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Inauguration Pastor In Spotlight for Anti-Gay Remarks

Rev. Louie Giglio once claimed homosexuality is 'less than God's best'

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by Dain Fitzgerald

Staff Writer t

Image: prweb.com

The pastor tapped to lead President Obama's second inauguration ceremony is under fire today for remarks in the 90s deemed "rabidly" anti-gay, reports Politico.

Rev. Louie Giglio of Atlanta's Passion City Church has been called out by liberal site Think Progress for a sermon delivered nearly twenty years ago dubbed "In Search of a Standard - Christian Response to Homosexuality," that claims the gay lifestyle is a sin and "less than God's best for his creation." It also urges fellow Christians to fight against the normalizing of homosexuality and "not just sit quietly by."

Politico notes that when asked about the selection of Giglio for the inauguration taking place on January 21, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney referred the site to the Presidential Inaugural Committee, which didn't respond to inquiries. Likewise, a spokesman for Giglio didn't immediately get back to ThinkProgress on whether the comments made in the controversial sermon represent his current views.

But if past is prologue, the President's ceremony may go off without a hitch:

In 2009, the president's selection of the Rev. Rick Warren to deliver the opening prayer at his first inauguration infuriated gay-rights groups because of his opposition to same-sex marriage. Warren went on to lead the prayer anyway.

Via Politico and Think Progress.
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Should Rev. Louie Giglio be involved in the President's inauguration ceremony?

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Comments (view in Forum)

  • PoliticalSpice
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    Her hoping he changed his beliefs in the twenty years since he made them is not the same as saying he should change them to appease someone. Have you changed some of your beliefs in the last 20 years? I know I have.

    Anyhow, what on earth does that have to do with swearing obama in for the inaguration? Its not like obama is going to be making him a justice of the supreme court...
  • awbaldridge
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    No, he shouldn't change his views simply to appease people. He should change them to become more humanistic, more empathetic, more caring, more compassionate...to become a better person...to stop perpetuating a culture that demonizes other people for living their own lives...to stop contributing to a stigma and mindset in our society that leads gay people to be 4 times more likely to commit suicide. And the list goes on.
  • u
    BelinKS
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    @awbaldridge
    No one is demonizing gays. He is a pastor. Most pastors believe the Bible. What do people expect? You can find a pastor that picks and chooses what to believe from the Bible, then that one could get called a hypocrite. Real Christians don't hate anyone. They just may not agree with their lifestyle because of their own beliefs. I am a Christian who has gay friends that I love. We just leave religion out of our relationships. My brother was gay. He died over 7 years ago. I loved him more than you could believe!!! We were brought up the same with the exception that my parents were older parents and had very outdated beliefs in how boys and girls should be raised. They got mad at me when I made my teenage son do his own laundry. I believe they should be brought up the same. Both knowing how to care for themselves.
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  • frigginhell
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    He's a christian. It's part of their philosophy. It's a racist and discriminatory institution to it's very core. No suprise here at all. Now if only he'd point out that adultery is a stoning offense and one of the big ten (commandments) which would seem to make it a more deplorable act in the eyes of god. Especially given it's mentioned and denounced far more in the bible than homosexuality. Oh wait, that would be far to inconvinient for just about everyone who claims to be christian.
  • Souljah
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    I know theres Alot of christian/catholic based groups that do things to cause people to think badly of them, and thats a shame.. but a true christian will follow the ways of the NEW Testament, not the Old testament which was brutal in its charges against sin and the definition of the many types....the New Testament (2nd half of the bible) which are the pages from after his birth, speak of a more benevolent God, is what the teachings of True Christianity are based off of..Christ's day's.. thus the term CHRIST-ianity
  • frigginhell
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    @Souljah Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill them.
    The old testament still applies and each of it's laws. Those are the words of Jesus himself. Further, he went from making adultery not just a sin (still punishable by stoning it is not original sin) but he made thinking of another woman a sin as well. Jesus raised the stakes and introduced the concept of thought crimes against God.
    It's to convenient that christians believe they can toss the old testament out the window when the mood suits them to because it suits their purposes. If the old testament did not apply then why bother to teach from it or use it in any fashion. Because it was the method in which Jesus and his disciples tried to legitimize his divinity. Sadly they failed from the very beginning as they were unable to establish his lineage to David.
  • Zazziness
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    I'm a Christian. Our church marries same sex couples. The Episcopaleans are Christians. They have gay clergy. There are a growing number of denominations who are tired of Christianity=gay bashing. Times, they are a changin'.
  • Souljah
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    @frigginhell thank you .. yes he did say he came to fullfill them, but not in through coersion.. if you read the book you realize that the very church members that turned him in were supposedly following the old testament and he came to CHANGE that..

