The bigger issue is why should there be an invocation in the first place. It does not matter who does it as they all are deluded.
On Dec 18, 10:17 am, CrossBow <[email protected]> wrote: > Obama Selects Evangelist for Invocation > By KATHARINE Q. > SEELYE<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/s/katharin...> > Published: December 17, 2008 > > Barack > Obama<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/o/barack_o...>has > selected the Rev. Rick > Warren<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/w/rick_war...>, > the evangelical pastor and author of "The Purpose Driven Life," to deliver > the invocation at his inauguration, a role that positions Mr. Warren to > succeed Billy > Graham<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/g/billy_gr...>as > the nation's pre-eminent minister and reflects the generational > changes > in the evangelical Christian movement. > > <javascript:pop_me_up2('http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2008/12/18/us/18inaug_CA0.inline.re..., > '18inaug_CA0_inline_ready', > 'width=720,height=600,scrollbars=yes,toolbars=no,resizable=yes')> Left, > Ramin Talaie/European Pressphoto Agency; Right, Henny Ray Abrams/Associated > Press > > The Rev. Rick Warren, the pastor of Saddleback Church, in Orange County, > Calif., and the singer Aretha Franklin. > In a departure from past inaugurations, which usually feature operatic > soloists, Aretha > Franklin<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/f/aretha_f...>will > perform. A quartet that includes Itzhak > Perlman<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/p/itzhak_p...>and > Yo-Yo > Ma<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/yoyo_ma/...>will > play a piece composed for the inauguration by John Williams, whose > "Patriot" resounded during Mr. Obama's election night celebration in Grant > Park in Chicago. > > Mr. Obama's inauguration program, for Jan. 20, was announced Wednesday by > the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Celebrations. > > Inauguration programs follow a traditional outline but also allow a > president-elect to put his stamp on the proceedings and set the tone for his > administration. > > *The choice of Mr. Warren, pastor of a megachurch in Orange County, Calif., > is an olive branch to conservative Christian evangelicals. Mr. Warren is an > outspoken opponent of abortion and **same-sex > marriage*<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/s/same_s...> > * — litmus-test issues for Christian conservatives. In fact, his selection > set off a round of criticism by gay rights groups angered by his support for > California's ban on same-sex marriages.* > > But Mr. Warren has also been one of the most prominent evangelical leaders > calling for Christians to expand their agenda and confront global problems > like poverty, AIDS, climate > change<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/science/topics/globalwarming/index...>and > genocide in Darfur. > > Mr. Warren flaunted his clout this year when he managed to draw both John > McCain<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/john_mcc...>and > Barack Obama to his Saddleback Church for a forum in which he > interviewed them on stage about faith issues. He has sometimes angered the > older generation of conservative evangelical leaders aligned with the > Republican > Party<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/r/r...>, > as when he invited Mr. Obama to speak about AIDS at an earlier event at his > church. > > Following Mr. Warren will be Ms. Franklin, who grew up singing gospel music > before turning to soul and pop. She sang at Bill > Clinton<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/c/bill_cli...>'s > inauguration concert in 1993 ("Someday We'll All Be Free" and "Respect") but > not at the inauguration ceremony itself. > > Next, Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden > Jr.<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/b/joseph_r...>will > be sworn in by Justice John > Paul > Stevens<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/s/john_pau...> > . > > Then the new work by Mr. Williams will be played by a classical devotee's > fantasy quartet: Mr. Perlman on violin, Mr. Ma on cello, Gabriela Montero on > piano and Anthony McGill on clarinet. > > Chief Justice John G. Roberts > Jr.<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/r/john_g_j...>will > administer the oath of office to Mr. Obama, who will then deliver his > inaugural address. > > A poetry reading will follow by Elizabeth Alexander, who teaches > African-American studies at Yale and is only the fourth poet to read at an > inauguration. (The others were Robert > Frost<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/f/robert_f...>in > 1961, Maya > Angelou<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/a/maya_ang...>in > 1993, and Miller Williams in 1997.) > > Mr. Obama has asked the Rev. Dr. Joseph E. Lowery, co-founder with the Rev. > Dr. Martin Luther King > Jr.<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/k/martin_l...>of > the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, to deliver the > benediction. > > The ceremony will close with the Sea Chanters of the United States > Navy<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/n/u...>Band > singing the National Anthem. > > Laurie Goodstein contributed reporting. > > -- > gnothe se auton --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Memphis Freethought Alliance" group. 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