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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsInaugural Benediction To Be Delivered By Pastor Who Gave Vehemently Anti-Gay Sermon
Source: Think Progress
The Presidential Inauguration Committee announced Tuesday that the President Obama has selected Pastor Louie Giglio of the Georgia-based Passion City Church to deliver the benediction for his second inauguration.
In a mid-1990s sermon identified as Giglios, available online on a Christian training website, he preached rabidly anti-LGBT views. The 54-minute sermon, entitled In Search of a Standard Christian Response to Homosexuality, advocates for dangerous ex-gay therapy for gay and lesbian people, references a biblical passage often interpreted to require gay people be executed, and impels Christians to firmly respond to the aggressive agenda and prevent the homosexual lifestyle from becoming accepted in society. Below are some of the most disturbing views in the sermon.
Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2013/01/09/1422021/inaugural-benediction-to-be-delivered-by-anti-gay-pastor/
Fumesucker
(45,851 posts)Are_grits_groceries
(17,111 posts)There are many religious leaders who have not made homophobic remarks. They may not be located in some place that would fit a strategic voter niche or strategy, but they are out there.
One could be found, but they would probably be considered too liberal and progressive. That would bring down boatloads of crap from some people.
I have no idea why it's okay to have somebody like that in the forefront when they are so nasty to and about your supporters. It isn't acceptable at all!
Fumesucker
(45,851 posts)That was yesterday.
This guy was part of the release I put up and I deliberately didn't add him to my post because I thought there might be something like this.
Didn't want to spoil the moment.
yardwork
(61,715 posts)He has a knack for inviting people who hate gay children and want to kill them to speak for his team. Interesting.
Fumesucker
(45,851 posts)Obama and his people are definitely smarter than for this to be a mistake so it has to be something else.
yardwork
(61,715 posts)Occulus
(20,599 posts)having also not found one four years ago, then they do not for any practical purpose exist to any degree that makes them a credible presence in their religion by any reasonable person with more than two neurons to run together. If they do exist, and such a speaker is considered by that same President be "too liberal" or "to progressive", then that President is not in any way a liberal or progressive by any measure. Such a President cannot even be called a centrist by any measure of decency or morality. Such a President sits further to the right than that at best, and his supporters need to avoid gilding their vaunted lily if they want to avoid being called a disingenuous pack of silver-tongued fucking liars.
Are_grits_groceries
(17,111 posts)They just might not be the most readily apparent ones with teevee shows, megachurches and eleventy billion followers. If they couldn't find one, they weren't really looking.
Occulus
(20,599 posts)If they did, they would be as easy to find as the single grain of pepper in a shaker of salt.
I can't legally marry because of these people and their religion. I'm not even comfortable showing affection in public because of these people and their religion. This has directly affected the quality of my adult life and none of the to all purposes invisible "good" christians (to my mind, itself an unresolvable paradox) have ever stood in visible opposition in anything remotely close to a meaningful measure.
I want you to understand that, to me, from where I sit, this religion and its adherents are poison. I despise this religion and deeply distrust its followers for very good and rational reason. I am right to take that position, and I will not ever apologize for it.
ForgoTheConsequence
(4,869 posts)A good amount of mainline Protestant clergy are not bigoted. All he has to do is look as far as his own church the UCC. If that wasn't good enough the ELCA and Episcopal church both have plenty of progressive clergy members.
Occulus
(20,599 posts)I, very simply, do not care that one sect has this interpretation and another has that interpretation. Those differences, to me, are the same sort of distinctions between bread and toast, or water and kool-aid.
If you can't even agree that the bible means something written in plain language, even among yourselves, your bible and its words aren't worth the paper they're printed on.
Even given that the sections of the bible I'm speaking to have been officially deprecated by later revisions (and the whole has, many many times over, between languages, and across thousands of years), not one of you have any excuse whatever to justify any disagreement over what a sentence written in plain language actually means.
To point out the differences in interpretation only tells me that not one goddamned one of you know one goddamned thing about what you're talking about.
I dismiss sectarian differences as meaningless infighting. If you can't even agree on what your own holy book means when it says something, that tells me your religion is bereft of value to the point of sterility and only serves to reinforce my general contempt for it.
ForgoTheConsequence
(4,869 posts)Glad you got to get that out of your system, feel better? I didn't know I had my own Bible, but that's cool to hear. I'm an agnostic btw and I think the who thing is ridiculous and disgusting.
Occulus
(20,599 posts)I was speaking to DU's pompous and self-important holier-than-thou poor-us-we're-so-persecuted christians.
All of them who claim to be christians.
Every. Last. One.
djean111
(14,255 posts)Right.
Nothing is right or wrong any more, evidently.
