...Warren waxed, "Now here's an interesting thing. There are about 2 percent of Americans, are homosexual or gay, lesbian people. We should not let 2 percent of the population determine, to change a definition of marriage that has been supported by every single culture and every single religion for 5,000 years. This is not even just a Christian issue, it's a humanitarian, a human issue."...
...When Obama saw how flammable Wright was, he took him off the stage for the announcement of his candidacy in Springfield, Ill. Warren's calling a ban on gay marriage a "humanitarian" issue should result in the same. If Warren is allowed to give the invocation, the bright American rainbow that got Obama into office will dim in a way that spells danger for what else Obama will not stand up for.
Derrick Z. Jackson can be reached at jackson@globe.com.
Derrick Z. Jackson can be reached at jackson@globe.com.
Reading the editorial by Derrick Jackson in The Boston Globe brought about many stark images of people being persecuted as a minority in a country, but, it also brought to focus issues that are typical of liberals and their character strengths of which 'forgiving' is a magnanimous attribute. Yes, that's right, liberals are very forgiving. If that weren't reality then the nation would be in anarchy for the half of its people that haven't tolerated the Right Wing abuse of our Democracy for over eight years beginning with the disenfranchisement of the Black Electorate in the Elections of 2000.
The editiorial also made me recall an exceptionally 'interesting' Conservative Court. I'll comment in a minute.
Let me do some background 'stuff' that might seem inflammatory, but, has legimacy in its focus. The one true figure we can all relate to as Americans is WW II and the Nazi Holocaust of the Jews. Nazi Germany had a population of nearly 70 million people in the year 1939. There were nearly 7 millions Jews killed during the course of WW II. They all weren't Germans either, approximately 160,000 were Germans, a cool one million were Russian (The Nazi Massacre of Kerch, 1942). If that isn't reason to pause at 'words in a speech' that recants 'small percentages' as a justificiation of bigotry by a religous leader than I don't know what is. We can talk about other genocides as well as none are more important than another, but, then in the USA these days we are finding the loss of any one person as tragic as the loss of many. A lot to be said about the way the world has changed and endears its people.
There was a Conservative Court not very long ago that manifested huge rights for individuals. I am sure everyone knows 'the court' I am referring. It was The Burger Court. Most Americans think of this court as a liberal court. It wasn't at all, as a matter of fact Richard Nixon advanced Warren Burger to the Chief Justice seat and at one time considered asking him to run as his Vice President. It's interesting to think about Burger at this time of transition because he was a 'Nixon supporter' and at the same time nullified Nixon's powers during Watergate when he tried to EXPAND the powers of the Executive Branch to disqualify any impeachment due to Nixon's paranoid looting of The Watergate.
The definition of marriage was 'narrowed' during the Clinton White House and it was more than likely a 'political survival' decision which never was meant to cause discomfort in any populous of the USA, so much as satisfy folks like Rick Warren who demand to 'feel' more comfortable than Civil Rights in the USA should provide for them. The basis of some of our laws can be stated, by Neocons especially, as based in religion. Well. Yeah. If one considers 'murder' and 'Thou shalt now kill' exclusively a Christian dogman. It isn't and I defy anyone to point to any American law that has 'exclusive' basis in any religious dogma EXCEPT "The Defense of Marriage Act," which definately cross the line of church and state.
Christians have no overwhelming Civil Rights than any other member of the American populous and to consider they actually 'PLOT' against minority members of this country because so many Americans have their religious preferences in some type of Christianity is more than scary. Unlike the Anglican Religion, Rick Warren and his Evangelical Peers have a long way to go to remove their biased and bigoted dogma from the face of American politics and place it back within the walls of their churches where it belongs. No American should be the 'SOCIAL' vicitm of another. NONE !
In the Hebrew faith, Homosexual Members of society are welcome with open arms and have been for a long, long, long time. Jews recognize humanity in a way that is sincerely based in UNDERSTANDING and endearing every life that breaths which God placed on Earth. So, don't start with me about marriage. Marriage is not a 'judicial' term it is a 'spiritual' term and probably should be removed from the laws of this land and replaced ONLY with a process of recognition of 'Amicable Responsiblity' toward each other.
Legal recognition has its place in a social venue. Children and adults have security issues and when all fails in a relationship, the fiscal responsiblity of dependants does not 'go away' simply because a 'partner' wishes it to be so. When people consent to be responsible for each other in life, there needs to be a brevity to that and after all 'Who do you trust with YOUR living will?'
Rick Warren is a political animal and if that means as a Preacher his congregation finds that to be an asset to their denomination, than so be it, but, in the USA there is much to be said about 'the legal and tax rights' of such a man. He has crossed the line. If he continues in that way he needs to have his Saddleback Church as a Corporation WITHOUT tax exempt status. If he sincerely wants to 'make his responsibility' for his words 'go away' then he needs to apologize and not simply state, "I love all Gays and otherwise.' Like I said, he is a political animal. He either apologizes and redefines his 'legitimacy' as a religious leader or he doesn't, but, he can't be both.
That said, I believe some of Warren's political dogma matches the future hopes of the President-Elect. Warren has come out opposing the deadly trend of Human Induced Global Warming and I am sure somewhere on this blog that is noted. Warren has been someone that likes to think of himself as a man that has the capacity to change the character of people's souls, but, I assure you if folks needed a purpose to define their 'goodness' than the 'goodness' was already there, simply not the 'outreach' to find them. Given Warren's political willingness to make statements about controversial issues, it is not surprising Barak Obama made clear that he found Rick Warren a desireable man to place in the spotlight at his inauguration. It is just that at 'this inauguration' when 'legitimacy' is such a focus to the country's demands of its leadership, one has sincere pause when a complete two percent of our people are left out in 'the emotional and legal cold' by a man that should be inclusive.
In realizing members of the GLBT Community have stated they accept Barak Obama's choice of Rick Warren, on the basis of inclusion, I might point to that characteristic I mentioned before of 'foregiveness.' I will also note that strides in 'individual' rights by the Burger Court should not be trashed based in religious bias and bigotry, but, built on. It is time the 'religously' minded come to terms with their insecurity when it comes to the separation of church and state. The religous community, while verbal in ridiculing its own members from time to time, needs to issue their own policy statements include the words, 'A SOVEREIGN AUTHORITY' has the right to conduct itself in autonomy of any religous body.
In the same manner, those members of the GLBT Community that find forgiveness a 'nice' place to be for the 'sake' of peace, should also demand "The Defenses of Marriage Act" be amended by this administration to INSURE the inclusion of all members of society realizing Civil Unions for all its populous is a measure that is 'legally correct' and 'marriage is sequestered' to the spiritual rhelm. If the USA Constitution wants to defend marriage than it should do it in recognition of its exclusive 'spiritual' nature and not crossing the line of church and state.
Now, I've said MY PEACE with the subject. I suggest everyone GET BUSY.
