President-Elect Barack Obama has invited celebrity mega-church pastor, Rick Warren, to deliver the invocation at his inauguration on January 20th. Warren is best known for his book, The Purpose Driven Life, and gained additional attention by hosting a forum at his Saddleback Church with both Barack Obama and John McCain being interviewed by Warren on faith issues.

This invitation might prove to be more controversial among progressive Democrats than even the keeping of Robert Gates as Defense Secretary. Warren, while having shown considerable interest in global issues like AIDS and climate change, is very much aligned with the national conservative agenda of the Christian-right.

In a political climate where many progressives are both celebrating the election of Barack Obama, and are outraged by the passage of California’s Proposition 8 eliminating the right of gays to marry, the invitation of Rick Warren, who endorsed and campaigned for Proposition 8, to deliver the invocation at the inauguration has some wondering if Obama understands the importance and sensitivity of the issue.

In an e-mail through a local Obama group, I read this, “I am washing my hands of Mr. Obama.  His selection of…homophobe Rick Warren to give the inauguration invocation is nothing less than a vile insult to every LGBT American who busted their but for the Obama campaign… He needs to un-invite Warren IMMEDIATELY.”

One would think that someone would have advised against the selection of Warren. The invocation could have been used as an opportunity to interject a more universal faith into the tradition, one that accepts ALL people for who they are, as they are. As much as Obama stressed that his campaign was all about us, and his victory belonged to us, the selection of Warren seems to indicate otherwise. GLBT citizens are tired of having politicians be weak in defending their rights, and Obama’s pick of Warren is ceremonially a step in the wrong direction.

Extending Obama some latitude, one could make the argument that the President-Elect is extending the olive branch to conservatives throughout the nation, whose trust he has yet to earn. Strategically, the loss of some of the more volatile supporters who may wash their hands of Obama are statistically much lower in numbers than the number of moderate conservatives he might gain via the gesture of having Warren deliver the invocation. With over 20 million copies of Warren’s book making its rounds throughout the country, people know Warren and his book. I can hear the conversations already, “Did you hear that Rick Warren is going to pray at Obama’s inauguration?”, “Wow, Obama must not be evil after all”.

As someone who has spent a considerable amount of times steeped in religion, and now politics, I am personally disappointed by Obama’s decision. While I know that celebrity status of Warren might be a plus for Obama, I very strongly believe that the most divisive force in our nation is the politically charged Christian-right. Making concessions, like the invitation to Warren, to please this group may be a way to gain some of their support, but it’s like making a deal with the devil.

[X-Posted to Blue Commonwealth]

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