A conservative activist revealed the Christian Right’s fear in the alliance between megapastor Rick Warren and President-elect Barack Obama in a column Monday that criticizes Warren for accepting the invitation to give the invocation at Obama’s inauguration.
In her syndicated Scripps Howard column, Star Parker criticized Warren for giving Obama - who she emphasizes is pro-abortion rights and pro-gay rights - legitimacy among evangelicals.
Recalling the Saddleback Civil Forum last August, Parker accused the California pastor of contributing to the “moral ambiguity” crisis in America.
“Only Barack Obama would gain, I felt, being showcased as an acceptable candidate by one of the nation’s best-known evangelical pastors,” she wrote regarding her feelings about the evangelical forum with the then presidential candidates.
“In retrospect, I cannot prove that I was right,” she reflected. “But I think the evidence powerfully supports my claim.”
Obama, Parker noted, gained five percentage points more than 2004 Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry among evangelicals. The five percentage points translate to a third of Obama’s winning vote margin over Republican rival John McCain, she highlighted.
“Sure, the Saddleback Forum alone does not explain this shift,” she acknowledges. “But the legitimacy Obama gained that night certainly didn’t hurt.”
Parker is a noted African-American spokesperson for conservative causes. During speaking engagements, she often shares about her troubled past, which includes four abortions, being arrested for shoplifting in her teens, and living off welfare as an unemployed mother.
She later became a devoted Christian and has become an outspoken critic of the welfare system and of abortion.
The activist has spoken several times at the annual conservative Value Voters Summit hosted by Washington-based Family Research Council. Parker is founder and president of the Coalition on Urban Renewal and Education (CURE), which seeks to encourage national dialogue on issues of race and poverty.
In her new column critical of Warren, Parker listed statistics on the shift among young evangelical voters toward Democrat Barack Obama despite their objection to abortion. She noted a 2007 Pew Research report that found young white evangelicals are significantly less likely than their predecessors to identify with the Republican Party.
Young evangelicals also break with older evangelicals when it comes to the issue of same-sex marriage. Nearly three times as many young evangelicals, age 18-29 years old, say they support same-sex marriage (26 percent) compared to those over 30 (9 percent), according to the survey by Greenburg Quinlan Rosner Research.
Parker’s attention to statistics on young evangelicals shifting away from the Republican Party and its key values in her column suggests she and other Republicans are fearful that the Warren-Obama relationship will break loose the GOP’s grip on evangelical voters.
She rejects the idea of the invocation invitation being an “olive branch to conservative evangelicals,” as the New York Times views it.
“An olive branch? Warren helped get Obama elected and our president-elect understands that there is still evangelical gold to be mind in the pastor from Saddleback Church,” she wrote.
Following Obama’s announcement last month of his choosing Warren to deliver the invocation at his inauguration, both he and Warren came under fire from liberals and conservatives for their partnership. But both have publicly stated that they want to show America that people with opposing views can have a civil relationship.
In a video message to Saddleback Community Church, Rick Warren said he believes America is being destroyed by “the demonization of differences.”
Instead of focusing on his opposition to gay marriage and Obama’s support for gay rights, the media should see the real story is “that a couple of different American leaders have chosen to model civility for the rest of he nation and that Barack Obama and Rick Warren have decided to try to create a new politic that says ‘we can disagree without being disagreeable; we can walk hand in hand without seeing eye to eye; we can have unity in our nation without uniformity; and we can have collaboration for the best of America.”
Warren said he and Obama hope that their cooperation will “bring America into a new day of civil discourse.”
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Do not judge lest ye be judged....let he among you without sin cast the first stone...hmm, both sound like they're saying "Do not judge unless you're perfect" to me.
The Bible does NOT say "do not judge"...this is a complete fallacy usually stated by those who want to keep their sin in the dark. We are required to judge all things, but righteously. I do not suspend my ability to judge because I am now a Christian, rather I study Scripture and depend on the Holy Spirit in order to have discernment to judge righteously. We are to judge sin but we are not to judge motives of the heart nor to judge hypocritically and all is to be done in love, with restoration being the key outcome.
For the higher good....I'm sure God is pro-abortion and pro-perversion. Yeah.
Mr. Rick Warren and the President-elect coming together shows that theological differences can be tabled for the good of a higher, better purpose, so this nation can truly be "one under God".
John the Baptist prophecied this about Jesus right before Jesus came to be baptized.
"...but he that comes after me (Jesus) is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear. He will baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire. Whose fan in is his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat in the garner, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
That doesn't sound very tolerant to me.
