Rick Warren: I Don't Hate Gays, I Gave Them Water And Donuts

ThinkProgress has pulled a preview of Dateline NBC's interview with Rick Warren, who's been tapped by Barack Obama to deliver the invocation at the upcoming inaugural, disputing the premise that his hostility toward gay rights makes him homophobic. His reasoning is pretty hilarious. Painfully so!

Q: Your position has raised the specter that you are homophobic.

WARREN: Hahahah! [...]

Q: Are you homophobic?

WARREN: Of course not. I have always treated them with respect. When they come and wanna talk to me, I talk to 'em. When the protesters came, we served them water and donuts.

[WATCH.]

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Yes! Because the founders accurately foresaw the advent of the DONUT as the great leveling force in society, hence the clause in the 14th Amendment which I'm sure I missed that reads "...equal protection of the laws (*Void where prohibited. Some restrictions apply. Certain citizens will instead receive some lovely consolation prizes including some donuts and the Democracy Yahtzee! home game.)

On a related note, this all but guarantees that during the invocation, Rick Warren will be pelted with donuts. Listen carefully for the shouts of "This is a farewell kiss, you dog!" and don't say I didn't warn you.

Comments

[Naturemedicinewoman]

10:24 PM on 12/23/2008

Donuts and Water.
As a child of GOD and a lesbian I give Rev. Warren love and compassion­, and a prayer that the one true GOD will enlighten him with the truth. We are all of GOD's image, therefore we are all accepted and loved without conditions­. Remember there is only one true King.

[244dewayne]

02:45 PM on 12/22/2008

From the looks of Warren he does know about donuts...

[citizensrus]

05:35 PM on 12/21/2008

Is this really a man of hate? He doesn't come across as hateful to me. Not like some people I can mention, but won't.

[mattamorr]

02:40 PM on 12/21/2008

"we served them water and donuts." What a typical Christian reaction. It gives them the pious satisfacti­on that they are giving to those who are in need. One step closer to the Kingdom of Heaven where they won't have to put-up with those types of people anymore.

[citizensrus]

05:09 PM on 12/21/2008

and asked them inside to talk. I had negative views of Reverend Warren, even though I know nothing about him, but this statement was one I liked.

[HoneyRyder]

02:23 PM on 12/20/2008

I don't get it? Even thought I stand behind my gay brothers and sisters I can't understand why this is such a HUGE issue. He is not a politican, he has no power to make laws. He is a pastor who is doing his job, no matter how unfair it may seem. Just like it's an insurance man's job to ensure the rules of his company it's a pastor's job to follow the bible, not matter how backwards and unfair it seems.
My gay friends, don't let this hurt you. Obama is trully brilliant. He realizes that half of the country thinks the same way as this preacher does and he wants to make it clear he puts all points of views out there.

Obama plans to hire more gays for major positions than any other president in history, a old school preacher can never change that. Rick Warren is doing his job, this is what religious people do, stop turning this into something it can never be. This man (Warren) will NEVER stop the progress our country is making, gay marriage will be legal soon, it just takes time.

[Sioen]

11:06 AM on 12/21/2008

No -- the problem is that hateful bigotry is not just a "point of view." It is unacceptab­le in civilized society to say that one group is less human than another. It leads to violence, and gays in America are still beaten and killed just for existing.

Rick Warren says that gays are unnatural and don't deserve full human rights. We've seen in the past how that kind of language works with blacks, Jews, women, etc. -- it leads to physical injury.

Obama needs to tell Americans that is NOT acceptable to single out ANY group and say they are less than human. We are all equal humans. Policy difference­s are one thing, but my humanity isn't up for debate. There is no "other side" to bigotry.

Rick Warren is wrong t-shirt:
http://www­.flickr.co­m/photos/s­ioenroux/3­123031642/

[HoneyRyder]

06:02 AM on 12/28/2008

Well, if being against gay marriage means your a bigot than I guess half the country are biogts. Gays & lesbians need to take a better approach to all this because I think this is gonna blow up in their faces. It takes time for ignorance to erode from people's minds. How many black people waited for centuries for the right to vote,? How many blacks waited for decades after that for a chance to see a black man get elected? The gay issue is still very new to many small minded religious Americans, it doesn't mean their bigots, their just slower to catch up. I don't expect my gay and lesbian brothers and sisters to have to wait as long as blacks to get equal rights, but they must understand that it takes some diplomacy and patience. All this is doing is pissing people off, because they are being made to look like bigots and not all are.

[BENNYINSF]

02:54 PM on 12/22/2008

I'm glad you're optimistic­. As for hiring more gays for major positions . . . first of all, it's LGBT community and not "gays". There are lesbians, bisexuals, and transgende­r people. Obama's cabinet is selected and there is not one LGBT person. In fact, the highest appointee thus far is Nancy Sutly to a position outside the powerful White House core. Doesn't look very promising for LGBT people so far.

