Will Rick Warren spurn President Obama?

Writer doubts pastor's motives for cancelling candidate forum

Pastor Rick Warren says he cancelled a candidate forum with President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney due to lack of campaign civility. Don't believe it, writes RealClearReligion.org Editor Jeremy Lott, on Patheos.

Warren recently scrubbed the planned late August event at Saddleback Church in Southern California. It would have taken place four years after hosting the first such presidential campaign forum, between then-Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain. In an interview with the Orange County Register Warren cited as the reason for cancellation "uncivil discourse" between the Obama and Romney camps.

But it's actually because Warren disagrees with the president on religious liberty issues, Lott argues. It's plain as day in the same Register article.

"Warren the megabestselling megachurch leader threw in his moderator towel because intends to take sides in this election," Lott says. "This means, if nothing else, that Warren won't be praying at a second Obama inauguration."

Via Patheos.

If Pastor Rick Warren's a presidential candidate will it affect your vote?

[DerivePI]

"Translation for Dummies" - If Obama (or any other inconsequential candidate) remains a candidate will it affect my vote?

[Wilberhum]

"Translation for Dummies" - If Romney (or any other inconsequential candidate) remains a candidate will it affect my vote?

[Thunderchicken]

Analysis:

From the lack of comments, Rick Warren is't all that well known so it really doesn't matter.:-)

[Thumper]

@Thunderchicken he's considered a "false prophet" by many; which implies that his other words dont mean much either. the false prophets are the ones that hollywood and the news media like to shine their spotlight on.

[Thunderchicken]

@Thumper

I'd never heard of him before.(Although I made up my mind about the last campaign pretty early.)

[FollowTheMoney]

Did Obama have the religious vote to start with?

[Bobolinsky]

I looks like Rick Warren has gained a deeper understanding of the First Amendment over the last 4 years. I've reconstructed this wuote from the source article.

Talking about the Freedom of Religion part of the 1st Amendment he said that his primary concern was the "crumbling of our constitution’s first guaranteed freedom: the freedom of religion." He's learned that it means "freedom from government intervention in you daily living out what you believe... government bureaucrats are daily trying to limit that freedom, impose restrictions, and stifle expressions of faith on campuses, in hospitals, and in businesses."

Now he just needs to just expand that understanding of Freedom of Religion... that all of our Rights are there to protect us from one primary threat... Our Own Government.

And Libertarians and other fiscal conservatives who lean to the left on social issues need to understand that small government conservatives who aren't social liberals are no concerned so much with imposing their will on others so much as not wanting to have the will of others imposed on them in the form of taxpayer money for Planned Parenthood or a contraceptive mandate.

[Just_Lisa]

Not in the utmost very very least. In fact I had never even heard of Rick warren.

[TheLoneRanger]

No loss.

[Sonny]

What?!?!?---What would make this guy think that anyone would want him for president?---I don't understand your question.

[CanadianIndy]

Do I care what ONE pastor says is the better pick? Not in the slightest.

For one thing, church and state should NEVER mix. Ever. Ever. Never ever. And if weren't for the ridiculous nature of American voters, who tend to vote for whoever they're told to, rather than whoever actually benefits them, I'm sure that both candidates (regardless of who they were) would have turned such a meet down.

Also: Why does the opinion of this one, rich, slightly-larger-than-average preacher matter so much? Why doesn't the opinion of say, citizens who have been voting for eons? My grandparents have voted here in Canada for the past 65 years. They've been around longer than almost all the politicians and even some of the parties, yet their insight, views and opinions matter less than some balding dude with weird hair thinks? Bollocks.