You make a good point that there are few, if any, evangelicals coming out of the woodwork and questioning Rick Warren about his inclusion in the inauguration. Extreme liberals, on the other hand ...

I don't know if Obama is concerned about being positively influenced. I think Obama recognizes a deep division among Americans and Christians on a number of different issues. And it encourages me that he chose a more Christian conservative like Warren to be involved in the inauguration. In this at least, I take Obama at his word. He wants to have open dialogue, even with those he disagrees with.

While it makes Obama look good to a certain degree, I don't know if he needs to score many points. He has strong support of the media, a strong Democratic majority in the House and Senate, and he decisively won the election. While I might question some of his policies, at least he realizes that he needs to tackle some issues head on early in his presidency and would like as much input and unity as he can get to do it. That shows some intelligence and good leadership ability.

Thanks for the videos. Good summation of views.

Peace.

Agreed - good summation and I'm glad Rick was chosen and I'm glad Obama is trying to be different and not as polarizing as our political systems seems to lend itself to.

I'm glad Warren got the invite to pray at the inauguration. I think he should take this opportunity to spend all the political and social capital that he has accumulated. There will be no other opportunity in his life to influence as many people. He needs to unapologetically seek to glorify the name of God in this opportunity he has been given. Even if it means political suicide. Gideon was faced with similar circumstances, and he chose to do the unpopular thing, even at the risk of being shunned by his community. Warren should speak the truth. No matter the cost.

It just goes to show you that Obama is reaching out to ALL across party and religious lines. Personally, I would have preferred Donald Miller, but Rick Warren is a good choice too.

Peace!

Does anyone remember who prayed at the Bush inagurations? How about Clinton, Reagan? Rick is wise to take the opportunity and I hope he is not flattered by it. I'm reminded of these verses from Proverbs 23, "When you sit down to dine with a ruler, consider carefully what is before you; and put a knife to your throat if you are a man of great appetite. Do not desire his delicacies, for it is deceptive food."

I cannot think of a really good reason for Warren (or any Christian) to accept this invitation. Not because I think Obama is so off base, but because an inaugural prayer seems to make too little of prayer.

The image I get is that Obama and the presidency and politics is the REAL show, and it's a nice bone to throw to the people of faith to add a little prayer window dressing on the event.

I don't fault Rick Warren for accepting the invitation. I think he's accepting out of a good heart and with best intentions. I applaud Warren and all he's done and continues to do. I especially appreciated the forum he arranged with Obama and McCain. And what I like about that forum was that it presented Christian faith as the reality that these two men had to address. It was a nice reversal of the typical equation.

Maybe Warren's presence at the inauguration will lead to good - I certainly hope so. But I doubt it.

I doubt much harm will come from it, either. But I do think inaugural prayers (or those at football games, commencements, ceremonies, etc.) send the wrong message. I fear that such prayers make too little of prayer and merely put a thin spiritual glaze over the main dish. That's a shame, since Christ is more of a main dish kind of savior.

Melody:
Yes, I think we all remember who prayed at the Bush/Reagan/Clinton inaugurations.

Billy Graham.

The same man who prayed at every inauguration since Lyndon Johnson's.

And yes, even though it may be seen as "window dressing" by some, it's good to publicly acknowledge the Sovereignty of a higher Lord at an inauguration of a President.

At the current Bush's inaugurations, at least the second one, the pastor who prayed was Kirbyjon Caldwell.

I think it is wonderful that President-Elect Obama has selected Rick Warren. His response to the question was thoughtful, well worded, and proper.

I cannot stand his stance on many issues - but we have elected him president, no matter who you voted for - now, it is time to unite as a country, support our elected officials, let them know our views, hold them accountable - and PRAY for them.

If Jesus were physically walking this earth today he would be a friend to all of those whom Rick Warren befriends, It is not the healthy who need healing, rather the sick and hurting and all those who need Christ. Warren is only doing what Jesus would do-A good lesson for conservative evangelicals today. We should all look and follow that example. Rick is practicing the GREAT Commission right in his own back yard.

Jon Harmon
Nampa Idaho

Actually, Donn Moomaw, Reagan's pastor at Bel Air Presbyterian was the only one to pray at the 1981 inauguration. Billy Graham did pray at a worship service before the inauguration.

