Blog Roundup: Donnie McClurkin and Rick Warren

by: psericks

Sat Oct 27, 2007 at 10:01:49 AM CDT

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. 

Michael at Gay Orbit wrote this:

In all the bruhaha over Barack Obama inviting anti-gay pastor Donnie McClurkin to campaign with him, I’ve found a post via Andrew Sullivan that seems very sane and has made me change my mind on the topic.

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.

It was dubbed "Blog Post of the Day" over at The Crossed Pond:

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 and the Religious Right

by: psericks

Tue Oct 23, 2007 at 12:30:36 PM CDT

In the flurry of arguments about McClurkin, I wanted to try to offer some perspective: 

On World AIDS Day, December 1st, 2006, Barack Obama traveled deep into Orange County, California, to visit a conference at Saddleback Church being led by Rick Warren.

Rick Warren, although outspoken on issues of abortion, happens to think that AIDS has been devastating both here at home and around the world and that we have a moral obligation to act. 

There are religious leaders who show no tolerance on gay marriage, but who happen to feel that the Earth is God's creation and are more open to conservation measures than some of their leaders might suggest.  There are those who, when it comes to homosexuality, believe that one should 'Love the sinner, hate the sin' --- but are as interested as anyone in providing health care to children, preventing genocide in Darfur, and stopping the exploitation of the Third World through sexual trafficking.  And contrary to their Republican leaders, a lot can perhaps be moved by the argument that we are our brother's keeper and we have allowed poverty to persist at home for far too long.