As much as I enjoy the flack Obama is getting from his base about Pastor Rick Warren's speech at the Inauguration, it does rankle me, when I consider that it's merely political posturing.
As expected, Fr Tom has a great perspective on this issue.
HLI Challenges
In Obama Inauguration
Pastor’s Participation
FRONT ROYAL, VA — The Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer, STL, president of Human Life International (HLI), today challenged Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, CA to reconsider his participation in the upcoming inaugural ceremonies for President-elect Barack Obama.
“We applaud Pastor Warren’s support of pro-life causes as well as his defense of traditional marriage,” said Father Euteneuer. “This is why we are concerned that his high-profile and explicitly Christian prayerful invocation at President-elect Obama’s inauguration may be perceived as an endorsement, even a blessing, of what will likely be the most anti-life administration in the history of this country.”
President-elect Obama has promised to sign into law the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), a massive assault on the dignity of life. He is also widely expected to reverse President George W. Bush’s executive order reinstating the Mexico City Policy, which prevents funding of international groups and programs that advocate abortion, as well as funding to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) which, among other assaults on life, has been demonstrated to support coercive “family planning” measures in China, including forced abortions and sterilizations.
“President-elect Obama has given every indication that he has no respect for the lives of the unborn, and whenever given the opportunity, has promised to enforce the most extreme demands of anti-life groups,” said Father Euteneuer. “This extremist agenda should not be seen to have the endorsement of pro-life leaders such as Pastor Warren.”
“I respect the personal relationship that Pastor Warren has with Mr. Obama,” said Father Euteneuer. “But such a public and explicitly Christian endorsement as this invocation is certainly confusing to those who know Mr. Obama’s record on life issues. We respectfully ask Pastor Warren to reconsider his participation in the inaugural ceremonies, given Mr. Obama’s extremist anti-life views.”
3 comments:
I agree.
Let's wait and see what Pastor Warren actually says.
Perhaps I'm naive, but I don't understand why we can safely assume the pastor's words will automatically endorse the new President.
And I really don't understand why a Cathlolic priest wouldn't call us all to prayer in solidarity with our brave Protestant brother in this situation! This man has agreed to go out on a very long limb, and a limb a long way from the ground. Why are we not supporting him with every prayer that we can?
The handwriting is now on the wall for our nation. I think we all know that disaster is right around the corner. What we don't know, or won't admit to ourselves, is that it's because our loving God, in His Justice, won't let the slaughter of His innocents go answered.
This pastor has the chance to teach that. To show the handwriting on the wall to the king and his court. He has a golden opportunity to speak for, and to, the conscience of our nation about abortion - and about the simple FACT that no nation that wishes to survive can afford abortion on demand as a settled public policy.
So let's all pray, and storm heaven with our prayers for Pastor Rick Warren, that he will stand up for life and against abortion in spinproof terms - terms so plain, so simple and so compelling that even a Democrat can understand them!
Pax,
John, I respect your point of view regarding Pastor Warren's opportunity to admonish newly inaugurated President Obama, but I am a cynic. I can see Obama making him sign disclaimers on what topics he can speak on BEFORE this was announced. Obama is a political animal, and is using Pastor Warren to appear to be mainstream. His very consent to appear can be taken as endorsement of the Obama administration by Evangelicals. At least that will be the spin by the media.
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