Maybe Its Not About Prop 8…
The amount of discussion swirling around Obama’s choice of Rick Warren to pray at the inauguration is to my eyes amazing. Usually there are a few harrumphs from some corner over the president-elect’s choice to which everyone grants a tolerant smaile and then we move on.
But not this year. This year the LGBT community has decided to turn the inaugural prayer into a national referendum on gay marriage. In the first place it is not; it is in many senses a private choice – it is who the person about to assume the most powerful office in the land wants to have pray, publicly, FOR THEM. It is still a person assuming the office and even though I think I am going to diagree with this one far more than I will agree, he needs and deserves prayer. And I, for one, want him to have it.
Three quick thoughts:
While there certainly are pastors in this world that support gay marriage, they are a distinct and very small minority of pastors in the nation – a much smaller minority of pastors than even supporters of gay marriage in the general populace. Talk about your litmus tests! For the LGBT community to get what they want here, the pool of possibilities is extrardinarily small
Secondly, I am kind of aghast that even conservatives are letting the libs frame this discussion. Consider this discussion thread that Ramesh Ponnuru strated at the Washington Post:
But here’s one way of looking at it. Obama stood with liberals in opposition to the proposition. But he does not regard supporters of the proposition, even vocal ones, as irredeemable bigots. By giving Warren a platform, Obama is not endorsing his views–but he is saying that those views are a legitimate part of the national conversation.
That’s not a snub of liberals. But it is a swipe at one type of liberalism–the type that has been working to get people fired for making donations to the campaign for the initiative, that has attacked the Mormon Church for its support of it, and so forth.
Not many liberals have spoken up against these tactics. Liberals should not be surprised that Obama has refused to join an effort that implicitly brands a majority of the voters of California, of all places, as at best the dupes of bigots. But those liberals who are engaged in that effort should indeed feel snubbed–as they deserve to be.
I honestly don’t think Obama gave Prop 8 or gay marriage in general one whit of thought when he chose Warren for this slot. Despite the heat – it’s a local issue, confined to a few states where the debate is red hot, but it is still just a few states – Newsweek not withstanding. There is no credible effort to do anything about gay marriage one way or the other on the federal level. Lots of people are trying to get something started, but so far no one is getting any real traction nationally. Obama has bigger fish to fry and Warren is a superb choice (I do hate saying that about this guy) in that big picture.
This fallout is typical of the naricissim that defines the LGBT movement and much of liberalism in general. When we join this conversation in this fashion we feed that self-indulgent form of public debate. Sometimes you just have to let the kids have their tantrums and ingnore them (which is what Obama is doing) otherwise you just encourage the next one.
Finally, consider that to engage in this debate now opens the door for future, even more unseemly debates. Dream with me if you will of a Mitt Romney inaugural in 2012. Suppose President-elect Romney choses one of the Quorum to pray at his inaugural. Undoubtedly, there will be a segment of my evangelical bethren that will become incensed. If we engage the LGBT community in this debate now, we give credence to those small-minded objectors in the future. Should this dream ever become a reality, Mitt Romney deserves to have whomever he wants to pray for him at his inaugural, even if I have theological disagreements with his choice.
This should be a non-debate.
Posted in Political Strategy, Proposition 8, Religious Bigotry | 2 Comments » | 
Print this post
| 
Email This Post
K.G. on 20 Dec 2008 at 9:54 pm #
In the highly unlikely event that Romney or any other Mormon becomes POTUS, he/she certainly could not ask a Mormon to say the inaugural prayer. An evangelical POTUS might ask a Catholic. Or a Catholic (Jindal?) would most definitely benefit politically by asking a Protestant.
In the past, presidents have asked the Mormon Tabernacle Choir to sing at the inauguration. I cannot see that happening ever again. The LGBT would have a cow. Certain evangelicals would have a cow.
Anything Mormon, if not political suicide, is at least a political liability. Certain forces have made certain that Mormonism is radio active, politically speaking.
californiacrusader on 22 Dec 2008 at 12:58 pm #
Lots of people are trying to get something started, but so far no one is getting any real traction nationally.
Oh really? Well, here’s a small but dedicated group that I think IS making a difference: The Digital Network Army. I joined, and I find that it’s an easy way to do something tangible to defend traditional marriage. They were even featured on LDS Commentary. They’re great! Check them out!