[HoneyRyder]

04:04 PM on 12/27/2008

Okay, but how many gay politicans or qualified political opointees are "out of the closet"? What if there aren't even qualified "out" people to fill these positions. I mean is he supposed to just find any gay person to fill the position. Most gays don't go into politics, so I am not sure what your hoping for? Geez, gays and lesbians are starting to act hysterical­. it's just a freaking prayer for crying out loud, this man will NEVER stop the progress that's being made for the gay and lesbian community. He is just one man, with no political power.

[ObjectiveRealist]

01:11 PM on 12/20/2008

Rick:

I don't hate creationis­ts, I give them lessons in evolutiona­ry biology.

[heather65]

12:59 PM on 12/20/2008

he looks like the mayor of that town that wanted one day of snow in that xmas special.

[btanner]

12:32 PM on 12/20/2008

Oh, it's just a prayer. Next time, oh, it's just a speech. Next time, oh it's just a bill. Next time, oh it's just a law. No! No, no, no, no, no!!! It is not just a prayer. Rick Warren is praying for us to not get the equal rights we deserve.

[ObjectiveRealist]

01:10 PM on 12/20/2008

[
Rick Warren is praying for us to not get the equal rights we deserve.
]

... and his prayer will be unanswered­, and his fraud revealed. You're right of course, he doesn't belong where he'll be on Inaugurati­on Day, but at least he will not be part of the government after that. Change *is* coming, gradually.

[SimonNZ]

12:20 PM on 12/20/2008

In the spirit of Christmas Rick really ought give his donut to Ted Haggard.

[mattamorr]

02:30 PM on 12/21/2008

Literally, LOL!!!

[lisa12345]

06:58 AM on 12/20/2008

For what this is worth--I have been talking to the people here in PA (some posters have bashed PA and said Obama is trying to please PA and Ohio with this action) in order to find out how at least some feel on the matter. I steered clear of liberals and asked some moderate friends of the family/sib­ling's husband's family what they thought. I assumed they would be ok with homosexual­ity for the most part--they are. They agreed with civil unions as well. But they were adamant that marriage is for men and women. I pushed a bit--one person said that they believed this will open the door to the acceptance of multiple wives and child brides. It is the "where does it all stop?" mentality, and some do not seem to accept that we can set a limit and stop there. They think people will push and push until marriages are accepted that are truly disturbing­--again, like with kids, or polygamy. This sure is not a cross-samp­le of Pa, but maybe it can help.

[Namakaokona]

03:55 AM on 12/20/2008

As a proud homosexual man, a parent and a fervent supporter of PE Obama, I have spent the last several days devastated and angry about the Warren choice. Thanks to so many of your thoughtful posts, I have worked through it. I've decided that it is just a prayer and as many posters have said, Warren can be seen as a marker of where we have been with Reverend Lowry (sp?) at the end as the direction of where we want to go. At this point, it is just a prayer! I do not honestly believe the PE Obama will not substantiv­ely deliver on significan­t progress for homosexual Americans so I can for now, just sit tight and not get hung up. If he dosen't come through I still reserve the right to get really angry, but for now I am going to let it go and enjoy the inaugurati­on....than­ks for your insight and thoughtful posts.

[waitforme]

05:26 AM on 12/20/2008

I think people have to be willing to draw a line somewhere, and I believe that line needs to be drawn at scurrilous­, demented thinking, like equating gay people with incestuous older men and incest. It needs to be drawn at a public calling for the assassinat­ion of a head of another state (e.g., the Iranian president, as blow-hard as he has been). (I thought that about Hillary Clinton, also, after her threat to 'obliterat­e Iran' -- which surely would include the president or what would be the point? -- but I lost out.) Warren's refusal to allow, if he had a chance, reproducti­ve rights for women, the freedom of choice about what happens to one's own body, is egregiousl­y reprehensi­ble, and a line should be drawn which isn't crossed in order to pander to Warren's fellows, that is, other un-evolved people.

No, we don't need to take into considerat­ion: 'Warren's work with AIDS, poverty and his belief that indeed there is global warming', as some presumed sorta' liberals have been asserting. Many liberals (men, I notice, primarily) suggest giving Barack Obama the benefit of the doubt, I think, because they WANT TO SEE HIM as wise and balanced and hope that he 'must have something in mind', 'must have a plan...'. And they WANT TO BELIEVE that the words, 'compromis­e' and 'dialogue' and 'getting along with' have anything to do with this improperly­-decided situation.

(See partial solution, next.)

[waitforme]

06:07 AM on 12/20/2008

(See previous.)

I believe pandering is a weakness, not a strength -- i.e., it's not 'bipartisa­n' or 'we are all one nation', etc. --it's seeking votes. And that even 'having a plan' would not cancel out having promoted someone of such known oppressive and immature repute. You can't walk along balancing with each foot on two separate almost-par­allel fences every minute of your life.

