Thanks to user ReligionProf for pointing out this post yesterday: Sagereader lays out a comparison between the blog reaction to Donnie McClurkin and to Obama's visit to Warren's Saddleback Church in Orange County, California. Definitely a must read:
There is no way to unify this country if people on both sides refuse to be in the same space as those with whom they disagree. It is fine to disagree and be vocal about your disagreement, but you absolutely can’t make progress without even talking to each other. Both sides need to stop being intolerant and threatened by those who are different from them. We need more Rick Warrens on the conservative side and Barack Obamas on the progressive side.
Andrew Sullivan of the Atlantic Monthly, politically something of a libertarian but currently clearly an Obama supporter, linked to the article.
Sometimes we’re more reactionary than logical. The great thing about the blogosphere is that there are many many voices. And, at times, you find one that makes you re-think things - well, I would hope anyway.
If you think gays should turn their backs on Obama, then I encourage you to read the post before you make your final decision.
I tend to gloss over this kind of thing when I read it, so I haven’t paid the story all that much attention, but via Sully, this post at a pro-Obama blog gives pretty much the 100% best response to this howling that one could imagine.
There is a buzzing comment thread after the diary. It's great to see it getting so much attention and changing minds.
Great work, Sagereader! If you want to keep update on more response to the post. Use this Technorati page. I'll post updates.
Follow me after the jump for excerpts from an interview Obama gave with The Advocate about this whole controversy:
Obama also gave an interview with The Advocate yesterday. Here's a choice section:
Part of the reason that we have had a faith outreach in our campaigns is precisely because I don’t think the LGBT community or the Democratic Party is served by being hermetically sealed from the faith community and not in dialogue with a substantial portion of the electorate, even though we may disagree with them.
Part of what I have done in my campaign and in my career is be willing to go to churches and talk to ministers and tell them exactly what I think. And go straight at some of these issues of homophobia that exist in the church in a way that no other candidate has done. I believe that’s important. We can try to pretend these issues don’t exist and then be surprised when a gay marriage amendment pops up and is surprisingly successful in a state. I think the better strategy is to take it head on and we’ve got to show up. These people of faith may be operating in part out of unfamiliarity, or they may be insular in terms of how they’re viewing LGBT issues, they may not understand how what they say may be hurtful, and the only way for us to be able to communicate that is to show up.
On Saddleback Church and taking on the issue of contraception:
Look, when I went to Rick Warren’s church at Saddleback, he was under enormous heat because, among his constituency, my position on LGBT issues and my position on abortion is anathema. So his position could have been, we will not have Obama speak because he does not subscribe to our views on these two issues. To his credit, he allowed me to speak, in his church, from his pulpit, to 2,000 evangelicals. And I didn’t trim my remarks, I specifically told them, “I think you guys are wrong when it comes to issues like condom distribution.” And by the way, I got a standing ovation.