Marrah_G
(28,581 posts)Another inauguration I will not watch.
forestpath
(3,102 posts)KitSileya
(4,035 posts)or the poet might be harassed! Shame on Obama for yet again choosing a bigoted pastor for his inauguration.
yardwork
(61,715 posts)seems to focus his hatred on children, including children who have committed suicide due to bullying.
teenagebambam
(1,592 posts)announced that they will be performing same-sex weddings, I would think a LGBT-friendly priest would be an easy thing to find. They're a five-minute cab ride from the Capitol building.
longship
(40,416 posts)And the US Constitution explicitly states the words for the oath of office to which government employees must swear or affirm. The word 'god' appears no where in that document, let alone the oath.
I despise this religious shit.
dhill926
(16,373 posts)Personally I find the religiosity cheapens it, and turns me off completely. Loosing the dogma would give me far more hope for the future.
DreamGypsy
(2,252 posts)I have not heard of this guy before, but a quick search suggests he's another Christo-capitalist - books, records, movies, megatheatre(oops, church) complexes. God is indescribable...except that we have decided 'HE' is male, white and wealthy.
On his anti-gay views, from the article:
His staff is running financial models to discover the income impact of modifying his position.
Solly Mack
(90,792 posts)Surely there are those who have not preached hate and ignorance to choose from...isn't there?
Isn't there? Right? Someone, somewhere?
Is Passion City one of those mega-churches? I suspect it is.
Initech
(100,108 posts)FreeState
(10,585 posts)should not be propped up as examples. I cant imagine a member of the KKK or any other hate group being chosen to give it, somehow we still give our politicians a pass on homophobia.
(And yes, if you are advocating to wipe out the gay community, be it via God or otherwise, you are a hate group)
1-Old-Man
(2,667 posts)Sheldon Cooper
(3,724 posts)He couldn't find one single minister who hasn't preached hate? Disgusting.
bullwinkle428
(20,631 posts)I had kind of a sick feeling it wouldn't be long before something like this was revealed regarding his past. Did the oppo. research department take the day off that day?
FreeState
(10,585 posts)You can send a message via Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/2013inauguration
WinkyDink
(51,311 posts)Not that the person whould be Protestant, but J/S.
PennsylvaniaMatt
(966 posts)He is from Baltimore's St. Vincent de Paul Church, and recently spoke in favor of gay marriage.
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2012-11-03/news/bs-md-rodricks-1104-20121103_1_church-law-gay-marriage-civil-marriage
"Could we not then say that [a gay couple's] devotion to and support of each other ... could be recognized by the church as a valid sacrament of God's unrelenting faithfulness to us just as much as the union of an elderly straight couple? Neither will procreate children, but both can be sacraments of God's faithfulness in the living out of their commitment to each other. ...
"It seems to me," he said, "that even if we do not believe that gay marriage ever could or should be allowed in the church, we could live with a provision that allows civil marriage of gay and lesbian couples."
michigandem58
(1,044 posts)Many have. A lot has happened in the last 15+ years.
Occulus
(20,599 posts)Remember- Obama had to be dragged metaphorically kicking and screaming, and given lots of bad publicity, into getting rid of DADT. His DOD isn't even giving back pay and reinstatement to those dismissed from service under that policy prior to 2004. Obama appears to be silent on that fact as well. That silence also speaks for itself in a voice louder than Obama, or any of the political "realities" that shape his decisions, can command.
That would never have happened if he had not been dragged into it and given no politically acceptable choice (let alone any mention of basic morality and human dignity). GLBTs even here on DU were given a lot of grief for pushing for that, and most of that came from Obama's most ardent supporters.
This doesn't quite make me regret voting for him a second time, but it does bring me a lot closer to it, and makes me question whether my own personal integrity and self-respect are worth a short-term political "win" for a candidate who quite obviously and emphatically does not support the idea of me and those like me being full equals in American society.
michigandem58
(1,044 posts)Someone that represents evolution of thought and attitude.
FreeState
(10,585 posts)he identifies as a conservative evangelical christian on his website. I seriously doubt there is any chance he has changed his positions. All that has changed is he knows not to talk when asked about it.
Jeff In Milwaukee
(13,992 posts)I listened to the sermon, and he plays a clip from Entertainment Tonight that references the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" episode of "Roseanne" (which aired in 1994) and the clip says that it aired recently. Given the attention span of Entertainment Tonight, I assume the episode aired no more than one week earlier.
In any case, starting in 1995, Giglio has been deeply involved in youth ministries. Since young people are the least homophobic segment of our society (and he's done spectacularly well) I'm going to assume that he has either changed or moderated his views.
What's in the sermon is pretty straight-forward Old Testament condemnation. Not the worst that I've ever heard (think James Dobson and his ilk), it's still not very good. I'll hold my fire for a moment to see if Giglio explains himself.
jsr
(7,712 posts)WorseBeforeBetter
(11,441 posts)with "lesbian minister Nancy Petty."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pullen_Memorial_Baptist_Church
Seriously, WTF is the Obama Administration doing... again?
ForgoTheConsequence
(4,869 posts)There are plenty of priests, ministers, pastors, rabbis, imams (watch freeper heads explode) who are not hate mongers.
fiddlesticks
(3 posts)We can be happy about that, I suppose.