After a majority of white Evangelical voters did not vote for Senator Obama for President, and after Rev. Warren helped campaign for California Proposition 8 (which Senator Obama disagreed with) in the same election, President-elect Obama did not have to invite Rev. Warren to pray the invocation at the inauguration, yet the President-elect did. I hope Warren does that work.
I had to laugh at a comment from someone on the Left saying that, when this invitation was announced, the President-elect might not have known exactly how angry and motivated gay Americans have become because of Prop. 8.
The President-elect also invited Rev. Joseph Lowery, who has the full respect and admiration of the Left in America, to pray the benediction.
Both Lowery and Warren, despite their differences, work to get results in real time against that complex and painful jumble of causes and effects called poverty.
I am inferring (as a side effect of the invitation, not the main point) a rebuke to the Evangelical political media figures who have not focused as much as they could have on getting real-time results against poverty.

I seem to remember someone else paling around with sinners—and being brutally criticized for it as well. Let’s see, what were his critics’ words? “But the Son of Man goes around eating and drinking, and you say, ‘That man eats and drinks too much! He is even a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ Yet Wisdom is shown to be right by what it does” (Matt. 11:19, c.f., Luke 15:2). Jesus had to remind his critics of his mission, “"It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners" (Mark 2:17). Here’s a thought, maybe, just maybe Jesus had no intention of his followers holding up in upscale churches preaching to the choir week after week—Remember, it’s pretty difficult to “let your light shine” with it under a basket! His hill-talk told us to “let our good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise our heavenly Father” (Matt. 5:16). Not only that, but the summary statements in Luke 15 are pretty clear about God’s priorities: “In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!” (vs. 7); “In the same way, there is joy in the pres0ence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents” (vs. 10); “We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’” (vs. 32).

By the way, there are whole groups of Evangelicals (or post-Evangelicals) who think Obama every bit as much of a follower of Jesus than Reagan, or the Bush presidents! Pro-choice is much more than anti-abortion, and all people—yes, even homosexuals should be afforded Golden Rule treatment! So, three cheers for Rick Warren! Perhaps with this administration we’ll stop invading our former allies (both nations we armed and who fought surrogate wars for us) and water-boarding prisoners of war (a punishable war crime)—in the name of Jesus and our Christian nation! And perhaps this president will concern himself with “letting justice roll on like a river, and righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (Amos 5:24).

ohhhh yeah...the big bad hypocritical "angry Left"...whatever that means.

Are some of you people serious?

Is this how you communicate your own smug self-satisfaction with yourselves?

The the SEGMENT of the "Left" that's angry about it is definitely mirrored by an angry segment of the Right.

If you took the time to do a simple search you'd find voices on Right that are just as rabid about the "compromising Rick Warren". I've even heard people from the Right calling him a "media whore".

Some of you can feel free to off-load your self-satisfaction at any time. It's your Achilles heel and the primary reason your version of cultural discourse got a strong and deserved rebuke this past election.

grow up.
really.

What do I think? Yawn.

Don't we have some people still far from God to love? And millions dying from disease and lack of clean drinking water? And the homeless in our cities and towns who need prayer and help to end the cycle of poverty, dependence, and addiction?

The church has work to do. Leave the politics to those who don't have a mission.

All believers everywhere should be inaugurating purpose driven R-E-S-P-E-C-T for the Gospel and rejoice.

For those believers who criticize Warren, please consider rejoicing over this upcoming event. I think the Apostle Paul certainly would.

"It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice."

By far the single most baffling (and entertaining) factor for me of this whole affair has been the fact that so many of the folks who put Obama in office because of his pledge to cross party and ideological lines are the same ones now freaking out because he's actually doing it. In a way, he's testing the resolve of his supporters to keep the promises *they* made when they elected him, clearly outspoken views and all.

I guess it's the old "but it sounded nice on paper!"...

It's also a good political move, since (correct me if I'm wrong here) he didn't make good on that bi-partisan pledge by putting any hard right Republicans in his cabinet, with the (notable) exception of sitting SecDef Robert Gates. This is a great way to make the hard right forget that, by having an icon like Warren participate in the Biggest Show on Earth. One thing no one will be able to accuse Barack Obama of is being a bad politician - he's probably the best I've seen in my lifetime.

