It has been quite a few weeks for you hasn’t it? Being invited to pray at the inauguration is quite an honor for you. Unfortunately, you were only able to savor the pleasure of being invited to pray on such a historic day for roughly 20 seconds. That is about the length of time it takes for an opponent of your selection to fire off a missive about your praying. I have no doubt there has been a steady stream of diatribes mingled with a smidgen of support. You sir, are officially in the spotlight of the ongoing, so-called, culture wars.
To be clear, I have no problem with you praying at the inauguration. I completely disagree with you on several points of theology and find no common ground with you on your stance on same sex marriage. I think you are wrong about same sex attraction being a sin. I just can’t get with you on these important questions of the day. Still, I have admired how you have built a church that does good in the world. You have taken bold risks for a person in your position by inviting Barack Obama to speak at your church concerning HIV/AIDS. I believe that you are a person of integrity. You want to live out your faith in Jesus with compassion and believe that social justice is part of faith practice. Moreover, I think President-elect Obama’s commitment to disagreement with civility matches your demonstrated commitment to that principle. Your choice makes a statement and, oddly enough, makes sense to me.
You may be wondering when the other shoe is going to fall in this little note. Well here it is. You posted a video to the members of Saddleback Community Church concerning your praying at the inauguration at Pastor Rick's News and Views. I watched the message and you said some interesting things. You were clear you loved America and wanted to honor the best traditions of American civility in politics. You called the backlash against you “Christophobia” which is the fear of Christians according to you. Then, in a real gem, you said "A lot of people think that because they can sit in the quietness of their own home and hide behind a screen, they can hurl all kinds of bombs at people and get away with it, well no, they're just being rude."
As I sit in a quiet apartment (I am listening to John Mayer sing “Free Fallin”, so it isn’t totally quiet) hiding behind a screen I wonder just what you meant by that statement. America values the freedom to speak openly about beliefs and views. No doubt, some people have said some hateful things about you. You may have received threatening letters and read some threatening blog posts, and that is completely inappropriate. However, disagreeing with you and being bold and firm about it is not hate speech. Calling you a bigot is not hate speech; it is a point of view. You reserve the right to call same sex attraction sin, and others reserve the right to call you a bigot for that. That seems fair to me.
Your attack on bloggers was disturbing. Bloggers are not people who have no lives. In fact, they are a living embodiment of the American dream. They share their views openly in the public forum and invite commentary. Some bloggers are total jerks and many do not shower regularly, but most are people who live their lives and want to share their point of view. They lack the pulpit you have but are no less entitled to their beliefs. Your characterization of bloggers was unfair and lacked the civility you are attempting to create. You can make up for some lost ground by continuing to blog, as you already do. Engage those who will have conversation in the blogosphere, and recognize that blogs provide a level of engagement not seen in the world before. Last, thank you for being willing to take hits from friend and foe alike in the name of civility during disagreement. It is a good example for your fellow evangelicals.
Grace and Peace,
Josh Bailes
P.S. You might know this information, but according to a National School Climate Survey conducted by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, almost 38 percent of GLBT students experienced physical harassment at school on the basis of sexual orientation and 26 percent on the basis of how they express their gender. Nearly one-fifth, almost 18 percent, of students reported being physically assaulted because of their sexual orientation. If you want to make a strong statement that you are for equality consider leading the people of Saddleback, especially your youth, to stop this overwhelming hate action. You have major influence with the evangelical community and can make a difference in the lives of young people who are suffering. It is the right thing to do, no matter what you think about same sex attraction.
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