Alot of people use the bible against any Christian and that statement" the bible says that you should not judge", but the bible reveals to the believer about Gods judgement of sin and it is through his word that he conveys this to the world, and his believers are his witnesses to Gods' testimony of judgements.
Jesus's coming into the world was foretold, upon arrival, to " save his people from their sins", so Jesus dealt with the sinners and the downtrodden, to heal them, but he didn't tolerate them continuing in their same sins.
Mike
"he ate with the sinners & tax collectors and he did not ate with the sinless pharisees or the conservative right. lol"
And did Jesus involve Himself in their sin? Did He condone it? It gets rather old hearing sinners say "Oh well Jesus ate with sinners, so it must be okay to be a sinner."
Jesus said "I have come to call the sinner to repentance."
He ate with the sinner in order to try and bring the sinner out of their lifestyle. He didn't eat with them to say "Oh it's okay that you're sinning. I understand."
Try a real argument next time.
WOW!!!!!, if Mr. Warren wants to bridge the gap betwwen Christianity and Islam, then he will have to teach them the truth of Jesus Christ through a Bible perspective not the twisted view of trying to accept the Muslim's view of Jesus within the Koran.
to forsaltnlight
so why do you behave like the pharisees? I hope you do not sin yourself. I find it funny that just bec. warren accepted obama's invitation, he is labeled a false prophet. the christian right always use guilt by association.
so if christ accepted that invitation, you conservative right will call him false prophet & illegimate child etc etc.
if that is your judgement then christ is a false prophet bec. he ate with the sinners & tax collectors and he did not ate with the sinless pharisees or the conservative right. lol
if you say abortion is evil, then what are you going to do? arrest all those women with unplanned pregnancy so they will not commit abortion?
The statisics on young evangelicals only show a trend across the broad of all youth in America. The elders are not teaching their children within the homes the true biblical teachings and think that the educational institutions can parent for them, the wealth of the society can't supplement the responsibiltythat the "first teachers" can put into their children's mind.
"Jesus said "Go and sin no more." And everyone is cool with it. A Christian says basically the same thing, and we are called judgemental and un-christlike. I find that rather idiotic."
Awesome point.
Jesus condemning the woman caught in adultery. He merely said "Go and sin no more." So He was pointing out her sin. He was pointing out to the Pharisees that it was not man's place to execute the sentence. But the Bible still says that we are to point out sin and judge sin.
Jesus said "Go and sin no more." And everyone is cool with it. A Christian says basically the same thing, and we are called judgemental and un-christlike. I find that rather idiotic.
to danny
was christ a conservative? you are focused on abortion? can you force a woman not to have an abortion? I told a woman once & she did it anyway? another is abortion is not the only issue: there are corruption greed, power, arrogance and the pharisees practiced them. another is did christ condemn the woman caught committing adultery? I hope you christian right do not sin.
go ahead cast the first stone.
mark,
Also in 2005, Bush urged the Senate to pass and billed passed in the house to criminalize any persons who aid adolescents in abortions without parental notification.
He also this past year 2008 has pushed forth a bill to allow doctors and healthcare providers to refuse participating in an abortion and like procedures due to religious and moral beliefs.
mark wrote: "Bush didn't do one thing to stop or even slow abortion."
Welcome mark.
Your statement is not entirely true. Bush did sign the Partial-birth Abortion Act of 2003, but I hear you.
As Christians, we all need to wake up. Most of our leaders are following a path that isn't Christian. George Bush took away more of our Constitutional liberties than any other president, although I believe Obama will surpass him. We need to be behind TRUE believers of freedom like Ron Paul, or Chuck Baldwin. If you want to go to abortion, Bush didn't do one thing to stop or even slow abortion. Republicans are just mouthing the lines they know we'll get behind. Sad story. It's working. Rick Warren is no different.
"Activist Criticizes Warren, Reveals Christain Right's Fear".
I guess that just shows the difference between an activist and a witness. Activists are carnal and worldly minded.
Christians form their opinion's and belief's based on the Bible, The Word of God.
Christians who do that cannot condone or support Abortion or homosexuality.
to do so put's one on the wrong side of God.
Obama supports gay union's, and Abortion, which kills millions of unborn Babies every year in America, Therefore, Obama has placed himself on the wrong side of God.
mike .
Lol lol lol! I'm sorry you feel that way Mike. I feel you are not the Christian conservative???? Ay?
But where there is the slaughter of unborn Children, I will always be very passionate about it. No way has Rick Warren ever expressed any passion or suddenness against this human carnage of our own Children. Warren only says what people want to here. Facing both ways.
Good day to you Mike! Jesus loves you. Get right with God. Jesus is the way the truth and the Life!
