Rick Warren backtracks on being against marriage equality
Clearly stung by criticism of his position on California's Proposition 8, that took away marriage equality for gays and lesbians, Pastor Rick Warren on CNN's Larry King Live now says:
You know Larry, there was a story within a story that never got told in the first place. I am not an anti-gay or anti-marriage activist. Never have been, never will be. The whole Proposition 8 thing, I never once went to a meeting, never once issued a statement. ...I wrote to all my gay friends, the leaders that I knew and actually apologized to them. That never got out. There were some things said, everybody should have 10% grace when they say public statements and when I was asked a question that made it sound like I equated gay marriage with pedophilia or incest which I absolutely do not believe. ...
During the campaign on the anti-gay marriage California Proposition 8, Warren said:
I'm not opposed to that as I am opposed to a redefinition of a 5000-year definition of marriage. I'm opposed to having a brother and sister be together and call that marriage. I'm opposed to an older guy marrying a child and calling that a marriage. I'm opposed to one guy having multiple wives and calling that marriage.Q: Do you think those are equivalent to gays getting married?
Warren: Oh, I do. For 5000 years marriage has been defined by every single culture and every single religion....
And the reason I supported Prop. 8 was because of a free speech issue. Because, if it had, first the court overrode the will of the people, but second is there were all kinds of threats if you, if that did not pass then any pastor could be considered doing hate speech if he shared his views that he didn't think homosexuality was the most natural way for a relationship and that would be hate speech. ...I just don't believe in the redefinition of marriage.
Read it all at Crooks and Liars.
More at Pam's House Blend.
Andrew Sullivan writes about The Lies of Rick Warren.
Pants on fire.
Posted by Dcn Scott Elliott![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/nav-commenters.gif)
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April 7, 2009 11:55 PM
Q: Do you think those are equivalent to gays getting married? Warren: Oh, I do.
What Pastor Rick would give to not have that exchange on tape.
Well, maybe embarrassment is the first step towards ACTUAL contrition, and amendment-of-life? One can only hope...
JC Fisher
Iowa, Vermont, DC: the Arc of Justice is bending nearer and nearer! (Only Holy Week prevents my shouting the Al****** word! :-D)
Who's next? {Are you listening, Supreme Court of California?}
Posted by tgflux![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/nav-commenters.gif)
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April 8, 2009 12:34 AM
I think "liar" is one of those words that should just be stricken from the English language for the way it's being used. Maybe he *is* flip-flopping, but for heaven's sake, when someone apparently changes their opinion to one that makes sense (or clarifies a previous statement for the better), why the hell are we lynching him? Not here, of course, but I'm seeing some blogs demanding that we call CNN and flog him endlessly on what he said then. It makes me incredibly frustrated with people who are ostensibly progressive.
Posted by Helen Mosher![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/nav-commenters.gif)
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April 8, 2009 1:31 PM
Sorry Helen, I disagree.
Rick Warren on Larry King Live: I am not an anti-gay or anti-marriage activist. Never have been, never will be. The whole Proposition 8 thing, I never once went to a meeting, never once issued a statement. ...
vs
Rick Warren on video:
Rick Warren Endorses Prop 8.
Helen, on this topic he is definitely a liar.
li•ar |ˈlīər|
noun
a person who tells lies.
Posted by David Allen |dah • veed|![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/nav-commenters.gif)
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April 8, 2009 4:06 PM
Yes, David's point is the point for me as well.
I understand that when G. K. Chesterton was an old man, someone once challenged him on having been an atheist as a young man, but later became a devout Roman Catholic. Chesterton said something like, "That is correct. Formerly, I was not as wise as I am now."
If Warren were to say something like that, I would embrace him with open arms.
But that is not what he says. He says, in effect, "I have always believed this, and have *never* believed what I have claimed on record in my own words and image to have believed."
That could be nothing but a lie. It does leave open the question, was he lying then, or is he lying now? But there is no question but that he was lying at one time or the other.
It's a fine thing to change one's mind: metanoia, which comes to us in English as "repentance" is "change of mind" (as well as a great deal more), and repentance is what it's all about.
But "I once was lost, but now I'm found" is a very far cry from "I never was lost, I always was found."
Posted by Dcn Scott Elliott![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/nav-commenters.gif)
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April 9, 2009 2:12 PM