I think we’ll do a video on this soon I am so disgusted by it…
It happened at the inauguration of President Obama. Inauguration actually means a time to call on God to ask him to bless the decisions you have made. So it is no wonder that the Americans organise for someone to pray at the beginning and end of the ceremony. Even this seemed to annoy the BBC commentator.
But it got worse.
Rick Warren (possibly the most published author after God) was the first pray-er. As soon as he finished the BBC commentator cut in with a tirade about how awful it was that he had been asked to pray as he was one of these evangelical Christian pastors who actually believe something and how that is often offensive to people who find themselves condemned by someone - no matter how loving they are - who dares to suggest that they might be doing something unhelpful…
Considering how proud the BBC are at being unprejudiced (noting how they refused to broadcast appeals to help the Palestinans after the recent war for fear of seeming to take sides against those who had killed or maimed several thousands innocent people!) one might suggest this view of their presenter to be just a tad partisan, prejudiced, bigotted … but then it couldn’t be.
Because it is not, by definition, prejudiced to express a view that disagrees with Christians.
Having said that, I don’t completely agree with Rick Warren on a few things… But credit where it’s due. He will make a good Whitehouse advisor! Particularly if his only role is to pray and encourage others to do the same.
I heard Sandi Toksvig on the Radio 4 NewsQuiz that week describe Warren as ‘a hideous homophobic’, which presumably means he looks un-pleasant and when he encounters homosexuals goes into a rabid state and runs towards the horizon screaming until tranqilisers are administered.
A few points here -
1. Just because someone disagrees with someone else’s lifestyle does that make them a phobic? Its a great choice of word by the homosexual lobby. ‘Phobic’ does counjour up images of people at the worst end of the ant-gay movement and in one sweeping generalisation applied liberally to any person with convictions you don’t happen to agree with, lumps all opposition into the irrational looney category.
2. Does that make Sandi a hideous Christianphobic? It certainly seems okay to make unpleasant comments about people of faith in the media but you don’t tend to hear the inverse.
3. Immediately afterwards the same program applauded the black pentecostal guy who prayed after Warren - he was fine by them because… well, maybe as he was black and you can’t be horrid to black’s, maybe he was a bit older or less threatening in some way. Despite that I’d bet my bottom dollar he had pretty much the same stance on gay relationships as Warren, and he may even have been more ‘phobic’.
So, as a white middle class middle aged follower of jesus I am delighted to find myself in a persecuted minority
Comment by stuart — February 14, 2009 @ 10:35 am
da best. Keep it going! Thank you
Comment by KrisBelucci — June 2, 2009 @ 1:22 pm
Hi, good post. I have been woondering about this issue,so thanks for posting. I’ll definitely be coming back to your site.
Comment by AndrewBoldman — June 4, 2009 @ 11:50 pm