On the Defensive x 2

Well well well. It seems that both Barack Obama and Pastor Rick Warren are on the defensive concerning the Presidential Inauguration.

Both have been under fire, Obama for inviting an anti-abortion, anti-gay marriage evangelical to give the invocation, and Warren for accepting the invitation from a rabidly pro-abortion and pro-gay rights President-elect.

As for Obama, the choice was one of political expedience and payback. Warren in all likelihood delivered some evangelical votes for Obama that otherwise would have gone to McCain.

But Warren's involvement in the entire Obama-mania is much more complicated and problematic.

Obviously the Baptist Pastor believes that Christians share with Obama a fairly liberal social agenda that places government programs at the center of dealing with poverty, AIDS, and hunger.

He is absolutely, positively 100% wrong.

I know something about Warren's history. His self-admitted mentor in the faith is the late Dr. W.A. Criswell, PhD., former Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas, one of the first mega-churches in the nation.

Criswell would turn over in his grave if he knew Warren was collaborating with liberals such as Obama and Hillary Clinton. He would also sharply disagree with Warren that Christianity in any way teaches government intervention in matters that should be left to individual initiative.

As a Baptist I feel free to say this. Rick Warren is an embarrassment to Baptists. His views on government social programs are entirely antithetical to everything I believe as a Christian.

Frankly, when a Christian minister is forced to 'explain his actions' and 'defend himself' to a vast segment of the faithful, I take that as a pretty good indicator that the minister in question has taken the wrong path, although there are certainly exceptions to that.

I hope Pastor Warren has lots of fun up there at the Socialist-fest in Washington on January 20. I, for one, won't be watching.