So much for this Rick Warren guy.....pfft.

[Raven]

I only know the guy from reading posts about him here on DU. I was waiting to see the man deliver some kind of a barn burner invocation. It was decidedly unmemorable. They introduce him and this big, fat, sweaty, pock faced man gets up and delivers nothing but platitudes...and then the Lord's Prayer...someone else wrote that one. This guy is not worth another breath.

[Name removed]

1. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[damntexdem]

2. Lowry was so much better.

That earlier guy -- Warren who? ;-)

[Vanje]

20. Lowrey rocked

Warren squawked. Also he looks a LOT like Radio bully Michael Weiner (savage).

[givemebackmycountry]

3. Randi said he waddled up there and delivered the "12 step" speech

She owes me a new keyboard.

[Bluebear]

7. LOL perfect!

[peacebird]

4. then Rev Lowery (sp?) delivered his closing and brought the house down with great wordplay & humor!

"Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get back, when brown can stick around -- (laughter) -- when yellow will be mellow -- (laughter) -- when the red man can get ahead, man -- (laughter) -- and when white will embrace what is right.

Let all those who do justice and love mercy say amen."

[Libertyfirst]

9. And over a million people there, and millions more watching on TV, said "Amen."

[liberalmuse]

5. Coming from an atheist, I much preferred Rev. Lowry's poetic, sincere prayer.

Warren's prayer was essentially like watching someone give god a $20 blow job. If there were a god, I'd say that Rev. Lowry clearly was one of his buds.

[NoPasaran]

14. Twenty bucks sure doesn't buy what it used to

[Tommy_Carcetti]

6. Who?

:hide:

I'm sorry, I was too busy with the INAUGURATION OF THE 44th PRESIDENT, BARACK OBAMA!!!!!!!! Wooo-hooo!!!!!

[Phillycat]

8. Bullshit.

He mentioned JESUS several times - it was clearly a demoninational, exlusionary prayer. That is strictly a HUGE no-no for political events - they are always supposed to use the civil "God" which can be interpreted to mean anyone's God. This was a slap in the face to non-Christian Americans, and a clear violation of the separation of church and state.

[Libertyfirst]

12. And he tried to get the crowd join in on the lord's prayer. AND NO ONE DID !!!

[Tangerine LaBamba]

15. And President Obama

brought in all the non-believers, thereby rendering moot all of Warren's impotent and phony imprecations.

He also has really unfortunate hair. It was about all I noticed about him, besides, of course, his vast bulk.

[laconicsax]

18. That's an interesting line you draw there.

Prayer to a generic god=no problem.
Prayer to the Abrahamic god=unconstitutional

Sorry, but they both violate separation of church and state. How can this best be determined?
1) Apply the 'Lemon test' to see that having the prayer violates separation of church and state by having no secular purpose and arguably promoting religion over irreligion.
2) A bit redundant, but look at Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe (530 US 290) and apply the decision to see if an objective observer would see a prayer as part of an official state function as the state endorsing religion.

Separation of Church and State doesn't just refer to to Christianity, but all religion. The Supreme Court has held that it is unconstitutional for the government to not just favor one religion over another, but religion over irreligion.

[Phillycat]

19. You are correct.

Sorry, I was thinking more along the lines of religious freedom - freedom to practice the religion of your choice. But you are right - I used the wrong words. Thank you for the clarification.

[Mist]

10. Yeah, I wonder how such a mediocrity packs 'em in at a mega-church. nt

[leftstreet]

11. I can haz more Faith Based Funding now?

:puke:

[AsahinaKimi]

13. Heres to Warren, dropping off into obscurity..

like a metal box sinking into the the Mariana Trench.

[FreeState]

16. But in the mean time please donate to the Trevor Project in Rick Warrens name

• GLBT youth are 3 times more likely to commit suicide than their peers (http://www.soulforce.org/article/653 )
  
• 26 percent of gay teens who came out to their parents/guardians were told they must leave home (http://www.thetaskforce.org/reports_and_research/homeless_youth )
  
• 3 to 5% of U.S. population identifies as gay or lesbian, yet up to 40% of homeless youth identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender (http://www.thetaskforce.org/press/releases/prHY_013007 )

The Trevor Helpline has taken over 100,000 phone calls since its inception and provides various other services to youth. In 2004, The Trevor Project unveiled a program called The Trevor Survival Kit. Since then, almost 3000 educators and youth service providers have enjoyed the kit’s educational information. The Kit contains a copy of the short film Trevor, The Trevor Teaching Guide (to be used in conjunction with the short film), wallet-sized cards with The Trevor Helpline’s toll-free number, and posters that reach out to young people in need of someone to talk to. In 2005, The Trevor Project launched Dear Trevor, an anonymous online Question & Answer forum where young people can ask non-urgent questions about issues related to sexual orientation and identity. Since then we have received hundreds of letters from young people all around the world.

The Trevor Project continues to extend its outreach efforts annually. We strive to educate educators, reach out to schools around the country, develop strategic relationships with organizations nationwide to better serve our youth, and, as always, to continue to save young lives and curb LGBTQ youth suicide.

https://www.thetrevorproject.org/donation.aspx

Please give what ever you can...

(Im making this an OP to BTW)

[hunter]

17. Rick Warren evaporated in the sunlight.

His sermon, yeah that's what it was, sounded like some cheap thing recycled from his pastors.com website.

Dude, it's a Presidential inauguration, and all you could do was cut and paste crap from your free sermons???

He'll soon be off to recuperate and rehydrate under the slimy rock they found him under, and I hope we don't see him around the White House ever again.