Rick Warren

For the last couple of days, one of the big news items was Obama's invitation of Rick Warren to give the invocation at the presidential swearing-in. 

A reasonable question that doesn't seem to be noted much is whether there ought to be a religious invocation at this event at all, but I digress....

In what I will call, for lack of better terms, the "pro-gay" literature on the Bible, it is often argued that one of Jesus's traits was his radical inclusiveness.  Even many supposedly anti-gay stories (e.g., Soddom and Gammorah) are interpreted with this theme.  So, on the one hand, this invitation strikes me as an example of a similar radical inclusiveness, with Warren himself and symbolic of others who are most definitely not sympathetic to the LGBT (or for that matter, Democratic) cause.

On the other, Warren, in his otherwise non-flame-throwing persona, has been staunch in his opposition to equal rights for same-sex marriage, comparing it to incest, polygamy, etc.  His statements, while often calm and articulate, have been damning and hurtful.  So, on this other hand, inviting him to open the ceremony for Obama seems like a massive kick in the teeth to the LGBTA community.

I hope this was not a cynical calculation, that it was a genuine attempt at post partisanship, or at least inclusiveness.  It doesn't feel that way now.  At minimum it feels like a miscalculation.  At worst, it feels like a major tarnish on our otherwise still-shiny new president (-elect).  I hope it was worth it.