Posted by
Bowe Hoy on Sunday, April 12, 2009 1:07:45 AM
Rick Warren has
received heavy criticism for his comments on
Larry King Live on Monday night about gay marriage and California's Proposition 8. Warren has apparently declined interviews since then except for one - Christianity Today, which conducted an interview with him on Tuesday, a day after the Larry King episode. The interview has been
posted on Chistianity Today's website.
Perhaps the most controversial comment that Warren made on Larry King Live was this: "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." The problem is that Warren did speak out in favor of Prop 8 a few days before the election. He said the following to his congregation: "Now let me say this really clearly: we support Proposition 8 -- and if you believe what the Bible says about marriage, you need to support Proposition 8. I never support a candidate, but on moral issues I come out very clear."
When confronted about this matter by Christianity Today, Warren responded in the following way: "The truth is, Proposition 8 was a two-year campaign in the state, and during those two years, I never said a word about it until the eight days before the election, and then I did make a video for my own people when they asked, 'How should we vote on this?' It was a pastor talking to his own people. I've never said anything about it since."
OK, let me get this right - Warren believes that what he said to his congregation was not really an endorsement of Prop 8 because it was intended only for that group of people, not for everyone else, to hear. This is a baffling response to me for the following reasons:
1) Did he forget that his church, Saddleback Church, is one of the largest in America?
2) Did it not occur to him that he was being hailed by the media as "the next Billy Graham" and his words and actions will be analyzed and scrutinized?
3) What about the presidential forum that he hosted a few months prior to the election - did he not realize that by throwing himself into the fray he would be put under the microscope for his position on anything political?
4) If his comments were meant to be kept "private," then why make a video of it?
Another illogical element of his response is when he has said that he made those comments to his congregation afer being asked on how to vote on Prop 8. Did he not realize that by answering that Prop 8 needs to be supported, he in effect is endorsing the campaign? If he didn't want to be seen as endorsing the campaign, then why answer the question in the first place? And by answering the question in such a forceful and convincing way, Warren left no doubt in anyone's mind about his support of the Prop 8 campaign.
But apparently the only person who doubted was Warren himself.