Rick Warren
I never thought i would be writing about Mr. Warren. For those of you who are not familiar, he is the author of A Purpose Driven Life and a major player in the Evangelical Christian movement. He is also President-Elect Barack Obama’s choice to give the invocation at the innauguration.
LGBT groups are up in arms about this particular decision. At first I was too. He was a staunch supporter of California’s Proposition 8, after all. However, after thinking it over, I am not so sure if I can wholeheartedly disagree with this choice.
By not choosing a religious figure that perfectly aligns with his views, Obama is seeking to use his inaguration as a means to draw people together rather than divide them. At this event there will be something for most (I can’t say everyone—that is just too absolute). This decision is actually in line with everything Obama spoke about on the campaign trail—bringing the nation together rather than driving it apart. For, even if I don’t agree with everything Mr. Warren espouses, I do agree with some of it—namely, his crusade against poverty.
Do I want the Obama inauguration to be a liberal love fest? Yes, yes I do. I would squeal with glee over it. However, in the long run, it’s much more important to unite the country rather than appeal to a small percentage of people. I strongly think that this choice, coupled with Obama’s many moderate cabinet appointments will do just that.
