Rick Warren Did Not Make Me a Believer
Not to be a thorn in your post-invocation side, Rick Warren, but Jesus did not teach me to pray. He didn't teach Jews (except for those who followed him when he was alive), Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, non-Christian theists, or agnostics, either. You chose your words for the inauguration carefully for a change -- "I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life, Yeshua, Isa, Jesus [Spanish pronunciation], Jesus, who taught us to pray, 'Our father, who art in Heaven'..." -- but not carefully enough, I'm afraid.
Why the pronoun-switch midstream from "me" to "us"? Who is this "us"? You and other Christians? It sounded like you meant all of us. And when you said, "Jesus, who taught us to pray," did you really mean the Lord's Prayer specifically, or were you implying that Jesus taught us to pray generally, too? I couldn't tell.
Jesus did teach you and other Christians the Lord's Prayer (unless you believe the gospel of Mark, from which the Lord's Prayer is notably absent). And I can accept that Jesus has changed your life and taught you the Lord's Prayer and to pray in general, but "us"? Is this what people are referring to when they're now giving you credit for inclusiveness? That you've invited "us" to your Jesus party? I'm sorry, Pastor Warren, but I don't want to be included in that way. I respect and would never seek to outlaw your right to believe, though, despite the fact that you have tried to outlaw what I can do with my body (abortion = Holocaust denial...more inclusiveness!) and who my loved ones can marry. But please don't assume that there is an "us." There is no "us" when it comes to you and me, and it's not because I don't believe in Jesus, it's because I don't believe in you.
Read the full transcript of Rick Warren's inauguration invocation here.
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"I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life, Yeshua, Isa, Jesus [Spanish pronunciation], Jesus, who taught us to pray, 'Our father, who art in Heaven'...
The clause starting with "who taught us..." is not Warren's creation. This is a standard part of the liturgy read by Episcopal priests during Mass, and it may be very similar in other mainstream church denominations. I doubt Warren put much thought into whether or not to include it. I imagine the Lord's Prayer was written by committee long after Jesus died, like the Nicene creed. But I could care less, I stopped believing Jesus was divine long ago and became an agnostic.
Yes, but such an insight undermines the whole point of an angry parse-athon, a tradition that relies on self-centered interpretations.
The firm believer in separation of Church and State that I am generally cringes when any religious figure is given voice time during State ceremonies. (I won't describe what I think of the religious happening the Obamas and Bidens attended the next morning because it would require expletives
Yes, when it comes to official functions, we should ignore religion as we do every other institution, popular or otherwise--sports, music, fashion, literature, and mass media included. I mean, the shame of allowing TV cameras and mics at the event! And the entertainment portion. And poetry should be kept on the page, where it belongs. I'm straining to refrain from bad words, here.
We are fast on our way to becoming a sports-, music-, book-, and media-ocracy. Americans need to get concerned, and get concerned fast.
If Rick Warren is so sloppy, clumsy, and broadly unsuccessful how do you acount for the distribution of over 30 million copies of "A Purpose Driven Life"--a book that has changed the lives of millions in offices, schools, prisions, churches, and other small groups around the world. And by the way it is not Rick Warrens job or purpose to make you believe in Jesus Christ-just to tell you about Him. It is the job of the Holy Spirit to draw you to Himself.
I'm sure if you ask him, Warren will apologize for including you.
Andante200 said:
"I do think the composition of Warren's prayer was sloppy and clumsy and broadly unsuccessf
Thank you, that is exactly what made my eyes glaze over as I watched it; it was boilerplate, the same boilerplate that stultified me for twenty-three years as a conservative Christian.
Rev. Lowery's benediction, on the other hand, touched my heart, woke me up, and then made me smile. I turned to my husband and said, "I'd go to *his* church!"
And now my mind turns to other ceremonies: graduations, for instance. From Wikipedia:
"In the United States and Canada, the title of salutatorian is given to the SECOND-highest graduate of the entire graduating class ... the salutatorian's traditional role [is] as the FIRST speaker at the ... ceremony."
"Valedictorian is an academic title typically conferred upon the HIGHEST ranked student [in the graduating class].The term is an anglicized derivation of the Latin vale dicere ("to say farewell"), historically rooted in the valedictorian's traditional role as the FINAL speaker."
Just *another* case in point to show that Obama is about a mile ahead of his audience.
Thank you for this post. I'm so tired of Rick Warren's phony inclusiveness.
I was just getting to work when Mr. Warren was giving his "thing". One of my co workers, a church goer, said, "Who is this jerk?" Knowing what harm he had done to California gays, it warmed my heart. Thank you Mr. Warren, for just being you. I'll pray for your eventual enlightenment. And your eventual belief in the teachings of Christ, if you're going to call yourself Christian.
Our Imaginary Friend who art in SkyHeaven, hallowed be thy multiple names and personalities.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in the US as it is in Iran.
Give us our daily breadlines in our winter of hardship and forgive us our gay marriages as we will never forgive those who gay-marry against us.
And lead us not into abortion, but deliver us from choice.
For thine is the 10% tithe and the gibberish and the hypocrisy forever.
Amen.
Outstanding! I learned in Catholic school that religious faith is a personal matter, between oneself and one's higher power. A lot of people want to make it a political matter, which gives me the impression they are still not doing their own homework.
Rick Warren can keep his "us-ness".
Rick Warren doesn't speak for me either.
Separation of Church and State. Period!
P-E-T-T-Y.
"For to this end Jesus Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, "AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD." So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God."- Romans 14:9-12
*Romans 6:23*
That's all fine and neat and everything, but there are those of us who don't believe in fairy-tales.
Considering all of DGNC's SHOUTING, I hope the intent of prefacing such with "P-E-T-T-Y," also shouted, was intended as satire of the very sentiment quoted from Romans. I don't expect that was its intent, but I do hope so. I'm just more hopeful the latter half of this week than I have been for ... about 10 years, actually. Maybe it's the sunny weather here in Portland?
You're quoting Romans? Really? How Middle Ages of you.
If you're going to pretend that a particular Nazarene man named Yeshua actually lived and preached and had a substantial following, why not quote something attributed to him? But, no, in predictable fashion you drag out the same tired old pronouncements from that discredited, woman-hating scold, Saul of Tarsus.
It's always the holier-than-thou types who cherry-pick from the Bible without any sense of irony or self-reflection. Until you demonstrate some understanding of Matthew 7:1-5, you have no chance of proselytizing anyone but the lost & gullible.
Okay things are gonna be different now.
Praying to mythical beings, is it really the 21st century?
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