Scripture tells us
Okay. Who really thought Rick Warren would admit there are non-Christians listening to his prayer? Overtly Christian - "in the name of the one who changed my life, Yeshua, Isa, Jesús, Jesus" (Hebrew, Arabic, Spanish and English) - don't say using Hebrew includes Jews; they don't pray in Jesus' name.
Too bad we didn't get to hear Gene Robinson today - or Sunday, for that matter. (Though you can see it here.)
update: I have had it pointed out to me (over at Slacktivist) that "to evangelical ears" Warren's change from "we pray" to "I pray in the name of the one who changed my life" is very noticeable. It's still a bit overtly and exclusively Christian to my (never were evangelical) ears, but I'm willing to believe that Warren thought he was being inclusive. All in all, I have to admit that he wasn't nearly as bad as I had feared.
But Dr. Lowery won the Inaugural prayer competition hands down. Possibly the whole inaugural day.
Labels: election, freethought, politics
4 Comments:
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At 12:30 AM, January 21, 2009
fev had this to say...
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At 1:43 PM, January 21, 2009
The Ridger, FCD had this to say...
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At 10:08 PM, January 21, 2009
Wishydig had this to say...
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At 10:45 PM, January 21, 2009
The Ridger, FCD had this to say...
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<-- Older Post ^ Home Newer Post -->Did you see Robinson totally one-up Stewart on the Daily Show? With a chess pun, even?
I did. Cool. Very cool.
the point made, over at slacktivist, that praying in jesus' name is a territorial mark might be true if we consider insidious ulterior motives. it's taught as an appeal to a necessary mediator. so i guess that in itself is pretty exclusive -- the idea that only christians have an 'in' with that mediator.
some might hear the 'I' vs 'We' as significant. but in my years and years with an evangelical church i've heard both about as often. sometimes the pray-er prays 'with' the group -- 'we come to you father...' sometimes as an individual -- 'i wan't to thank you...'
warren made several statements that nodded to inclusivity. he also made some statements that struck a particularly judeo-christian chord. throughout.
i don't know that he was trying to be exclusive. evangelical faith is of course convinced that it has a single truth. the "changed my life" line sounded like a still fervent convert. he probably still has that eager passion.
but you're right about lowery. that was gorgeous.
As to Warren and inclusiveness: you're right, he probably wasn't trying to be exclusive, and it's like what happens if you hire Cerny - you have to expect an evangelical to pray like one.
I guess my real beef is with the need to have all those prayers. Can't the president just, I don't know, go to church on his own time?
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