Warren-Endorsed Nigerain Archbishop Backed Anti-Gay Laws Worse than Pre-WWII Third Reich's

[IndianaGreen]

The Kampala Monitor reports:

Dr (Rick) Warren said that homosexuality is not a natural way of life and thus not a human right. "We shall not tolerate this aspect at all," Dr Warren said.

Warren-Endorsed Nigerian Archbishop Backed Anti-Gay Laws Worse Than Pre-WWII Third Reich's

Bruce Wilson
December 24, 2008

Many sharp journalists, such as Michelle Goldberg, Sarah Posner and Max Blumenthal, are cranking their talents into exposing the angry underbelly beneath Rick Warren's carefully airbrushed and polished public persona. And, a number of political bloggers (1, 2, 3) have noted Rick Warren's support for the virulently anti-gay Archbishop of Nigeria, Peter Akinola, but the story has lacked some needed historical context; In 2006, Warren publicly lionized (literally) Akinola three months after the Archbishop had endorsed legislation more draconian than comparable anti-gay statutes passed prior to World War Two under the Third Reich.

As I described in a December 18, 2006 Talk To Action story, a schismatic faction of Virginia Episcopalian churches had just voted to align themselves with the Archbishop of Nigeria, Peter Akinola, who earlier that year had thrown his substantial political weight and religious authority behind draconian Nigerian anti-gay legislation to, among other strictures, "make it illegal for gay men and lesbians to form organizations, read gay literature or eat together in a restaurant."

Although I missed it at the time, the proposed legislation was apparently denounced, according to the current Wikipedia writeup on Akinola, by the US State Department: "The proposed legislation was formally challenged by the United States State Department as a breach of Nigeria's obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights."

It was one of those rare examples from the last eight years, it would seem, in which United States foreign policy clearly aligned in support of basic human rights. Rick Warren, however, appeared to be on the other side of the issue.

In my post, I went on to chart, in very specific detail, the ugly reality that the Akinola-supported legislation was actually harsher than similar anti-gay legislation, 1935 revisions to Paragraph 175 of the German penal code, applying to homosexuality, voted into law during the early years of Hitler's Third Reich.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bruce-wilson/warren-endorsed-nigerian_b_153412.html

[Captain Hilts]

1. That Nigerian guy is CRAZY. And, yes, Warren endorses him. nt

[IndianaGreen]

2. And by default, so does Obama

Admit it, Obama, you never vetted Warren anymore than you did Wright or Farrakhan.

[MercutioATC]

4. Geez, the guy is reading an invocation, not making policy.

Obama's not "endorsing" Warren's views, he's using a 3-minute invocation spot to extend an olive branch to the half of America who values what people like Warren have to say.

[IndianaGreen]

7. Might as well invite some skin heads, according to your reasoning

:puke:

[MercutioATC]

8. Skinheads vote too...and we'l need them if we're going to change things.

Not "we" as a political party, "we" as a nation.

[Bluebear]

11. Now I've heard it all.

[MercutioATC]

12. Use the old paradigm. Fight the opposition rather than look for consensus.

How's that working for you?

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

19. I do give you credit

You're the first DUer to openly say you're okay with reaching out to neo-Nazi's. Normally, people are only willing to reach out to homophobes.

[bluedawg12]

20. Your solution miscalculates the monster and does not work what so ever.

"Warren isn't a monster. He's consistent and while his views may be offensive to many of us, he's consistent and he seems to care less about the legal issues than the spiritual issues. He's entitled to do that." - MercutioATC

"Warren is not the enemy. He's representative of a segment of society that we need on board. If you listen to him, he's really not an opponent of legal equality, he's just rabidly defending what he sees as a moral issue."MercutioATC

Warren's involvement in rescinding established marriage rights were no threat to his Church or theology.
In rabidly defending moral issues he crosses over into civil law.

[Oak2004]

24. Let me think... exactly how often has Democratic leadership actually fought for anything in recent

years?

I mean, other than for Bush policy against their own base?

[IndianaGreen]

25. Fumbled the ball on the Downing Street Memos. lotsa evidence to impeach there!

Pelosi's impeachment is off the table edict. Now there is retreat on repeal of DADT, an issue with national security implications.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

18. What the fuck board am I on?

I thought I typed in democraticunderground.com, but I must have typed freerepublic.com by accident.

[bluedawg12]

21. It seems that way, but it's just that clever "paradigm shift" again.

[dbackjon]

14. Bullshit

Obama IS ENDORSING WARREN.

[MNBrewer]

15. and poking the olive branch in the eye of those of us who think Warren's a hypocrite and a bigot.

[bluedawg12]

22. To be fair there is a more detailed explanation here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=4716825&mesg_id=4717120

[rockymountaindem]

3. This is all really sad

Obama's team *has* to be aware of this. Do they think (like Bush's crew) that we won't notice when they screw up?

[still_one]

6. They hope that would be the case

However, because of the stupidity and blatant pandoring to the extreme right wing, he has effectively caused this now to be the focus of his inauguration

What an stupid move

[QC]

13. People who get away with everything tend to think they can get away with everything. n/t

[bluedawg12]

23. I suspect they regret this choice by now. n/t

[sakabatou]

5. Great....

Just fucking great... x(

[Orrex]

9. Is Akinola available to give the Inaugural Invocation?

Hmm...

[IndianaGreen]

10. I am sure that they can make room for Akinola

We need more of this "reaching out" to bigots to heal the nation, "at the expense of the marginalized" as Episcopal Bishop Chane so eloquently said.

[Deep13]

16. Replace "homosexuality" with "color television" in the OP's quote.

Being gay is perfectly natural for people who are gay. Television is not natural for anyone. If that is the basis of legal prohibition, then color TV, cars, indoor plumbing, refrigeration, medicine and anything that prevents us from being in constant danger of starvation is unnatural and should not be tolerated.

assholes

[Deep13]

17. Wait a minute. DOCTOR Warren?!

What the hell is his doctorate in? Con artistry? Dumbassology?