I am proud of Obama for asking Rick Warren and I am proud of Warren for saying yes. This is great for a conservative presence for Christ in the While House.

www.matthewmorine.com

Liberals must have assumed Obama was only talking to conservatives when he gave all of those lofty campaign speeches about moving beyond our partisan differences. For conservatives, it was a lot easier to paint Obama as the enemy when his Reverend of choice was named Wright and not Warren.

Much to the frustration of culture warriors on both ends of the spectrum, neither Obama nor Warren seems interested in continuing the practice of using abortion or gay marriage as litmus test issues. If either of them did, there's no way we'd ever see them sharing a stage, much less the U.S. Capitol's steps on January 20th. Beyond the hot buttons, there is a broader set of issues including global poverty, climate change, AIDS and genocide on which they agree.

While I would not likely choose Warren as my pastor or favorite author by any means, he's a more than adequate choice to pray at the inauguration. How many mega-church pastors do you know who reverse tithe, giving away 90% while keeping 10%?

Well, presence of prayer is certainly better than absence of it. My Soviet Union experience gives me that certain lesson. Yet, the substance of prayer is no less important. May be, praying together with Rick Warren, and for him, we can supplement and enrich that substance? At least, to the level, presentable enough before the Lord we serve.

Obama has deliberately decided to include Rick Warren in his inaugaration. by so doing he is taking a risk from the people,
(both L & C) but not from "THE I AM".

PEACE FROM LEON IN ARKANSAS

I think Pastor Rick needs to guard against the temptation for power. Considering Mr. Obama's record with pastors, if he had not been influenced by his pastor for 20 years, I doubt he will be influenced by one who is not even his pastor. I think Mr. Obama is using this to appeal to evangelicals. This is evidenced by those whom he has appointed to cabinet positions. We should look at Mr. Obama's policies or beliefs based on his cabinet appointments.

Or maybe Mr. Obama is putting feet to the reality that he is the President of the United States...not just the people who voted for him.

Before we get too excited about Pastor Rick Warren being asked to pray at the inaugural event, Mr. Obama also asked others (with very different beliefs) to pray at other inaugural events. Look like Mr. Obama believes that he needs to cover all the bases covered. Perhaps, he needs to ask a minister who believes in the "unknown god" to pray just to make sure he has not missed anything.

Not only did Pastor Warren invoke the name of Allah - the merciful, the compassionate - he also stated "I ask this in the name of the one who changed my life - Yeshua, Isa, Iesus, Jesus - who taught us to pray:"

ISA? "ISA" is the Jesus of Islam. Any intelligent google search will give you the basics of Islamic belief in who Isa is - and this "Isa" is NOT - NOT - Jesus the Christ, the living God. "ISA" did NOT bring salvation to Rick Warren, or to anyone else. "ISA" did NOT die on the cross as the propitiation for our sins.

"YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME."

On October 13, 2007, 138 Muslims of prominence issued "A Common Word Between Us and You." This open letter begins "In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful." Otherwise known as: ALLAH.

Shortly thereafter, "A Christian Response" was issued titled "Loving God and Neighbor Together." Among those who signed this document - Rick Warren.

From this document we read: "We receive the open letter as a Muslim hand of conviviality and cooperation extended to Christians world-wide. In this response we extend our own Christian hand in return..."

and then we read...

"Before we "shake your hand" in responding to your letter, we ask forgiveness of the All-Merciful One and of the Muslim community..."

Wait a minute... WHY would Rick Warren agree to "ask forgiveness" of ALLAH?

"Salvation is found in NO ONE ELSE, for there is given no other name under Heaven by which men must be saved."

DO NOT BE DECEIVED. The words sound good, but what is not said often speaks louder than what comes out of the mouth.

Light has no fellowship with darkness. Granted, yes - we need to love our fellow man, and there is much we can all accomplish together. BUT - when it comes to the core issue, that of the salvation of men's souls, the gift of eternal life comes only through the grace of God Almighty.

Rick Warren is paving a wide road that leads to destruction. Many are there who will find it.

DO NOT BE DECEIVED.