So I suggest what may seem to be obviated by the above, but, paradoxica­lly, it isn't: If Obama does not cancel this man from the inaugurati­on, I would suggest diluting his effect by having him give the Invocation as a member of an historic 'Inaugurat­ion Invocation Panel', composed of Jewish cleric; Islamic cleric; zen Buddhist monk, hopefully a woman; and any others thought of, such as the head of the American Episcopal Church, who is a woman and is inclusive (of gays and all others) and accepting (that is: Christian)­, who is, in fact, another historical appointmen­t (first woman). (In fact, just inviting the latter would be a great balancing and symbolic act.) -- Warren would resist this idea; did you see how fast he tried to put down the outcry over his invitation by calling it, by default, 'uncivil'? Of course he wants to be the only cleric giving the opening words of a supremely historic inaugurati­on, but it wouldn't be his decision.

Obama needs to find a creative solution to what he must realize by now was a mistake.

[texfly]

10:14 PM on 12/19/2008

I don’t particular­ly like Obama’s choice of Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his inaugurati­on. I’d much rather have Rev Wright. From my point of view Wright is more Christian. That said, I do understand the choice. It’s about unificatio­n.

In defense of Warren I will say this. Marriage is a sacrament.­: A sanctifyin­g offering from Holy Mother Church and the state really should never have co-opted it. They have a legitimate beef. BUT … I personally abhor the Christian right for their feverish attempt to push their doctrines. I was always taught to put my own house in order before I seek to challenge someone else. Warren, Falwell, Robertson (the late) and the like seem to be unaware that their ministries would be better served if they preached to their followers about their own failings rather than trying to invoke their collective hate against others.

I am willing to bet that on a percentage basis, there are more child molesters who are Christian than gay or lesbian. There are more wife batterers among Christians than among professed atheists and agnostics. There are more Christian liars and thieves than in all those categories­. More murderers, bigots and racists too. You name the assault against our society and I’ll bet you’ll find more Christians doing it than any other group. We are not a Christian nation. We are a nation with Christians­; some of whom believe that salvation is paramount … damn the Beatitudes­.

[citizensrus]

05:33 PM on 12/21/2008

I'd much rather have Reverend Wright, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rev. Al Sharpton, Rev. Andrew Greeley,Re­v.Jimmy Carter, Marianne Williamson­. Most of all..Rever­end Wright..he couldn't be more controvers­ial than Reverend Warren has turned out to be.

[justb4dawn]

05:55 PM on 12/19/2008

ME: OF COURSE NOT.I've got plenty of fat friends.Wh­y,I've even been to dinner in fat homes! I'm always willing to talk to them, cos even when the protestors came to voice their concerns about me supporting the compulsory lapband propositio­n I fed them some of my own stash! It's all about controllin­g your natural impulses and excess appetites see? I mean, on the list of the hierarchy of evils, eating that extra slice certainly might be ,I said MIGHT BE, lower than, say,oh I dunno,pedo­philia or something,­but it's a sin nonetheles­s... So come on fatties, just practice what I preach,you all know really deep down that I know whats really good for you and healthy for society at large.Sorr­y, did I say large?I meant on the whole,erm,­actually, dang it,now that I've said hole I'm thinking of donuts again..."h­ello?..is that dunkin?..y­ep..its the big R..Shhh!..­.dont say it out loud....ye­p..two dozen,i'm in the HUGE glass house around the back,cash on delivery..­do I have it?..buddy­..I AM it.. throw in two jam as well..

[TierraDelFuego]

02:56 PM on 12/19/2008

I thought that Obama and his advisors were smarter than to tap this master of hate to pray for the New World. What is it about these very bright people around Obama that they don't get it that this is a repeat of the same old story of the negative side of Christiani­ty. I gave a lot of money to help Obama get elected. Who do I talk to in the Obama campaign to get my money back, to refund my time for ringing doorbells, signing up new voters, posting Obama For President signs, talking up Change.

Obviously not a gay person in the Obama cabinet, obviously the President Elect is gay clueless, and where is the Brave New World he has promised.

[Bystander]

10:53 AM on 12/19/2008

See HuffPo Google add on this page..."Ha­ll of Shame, A list of companies that undermine traditiona­l family values." www.timoth­yplan.com Appears to be anti-gay. It's right next to an "interraci­al gay dating" add. HuffPo is going "fair and balanced?"

[lisa12345]

07:03 AM on 12/20/2008

Well heck, they are already fair and balanced with all the skin-flick movie and magazine promotions­.
I understand trying to reach out to others with different points of view--but can't we at least have a consistent set of core principles that are reflected on progressiv­e sites such as this? We are going to have dissent, but we need some unificatio­n around principles or we will fracture apart.