Steven Waldman has another defense of Pastor Rick Warren up at Beliefnet. He does the best he can, but this paragraph struck me as discordant
Having not learned my lesson, I want to close with another defense of Rick Warren. Despite his lack of self awareness on gay marriage (and the pain he's caused gays), I still think that he deserves to great credit for his extraordinary work in fighting poverty and disease in Africa. This man is saving thousands of lives and we should keep looking at the full Rick Warren.
But how much longer will we continue to allow people to get away with this kind of non sequitur? Rick Warren's dedication to fighting poverty and disease in Africa is not related to, nor a defense of his public pronouncements (and those significant silences) on gay equality.
9 Comments for “Rick Warren’s Recurring Non Sequitur”
posted by Dennis Sanders on
Frankly, I don’t think saying what he has done among the poor is a non sequitur. I think what Waldman is trying to say is that Warren is a the sterotypical Christian gay hater.
Listen, I don’t agree with Warren’s views and will oppose them. But I also disagree with many in the gay community who think that we need to make an enemy out of him. But it is hard to paint a guy that goes and helps the poor as a villian.
In short, unless Warren says something incredibly appalling, we need to lay off of him and take on the true agents of hate like James Dobson.
posted by TS on
“But how much longer will we continue to allow people to get away with this kind of non sequitur? Rick Warren’s dedication to fighting poverty and disease in Africa is not related to, nor a defense of his public pronouncements (and those significant silences) on gay equality.”
No, they aren’t a defense, but they are a reminder not to demonize him.
posted by Carl on
“But it is hard to paint a guy that goes and helps the poor as a villian. ”
I used to feel that way about Jimmy Carter, but he’s still demonized regularly by many conservatives.
I don’t think people should focus on Rick Warren, he already gets enough attention as it is, but I do think David has a point.
posted by Bobby on
“I used to feel that way about Jimmy Carter, but he’s still demonized regularly by many conservatives. ”
—Telling the truth about that scumbag is not demonizing him.
posted by Carl on
“Telling the truth about that scumbag is not demonizing him.”
Yes, but he helps the poor.
posted by Bobby on
“Yes, but he helps the poor.”
—True, and so does Rick Warren. But when he goes to Venezuela and praises Hugo Chavez, when he violates protocol by condemning George W. Bush while George was the president, when he writes a book called “Peace, not apartheid,” he acts like a scumbag.
So I think to be fair we should give credit where credit is due and give condemnation where condemnation is due.
posted by Carl on
“So I think to be fair we should give credit where credit is due and give condemnation where condemnation is due.”
Then I wish Rick Warren could be held to the same standard.
It doesn’t help that even Warren doesn’t seem sure of his positions on these issues.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/21145.html
posted by Bobby on
Interesting article, Carl. I think Warren is acting a little bit like when Obama says he supports the second amendment and then you look at his record which proves otherwise.
I don’t know if I can call Warren a conservative, maybe on issues like abortion he is, but he’s also a supporter of the global warming ideology, wealth redistribution, and other issues that put him on the left.
Maybe he has gay friends but doesn’t want to become an outcast among the evangelicals.
So, I’ll give him credit for saying he’s not anti-gay.
posted by Doug on
Pastor Rick Warren bold faced lied on the Larry King show saying that he did not support Prop 8 in-spite of several videos showing his support. I guess breaking one of the Ten Commandments is OK if you help the poor.