To: djparker10@gmail.com, peter.nuhn@verizon.net, Stephengladney@gmail.com,
barriticus@gmail.com
In a message dated 1/1/09 1:29:21 PM, djparker10@gmail.com writes:
Can you give us a basic sense of what our take on the Warren situation will be in case someone asks?
My computer hard drive was completely nuked yesterday (lost everything) so I'm at a bit of a communications disadvantage but I'll do what I can - put it on my Facebook page and send some emails from my blackberry.
Dave Parker
Here are some talking points.
Heretofore the discussion has centered around whether an anti-gay rights, anti- choice member of the clergy should give an invocation. But the discussion should be whether or not there should be an invocation. (That discussion isn’t taking place because we Atheists aren’t political players – YET.)
Conjuring the spirit world is not indicative of an Enlightened nation in 2009. Conjuring rituals or invocations do not unite us as a nation at the beginning of a presidential administration. Not all Americans are religious. 58% of us are not religious. And we are not all Christian.
The discussion has also centered around whether a pastor who refers to Jesus is unifiying to all religious Americans when the discussion should be about not having an invocation at all. Again – what about non-religious Americans.
Rick Warren wants one thing. He wants to be able to refer to JC at a presidential inauguration. That is what he wants in return for giving Obama a political platform to woo the religious congregants at his Saddleback Church. I’d be very, very surprised if he did NOT invoke the name of JC – many times.
Warren is giving the invocation as political payback and nothing else. Gays, women and Atheists are being “slighted” by the president elect with Rick Warren being part of the inauguration. This was political payback. Democrats want more of the religious vote and we can expect to see more political favors to the religious in the years to come unless we non-religious Americans get organized politically. That is why EV was formed. Our votes are not automatically going to Democrats. Dems need to court and work for our votes just they are doing for the religious vote. I don’t think that Warren will be getting anything else from Obama. I think the debt will be paid after the inauguration.
Warren only speaks to a narrow group of citizens who happen to be anti-gay rights, anti-choice and evangelicals. Presidential inaugurations should include people who speak to ALL Americans.
We never got any assurances from Obama that he supports us on our issues or even supports our civil rights. That is why we didn’t endorse him. The gays and women just gave their votes away and that is why they were blindsided and taken for granted.
Ellen
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