The decision of Barack Obama to invite the Reverend Rick Warren to give a prayer at the inauguration on January 20 is a big mistake on his part and should be reversed if at all possible.
Reverend Warren worked actively to defeat the amendment allowing gay marriage in California and has long been an active critic of gay rights. He has been an activist against giving gays and lesbians any civil rights and should not, therefore, be rewarded with a leading role in the inauguration. Obama’s purpose has been to unite the American people and promote tolerance, but instead he is giving respect to someone who has demonstrated narrow mindedness and intolerance.
Organized Christianity, including the Catholic Church, the Mormon Church, and evangelical Christians all failed to speak out against violations of human rights for African Americans for the long period of slavery and segregation, and were very late in final acceptance of their human rights. Now gay and lesbian Americans have replaced them as the victims of discrimination regarding their human rights. No one who believes in justice and human dignity can sit by and accept the concept of our first African American President allowing a minister who promotes bigotry to speak at the inauguration without a major protest of that action!