We've been in the desolate wilderness- and our focus has been crashing the gate and trying to get rid of the bad guys holding our country in chains. That step will be completed in just 6 more days. And we've already seen that our next task will be keeping our own people focused and pointed in the right direction which is not likely to be much easier than the work we've done for the last 8 years. (sigh)
The Warren choice for the inaugural invocation was a perfect example of what is likely to be a conversation between the democratic base that elected him, and Obama's own desire to bring people together being twisted by the conservative right to benefit their agenda. Warren is not a good guy. He is a homophobic, right wing, standard bearer for some of the worst parts of the hate agenda.
The outcry from straight and gay activists alike has been fierce and the news today is good. No, sadly Warren has not been taken off the agenda but...
WASHINGTON – The Right Rev. V. Gene Robinson, bishop of the U.S. Episcopal Church in the diocese of New Hampshire has accepted an invitation from President-elect Barack Obama's inaugural committee to deliver the invocation at a concert held at the Lincoln Memorial. The concert, which will be held on Sunday, January 18th, is the first inaugural event the president-elect will attend. Bishop Robinson, the first openly gay priest to be ordained bishop by a major Christian denomination, is a member of the Human Rights Campaign Religion Council.
"Bishop Robinson models what prayer should be—spiritual reflection put into action for justice," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. "It is encouraging that the president-elect has chosen this spiritual hero for all Americans to lead the nation in prayer at the Lincoln Memorial inaugural concert."
Bishop Robinson is the co-author of three AIDS education curricula for youth and adults and has done extensive work on AIDS in the United States and in Africa. He helped build the Diocese of New Hampshire's close working partnership with the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund, advocated for debt relief for the world's most impoverished nations, and lobbied for socially responsible investment within and beyond the Church. He currently serves on the Board of the New Hampshire Endowment for Health, which works for access to health care for the uninsured. He also serves as a Trustee of the Church Pension Fund. From Human Rights Campaign
To be effective we need to trumpet loudly and be supportive when our fire-feet-holding actions yield results. The carrot folks. We can't forget the carrot part of the stick and carrot. So I am here to say I am THRILLED Bishop Robinson has been chosen to participate in a very high profile event in the upcoming historic inaugural weekend.