Danny
the christian right is SO self righteous! they are just like the pharisees who would say that christ was eating with the tax collector / sinners; that they are the sons of abraham; Luke 18:10-11 the pharisee in the parable - he is holy & sinless (HE EXALTS HIMSELF & HE LOOKS DOWN ON THE SINNERS) & the tax collector is full of sin;
or like the disciples, who asked if they will bring down fire & brimstone bec. of the samaritan opposition.
is that how you measure christian maturity, by acting self righteous?
for saltnlight,,
With all certainty. Rick Warren is false brethren. He has done much harm the Christian Church. Warren is trust a liberal. He was always in it for Barack Obama as far back as 2006. Warren has never passionately spoken out agaimnst or condemn Abortion. And what Pastor would invite a with such a liberal anti Christian/anti family views as Obama.
Rick Warren does have this agenda to "Change" the Protestant Christian Church in his own liberal image. To this liberal all inclusive mixture. With Homosexuals and Muslims. He was even on Charlie Rose and said as much. Warren wants to to bridge the Christian Church with Islam. His "reconciliation", That his idea of "new Reformation" This man is never to be trusted. He is a false brethren. A wolf devouring the sheep that has crept in unaware.
I would not believe Rick Warren if he said water was wet. Star Parker is on point in everything she says about Rick Warren. I suport her and not Rick Warren.
LOL!
Forgiven,
Be as Christian right as you dare, you rebel rascal! I agree with both points you make; that it is indeed a Church/family issue to reflect God's values in the world while we are still here. And, I'd like to see younger people be drawn into a more republican minded government philosophy and get away from thinking they are entitled to government welfare programs and the worlds solutions such as abortion to curb the consequesces of sin. You go-on-with-your-bad self Forgiven, just don't get arrested for being too right wing-ed.
Delight wrote: "but it doesn't bode well for our young Christians to be relative thinking on the issues of abortion, homosexual 'rights' and the welfare state."
Exactly, that's why this isn't a political problem, it's a church problem. We are well aware the Republican party is more conservative on government workings, dealings. That is their concern not the mind set of the young christian. That is the concern of the church and parents to teach and encourage the young christian to walk closer with Jesus and His words. If that is happening then how these same young Christians align themselves politically will be in keeping with the Christian values.
But on a personal note; the Republicans really need to get in and mentor some younger, fresher faces into the party and get them out there for the younger folks to identify with. Even if those younger fresher faces are prominent and backing older, wiser folks returning to us an admiration and respect for knowledgable, expirenced folks. (That wasn't too Christian right, was it? ;-))
Forgiven,
Ruby might very well turn happy cartwheels over this news, but it doesn't bode well for our young Christians to be relative thinking on the issues of abortion, homosexual 'rights' and the welfare state.
What Will the reflection of this young Christianity have in the world? Most were taught in the public school system to think in relative, not absolute terms, do they bring that way of thinking into their Christian walk as well as how they are voting? Does this coralate in relative thinking of biblical doctrine and the infallability of the Bible? (i.e., 'what's truth to you might not be truth for me.') The Church is already diluting the salt and dimming the light.
I'm not fond of Repubs either but I am forced to vote for candidates based on their pro-life stance and I just don't see that in Democratic politicians to go against the pro-abortion platform the vast majority of Dems support.
Perhaps Warren could run for office, he seems gifted. I wonder if he will be either a dem or a repub..maybe he could start a whole new party and be successful as he is well liked overall by the world. Hmmm.
The Article reads: "Parker's attention to statistics on young evangelicals shifting away from the Republican Party and its key values in her column suggests she and other Republicans are fearful that the Warren-Obama relationship will break loose the GOP's grip on evangelical voters."
Humm, where's ruby? I got it ~ I get it.
Well, am I niave.
I'm still no sure where this should be or is a political issue. Seems it's a church issue, to me. But then again, I can see now where the two could get close. Afterall, we want Godly men in politics.
That's news to me...America is being destroyed by "the demonization of differences."
I thought it was moral decay.
Are we modeling "civility" or are we modeling compromise?
Does this mean once we compromise we can have morality back in this counrty? Does it work that way?
I would love to believe Rick Warren but there just NOT a lot of Jesus that I see in him. Before some of you Christians get upset with me consider; Jesus was never political nor did He seek to compromise with the politicos, He never sought the limelight and He never compromised on sin and in fact spoke plainly against sin nor did Jesus ever advocate compromise to appease differences in doctrine.
BTW...shouldn't Warren's Book be titled "Spiritfilled Life" rather than the "Purose Driven Life?"