America's wishy-washy pastors

Joseph Farah, nationally syndicated columnist, in an article appropriately titled: America's wishy-washy pastors recently chided Rick Warren’s role, or more explicitly “soft shoe act,” in California’s Prop 8 same-sex marriage battle. “America’s Pastor” voiced this rambling apology to his gay friends on CNN's "Larry King Live":

“You know, Larry, there was a story within a story that never got told…. In the first place, I am not an anti-gay or anti-gay marriage activist. I never have been, never will be. During the whole Proposition 8 thing, I never once went to a meeting, never once issued a statement, never – never once even gave an endorsement in the two years Prop 8 was going. The week before the – the vote, somebody in my church said, Pastor Rick, what – what do you think about this? And I sent a note to my own members that said, I actually believe that marriage is – really should be defined, that that definition should be – say between a man and a woman.”

"And then all of a sudden out of it, they made me, you know, something that I really wasn't…. And I actually – there were a number of things that were put out. I wrote to all my gay friends – the leaders that I knew – and actually apologized to them. That never got out…. And I was asked a question that made it sound like I equated gay marriage with pedophilia or incest, which I absolutely do not believe. And I actually announced that. All of the criticism came from people that didn't know me. Not a single criticism came from any gay leader who knows me.”

Farah’s response: “What are we to make of such mealy-mouthed, wishy-washy, namby-pamby hokum? It's a great illustration of America's most prominent church leader equivocating and backtracking and saying almost nothing coherent so that he will offend no one. Let me lay it on the line: This is not the way Yeshua talked or behaved. It is not the example of the one whom Rick Warren claims to emulate and worship. There is nothing prophetic or biblical or courageous or principled about this kind of Christian witness.”

As Farah continues, he sites Scripture that the equivocating “Pastor” has conveniently forgotten e.g., Leviticus 18:22, Romans 1:22-27, Matthew 19:4-6, and appropriately concludes: “There is no middle ground on this issue. Either you believe the Bible or you don't.”

“And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (Matthew 19:4-6).