Rick Warren and Obama

[BiBottomBoy]

I don't get why so many p eople care about something that is mearly symbolic and has no effect on policy.

[Guest epigonos]

In many countries, including the United States, things that are perceived by some as meaningless symbols are extremely important to the nation state and support their very foundations. Many perceive a nations flag, its national anthem, its pledge of allegiance, etc as meaningless symbols yet they are part of the glue that keeps a country together and frequently have meaningfulness far greater than would appear to be the case. This same symbolism is frequently evident in who is selected to perform certain rote, normally meaningless functions. This is exactly the case in the eyes of many gays is the selection of Rick Warren to give the invocation at Barak Obama’s inauguration. The act itself in meaningless but the selection of someone who is a direct affront to a group, which as a whole supported him, wholeheartedly, is an insult to that group. It was a highly calculated rather cynical move by Obama and his people and was undoubtedly meant to placate a group, the Christian Right, they believe he needs to court. Unless they are stupid, and I don’t for a minute believe that to be the case, they were perfectly aware of how offensive, to gays, the selection of Warren to fulfill this “meaningless†function would be to gays. Yet they are also undoubtedly aware that Obama will NEVER loose gay support because they have no where else to go. Thus they can have their cake (have Rick Warren give the invocation) and eat it (keep gay support) to.

[BiBottomBoy]

There is a huge difference between a nation's flag or Pledge of Allegiance and the Inaugural Prayer.

Jesus christ, you have to see our flag wherever you go and if you are in school or go to sporting events you have to deal with the pledge or the national anthem.

The inaugural prayer, however, is something that, at most, you have to deal with every four years and even then, only if you find watching a dude on television with his hand on the Bible to be somewhat entertaining.

To be honest, I didn't even know the Inaugural Prayer existed before the Warren thing popped up so I really doubt is has any huge symbolic value.

[Guest epigonos]

Those of us who are old enough to remember the Vietnam War Era will recall that huge numbers of Americans were terribly offended when antiwar protestors burned the American Flag and refused to stand for the National Anthem. To the protestors the flag was simply a piece of cloth and the Star Spangled Banner an anthem of imperialism. Many others opposed the actions of the protestors and felt those who got all bent out of shape because of them needed to loosen up a bit. One person’s meaningful symbol is another person’s meaningless nonsense. Times change yet in the end they really don’t.

[BiBottomBoy]

But, again, a flag is a much more common and meaningful symbol than an inaugural prayer.

Serioiusly, in your entire life, before this Warren thing came up, have you ever thought about the inaugural prayer before?

[Guest BewareofNick]

The thing is that if he had selected a pro-gay pastor then Fox News would have gone apeshit for two weeks straight.

True, but Fox "News" doesn't need a real reason to go ape shit. When there's nothing there to slam Obama with, they'll make shit up.

[BiBottomBoy]

Much better not to give them something with traction.