Preface: This post was started as a comment made on another blog. At Orlando's suggestion (with a cosign from Miguel and TheraP) I am making it into it's own post. For those of you are unaware of my journey of enlightenment here at TPM, please read an earlier post of mine that may help in your determination of how much credence to give my thoughts.

I absolutely do not understand the brouhaha over Rick Warren giving the invocation at the inauguration.

This is not a slap in the face to anyone, and those who think it is would be well served to adjust their attitudes.

We are all Americans. Obama has said over and over that he wanted to be the President for all of the people of the United States, not the President of the Democratic Party. The Christians in this country are not going to go away, nor is the gay and Lesbian population, but attitudes on both sides can be changed. If this is not true, then we might as well give up now, we're screwed.

What is the point of going to all the trouble to elect a man who gives us such hope that this can be a different country, if all you really wanted was someone who was going to keep the polarization going, just from the left this time?

Somehow, some way, we have to come to a place where we start building some trust between the factions. If Obama can't do it, it can't be done. But we have to give him time to do it, in HIS way. We elected him to be him, not someone else. If people thought he was pretending to be someone he isn't to get elected, they are going to be disappointed.

Attitudes don't change overnight. As people get to know one another, fear dissipates. We've made a lot of progress in race relations. Obama is trying to introduce people to each other. He is attempting to show that people from different persuasions, different walks of life, different attitudes, can come together, work together, begin to have empathy for each other. They may never completely embrace each other, but they can come to a place where they can peacefully co-exist.

Some Christians say they will NEVER accept the normalization of gay practices. Well, not too long ago the Mormon Church did not allow blacks to hold the Priesthood. They do now. As more thinking Christians accept the idea that people don't CHOSE to be gay, hearts will soften.

I can see it already. My niece, a very conservative Christian, saw Obama speak at the Aids Forum at Saddleback Church, Rick Warren's church. She was so impressed with him that she not only voted for him, but changed affiliation, became a precinct captain and did everything she could to get him elected. She got past her feelings about gays and abortion to do it. I'm sure there are many others who did the same thing.

Orlando said (in a post at dagblog):

So let's say the 10,000 people who attend Warren's church and the millions of others who read his books are pretty much 100% anti-gay marriage right now. Do you think they'll be more or less willing to change their minds if they feel like their point of view is being heard? I'm not suggesting it has merit. I'm not suggesting they are right. It does not and they are not. If they don't change their minds, their children or grandchildren will. It's only a matter of time. I simply think that we can move that process along if we do it with kindness and respect rather than disdain and hatred. There are enough people in the world peddling that. We don't have to be among them.

I agree whole-heartedly.

As far as Christian leaders go, Rick Warren is not such a bad guy. I would submit that he is doing a lot of soul searching during this process. I believe he is basically a man of honor who is doing the best he can to reconcile his religion and his understanding of the world, as I am.

He has made a gazillion dollars with his 40 days of Purpose/Purpose Driven Life books and accompanying materials. He promptly used some of that money to pay back the church he founded every penny of the money they ever paid him in salary and donates 90% of the proceeds in charitable works. 

It would not surprise me a bit if Obama is attempting to get him to soften his stance a bit in hopes that a new dialog will emerge between the people who listen to what he says and the gay community.

But every single time people from either side refuse to budge, refuse to try to see the other side's point of view, refuse to try to find some common ground on which to begin to repair the damage, we get further from the time when we can put all this ugliness behind us.

Give him a chance to make this work. Trust him. I believe he has a plan, a big picture. Let him unfold it. Quit 2nd guessing every move he makes. Quit keeping score. Be patient. We can do this.