"I'm opposed to
redefinition of a 5,000 year definition of
marriage. I'm opposed to having a brother and
sister being together and calling that marriage.
I'm opposed to an older guy marrying a child and
calling that marriage. I'm opposed to one guy
having multiple wives and calling that
marriage." -- Rick Warren, Pastor of Saddleback
Church, December 15, 2008
Incest. Pedophilia. Polygamy.
When Pastor Rick Warren was
asked to clarify this statement -- if he actually
equates same-sex marriage with incest, pedophilia
and polygamy -- his answer was direct and
unequivocal: "Oh, I do."
That didn't stop President-elect
Barack Obama from choosing Pastor Warren to give the
invocation at his inauguration -- an appalling
mistake that will forever tarnish our country's
celebration of Obama's historic ascendance to the
White House.
While President-elect Obama has
chosen to ignore the troubling beliefs of the man
who will spiritually usher in his presidency,
Californians can not ignore Rick Warren and his
Saddleback Church followers, based in Orange County.
We can not ignore Rick Warren's
fervent support for Proposition 8 or his
mobilization of thousands of evangelical Christians
to enshrine discrimination into our state
constitution.
Harvey Milk did not ignore John Briggs in 1978,
when Briggs sought to pass Proposition 6
-- the infamous "Briggs Initiative" that
attempted to ban gay and lesbian teachers, and
anyone who supported them, from our California's
public schools. Milk challenged Briggs to debates
across the state.
And we're not going to ignore
Rick Warren. That's why we're asking you to give
Pastor Warren a new invitation -- a Courage Campaign
invitation to a public debate on same-sex marriage
with Reverend Eric Lee, President of the Southern
Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) of Greater
Los Angeles.
It's time to challenge Rick Warren to an open,
honest debate about same-sex marriage. Click here
now to join us, by signing your name to our
invitation to Rev. Warren to debate Rev. Eric Lee.
On December 24, the Courage Campaign will deliver
your signatures to Pastor Warren at the Saddleback
Church in Orange County:
http://www.couragecampaign.org/RickWarrenDebate
You may not know Rev. Eric Lee.
But you should.
Rev. Eric Lee is a courageous
leader on marriage equality in the faith community
and in the African American community.
Representing the SCLC, founded by the Rev. Martin
Luther King, Jr., Rev. Lee expressed his strong
opposition to Prop 8 in October by taking a stand
with the Courage Campaign against the Mormon
Church's heavy involvement in the Prop 8 campaign.
Now, Rev. Lee is taking a stand
again, challenging Pastor Warren to a debate about
Prop 8 and same-sex marriage.
Rev. Eric Lee needs your support to challenge Rev.
Rick Warren to debate Prop 8 and explain Warren's
comparison of same-sex marriage to incest,
pedophilia and polygamy. Please sign here -- and ask
your friends to gather as many signatures as
possible -- before December 24:
http://www.couragecampaign.org/RickWarrenDebate
Thank you for everything you are
doing to restore marriage equality and push for
progressive change in California.
Rick Jacobs
Chair
P.S. To repeal Prop 8, and change
California forever, we need to change the
conversation.
You can change the conversation by signing this
invitation to Rick Warren and forwarding this
message to your friends today. The more signatures
we gather, the more likely Rick Warren's views on
same-sex marriage will be challenged, this time by
another man of faith. DEADLINE: DECEMBER 24:
http://www.couragecampaign.org/RickWarrenDebate
Courage Campaign Issues
is part of the Courage Campaign's online organizing
network that empowers over 300,000 grassroots and
netroots activists to push for progressive change in
California.
