makes me so happy that you put John Shelby Spong on your list of qualified clergy. *cheer*