Rick Warren "apologizes" for supporting Prop 8 on Larry King (CNN)

[thoreau]

Apparently, Monday night on CNN's Larry King Live, Pastor Rick Warren "apologized" for his support of Prop. 8, California's voter-approved marriage protection amendment, saying he has "never been and never will be" an "anti-gay or anti-gay marriage activist." California mega-church pastor and author of The Purpose Driven Life Rick Warren says he apologized to his homosexual friends for making comments in support of California's Proposition 8, and now claims he "never once even gave an endorsement" of the marriage amendment. The conservative blogosphere is going nuclear over the interview - one of my favorite homophobes, Brian Fischer of Idaho's "Idaho Values Alliance," claims ""For Pastor Warren to say that shoring up marriage is not something that's on his agenda is just something that's hard to believe for somebody who believes the Bible is our rule for faith and practice."

quotes of interest (at :30) "I am not and never have been a gay marriage activist" and when asked about his thoughts on the Iowa court decision he says he has "never been and never will be" an "anti-gay or anti-gay marriage activist." He says that he never communicated with the Prop 8 campaign - and did not participate in the campaign. He claims his only action was to tell his church members they should vote to protect marriage. He says he even apologized to gay leaders that he knows. (at 1:21)

"During the whole Proposition 8 thing, I never once went to a meeting, never once issued a statement, never -- never once even gave an endorsement in the two years Prop. 8 was going," Warren told the CNN audience on Monday. "The week before the -- the vote, somebody in my church said, 'Pastor Rick, what -- what do you think about this?' And I sent a note to my own members that said, I actually believe that marriage is -- really should be defined, that that definition should be -- say between a man and a woman."

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Now, I'm not saying that Rick Warren is our ally. Hardly. but this is a very interesting interview.

Nor do I think we should believe a single word that comes out of his mouth - he's a lying sack of crap. but it's the way the conservatives are feeding on him like a piranha on a gazelle that I find most interesting.

View the video here

Comments

[badrobot68.livejournal.com]

I'll be impressed when he actually works to get Prop 8 overturned.

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

precisely. I don't think he's repentant at all about his stance. but its interesting how his 'conservative' counterparts were on him like a piranha feeding on a gazelle.

[badrobot68.livejournal.com]

I'm fascinated by everything that's going on right now in regards to gay rights. The crazies are just getting crazier! And in doing so, they are losing support.

It's amazing.

[bukephalus.livejournal.com]

Maybe he's looking for a little gay forgiveness. You know -- in time for Easter.

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

as if.

[paulintoronto.livejournal.com]

Will the pedophiles and practitioners of incest forgive him for comparing their relationships to, uhgh, gay ones?

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

the man is a lying sack of crap - but he's brought his own movement down on him by making some statements on CNN that even make it sound like he isn't making hating gays his #1 issue. its the conservative feeding frenzy on his position in the movement over this interview is what I find interesting.

[jkusters]

Never once issued a statement? Never gave an endorsement?

Rick Warren makes a video explicitly supporting Prop 8: http://www.saddlebackfamily.com/blogs/newsandviews/index.html?contentID=1502

OneNewsNow (Christian News website) about Rick Warren's explicit endorsement: http://www.onenewsnow.com/Church/Default.aspx?id=298544

It's nice of him to apologize, but it takes no more than ten seconds to prove your assertion that he's a lying sack of crap...

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

thats the whole point is that he isn't really apologizing - but just using the word - has him demonized within the frothing at the mouth whacked conservative movement. I don't believe a word he says.

[joebehrsandiego.livejournal.com]

Robert - Your "next thought on the path" regarding the Right's attack on Warren - and what it says about them - is indeed the one to focus on here (and i hope your readers don't make you endlessly point that out ;>)).

It ties into the Cray-zee vid that I & many others posted yesterday from "Protect Marriage" - and other stuff happening. They know they are losing when opportunists like Warren waffle ... and when "Non-Hippie/Commie" states like Iowa see the light. But - they've painted themselves into a mental, emotional and ideological corner and don't KNOW anything except to get louder and crazier.

It will get more - much more - of both before it ends.

[blt4success66.livejournal.com]

Bob,

What shocked me was the vids that were posted of him coming down on the side for Prop 8 (indirectly or directly) because I have envisioned Rev. Warren as more of a socially progressive Christian than most.

I'm not sure what to make of this other than to say that I neither support or deny what the man stands for. In the final day, before the judgement seat, he will stand accountable for his actions and his words...

...like us all (who believe that sort of thing)

[ozdachs.livejournal.com]

I understand that Warren's current statements don't match his of last Fall. Maybe he's lying, or maybe he's moderated and is being human, has forgotten his own worst statements, and saving face.

I truly don't know.

Either is encouraging, as is right-wing feeding frenzy.

Selfishly, I want to convert and convince -- not crush -- those who supported Prop 8.

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

thats a real reasoned response, Mr. Ozdachs.

(btw - are you at convention or here? It's my turn down in Palo Alto this weekend - perhaps we could bring Miss Kate by to meet the brood)

[ozdachs.livejournal.com]

We're in SF because next Wednesday is April 15th. That means 12-hour days, 7 days a week for certain CPA's.

Social plans this weekend? Ha!

[bluebear2.livejournal.com]

He looks like Scott Thompson in this picture.

[joebehrsandiego.livejournal.com]

An update FYI:

http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=83601082500&h=PcKOD&u=8YR5m&ref=nf

"The Profit-Driven Life" ;>P