Gay Bishop To Offer Prayer at Inaugural
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - The first openly gay Episcopal bishop will offer a prayer at the Lincoln Memorial at an inaugural event for President-elect Barack Obama.
The selection of New Hampshire Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson for Sunday’s event follows weeks of criticism from gay-rights groups over Obama’s decision to have the Rev. Rick Warren give the invocation at his Jan. 20 inauguration.Warren backed the ban on same-sex marriage that passed in his home state of California on the November ballot.
Robinson said last month the choice of Warren was like a slap in the face. In an interview with the Concord Monitor, he said he doesn’t believe Obama invited him in response to the Warren criticism but said his inclusion won’t go unnoticed by the gay and lesbian community.
“It’s important for any minority to see themselves represented in some way,” Robinson told the newspaper for a story in Monday’s editions. “Whether it be a racial minority, an ethnic minority, or in our case, a sexual minority. Just seeing someone like you up front matters.”
Robinson, 61, said both Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden will attend the event, and Obama is expected to speak. As for himself, Robinson said he doesn’t yet know what he’ll say, but he knows he won’t use a Bible.
“While that is a holy and sacred text to me, it is not for many Americans,” Robinson said. “I will be careful not to be especially Christian in my prayer. This is a prayer for the whole nation.”
No Bible references or quotations from Robinson, a man that caused a major schism in the Episcopal Church that is no where close to being healed, thus he has a history of causing division and contention among a group of people he is suoposede to shepherd, not unity; so exactly what god is he praying to? If he is, which I would deny as being true, a Christian minister, why does he feel the Bible is not inclusive or why is he ashamed to pray as a Christian? Is he going to be a universalist, all roads lead to Heaven, or as I like to call it an Oprah Chinese Menu stil religion, and thus deny his faith?
Why is it that every minority must be represented? When that happens, more often than not the majority gets ‘dissed’ in the process. I have no problem if Mahdi Obama wants to include a homosexual in the inauguration; but to pick a Christian minister that is ashamed of the Gospel and like a female minister also included, people that are so interested in inclusion they deny the Gospel they are purported to represent. They represent a watered down, lukewarm brand of Christianity and yet they will be promoted at the inaugural as being something they are not - Bible believing Christians.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D95LLG5G0&show_article=1
