Rick Warren denies, denies, denies preaching against gays, campaigning for Proposition 8 against same-sex marriage
[Has working with AIDS changed your view about homosexuality?] Absolutely. Much more, uh, sympathetic understanding the pains and reactions. I have understood that so many people today, uh, get stigmatized for different things. Now of course, I have Biblical beliefs about homosexuality. But when somebody’s dying on the side of the road, you don’t walk up to ’em and say, you know, what’s your nationality? Or what’s your lifestyle? Or what’s your, your gender preference? Or anything else. You just help the guy….
[Would you work to fight legalization of gay marriage if it comes up on the ballot?] My position on gay marriage is very clear. And, uh, it hasn’t changed. What I do believe in is that it is my job to love everybody. No doubt about it….
[So you would fight it?] Again, I’m not a politician. I didn’t fight it in the last issue. What was misunderstood is that people on both sides tried to make me the campaign leader. I only mentioned it one time. And I mentioned it to my own congregation when I was asked, ‘What is our position on this?’ Well, I made a video for our congregation. Well, that was dumb. Because immediately it went everywhere, because it looked like I was the big campaigner. And uh, of course I have a position on it. As a pastor, I happen to believe what the Bible says. But I also understand the pain people feel from rejection. Though I care about both angles.
Rick Warren speaking to the host of ”Meet the Press” today. He repeatedly tried to appear as a preacher who loves everyone, including gays, and denied that he took any leading role in the passage of California’s Proposition 8. That law passed and effectively banned same-sex marriage from being performed in California. Warren has many times said this since. But video recordings and e-mails of his preaching appear to indicate he intentionally tried to sway the opinions of his very large congregation, and that he holds extremely anti-gay views. Here he mentions the video that he made in October of 2008 which he calls a “mention” but in April of this year he also told Larry King that he’d also made “a note in a newsletter.” He did both, and his message was clear and emphatic that his followers, and all Bible believers, should vote for Proposition 8. (NBC News)
”Let me just say this really clearly. We support Proposition 8. And if you believe what the bible says about marriage, you need to support Proposition 8. I never support a candidate, but on moral issues, I come out really clear…. We should not let 2% of the population determine — uh, to change the definition of marriage that has been supported by every single culture, and every single religion for 5,000 years.”
Rick Warren, appearing on a widely distributed video last October. In it he rather “clearly” means to influence voters opinion against same-sex marriage and for California’s infamous Proposition 8 — a law which banned the legalization of gay marriage in that state. He claimed again today, more than a year later, that he did not do exactly what it appears he did both on this video and in an email as was reported by many sources. (RightWingWatch via Youtube)
”For 5,000 years, EVERY culture and EVERY religion — not just Christianity — has defined marriage as a contract between men and women. There is no reason to change the universal, historical definition of marriage to appease 2% of our population.”
From an e-mail sent by Rick Warren on October 23, 2008 which, according to Baptist Press coincided with the fund raising efforts of ProtectMarrige.com, an anti-gay marriage organization that was trying to place more anit-gay advertisements on television to pass Proposition 8. (Baptist Press)
”There is no doubt where we should stand on this issue,’ and urged them to ‘vote yes on Proposition 8 — to preserve the biblical definition of marriage.”
More from an email sent from Rick Warren to his 30,000 members that appears to have been written to influence their vote against gay marriage. (Time.com)
”I’m opposed to having a brother and sister be together and call that marriage. I’m opposed to an older guy marrying a child and calling that a marriage. I’m opposed to one guy having multiple wives. [Do you think those are equivalent to gays getting married?] Oh, I do!”
Rick Warren in an on-camera interview with BeliefNet in December of 2008. (BeliefNet via Youtube)
”You know, I believe, God created sex exclusively for sex between a man and a woman … While I believe that the gay view of sexuality is contrary to God’s word, I do believe that God gives us free choice. And he gives us a choice to obey it or disobey it….”
Outtakes from another video from Rick Warren released in December of 2008, when he went tried to deny that he said gay marriage was the equivalent of pedophilia and polygamy. (via YouTube)
”And you say, ‘Because I have natural impulses to members of the same sex, I shouldn’t have to rein them in.’ Well, I disagree. I think that’s part of maturity. I think that’s part of delayed gratification.”
Rick Warren giving his decidedly unscientific explanation of homosexuality and his reasoning why gays shouldn’t be allowed to get married no matter if same-sex relationship are biological or not. He likened an attraction to members of the same sex to his admitted desire to ”have sex with every beatiful woman” he sees. This interview was one of a series he did after the November 2008 election where he tried to rewrite his involvement, and only ended up saying more incredibly anti-gay statements which he claimed were Biblical fact. (Today Show via YouTube)
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