    John 8.1 thru John 8.11=But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" 11 "No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

    the point is when two people hear an inaugural speech they will Not have the same exact account.. that is whats happening.. your saying christians in general but like zazzy said there are numerous churches who understand CHRIST's true message.. That we are all sinners just trying to better ourselves.. as far as is it morally wrong? who's to say for sure but Im not trying to condemn you for your actions if thats your thing.. but its hypocritical to say christians are discriminatory when by definition your remarks are just that.. a generalization of something far more a diverse.. as a Christian I still dont hate you tho..thats the difference ..
  • kathyparsell
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    I too hope that his views have changed. Not only for himself, but for the members of the Gay Community that President Obama spoke of as if he agreed with or at least felt deserved protection. What a slap in the face otherwise. A further validation of why I never could vote for Barak Obama, he isn't mature enough
  • PaxAmericana
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    Sure, he can change his views... but then, he could just toss out the Bible too and stop referring to himself as Christian. The Bible is clear.. it is an ABOMINATION. Not my opinion.. not the pastors opinion.. but GOD's opinion.
  • RoyFloyd
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    First off, he's an idiot of a preacher. What person in the world is or was God's best? Yes, I know, and what look what they did to him.
  • stepped_in_it
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    Leave it to you Kate. Too bad it's not an option when we vote for our politicians. If the NO wins, they have to run another set of politicians at us......LOL
  • jessejaymes
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    Now this wins my statement of the day award. Take this award and a couple of bucks to Starbucks and get a coffee. Still, it's dead on the money. Can't improve on this one.
  • KoolD
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    Better yet let's allow King Obama to just make an executive order outlawing any religion and solve it all. Then he can declare himself King for life and you can all live happily ever after.....
  • o
    OhWiseOne
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    Of course he should be allowed there. Plenty of folks who disgree with homosexuals and their agenda. Perhaps Obama is finally recognizing them.....for once.
  • o
    thejimbo
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    Unfortunately, the most vocal Christians are homophobic, illogical and decidedly un-Christian, not to mention fully lacking in humility. They would rather exclude and divide rather than show any tolerance of those unlike themselves - sort of like an American version of the Taliban.
  • DARSB
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    I'm trying to think of one opinion of mine that hasn't changed in the last 20 years... Nope, I guess I'm wishy-washy - I seem to change my mind when new facts become available...

    Add for this preacher, let him preach. He will, presumably, limit his intercessions to the Flying Spaghetti Monster to the success of the President, safety and welfare of the nation, etc.

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  • TeamAmerica
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    @DARSB Do you want me to believe that Obama and his minions do not want another democrat elected President in 2016? He's not going to rock the party platform.
  • Fitz
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    It is his opinion whether you agree with it or not. He is not an elected official, he has no direct vote on the matter.
  • u
    tomincali
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    well he is a pastor and if he can point it out that is his job,anyone who doesn't must have a different book? after all if he says what is written he would be going against what he sees is right and that would make him no use to the teaching if he goes against what he believes.
  • u
    BelinKS
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    He is a pastor! That means he believes God's Word known to most as the Bible. What did people think a Bible believing pastor thought of homosexuality? You could find a pastor that picks and chooses what he believes in the Bible, but that would mean that person does not believe all of God's Word! It's just that simple.
  • JustTheFacts
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    God forbid we offend the gays! Guess you aren't entitled to your own views anymore ... maybe they can restrict that too along with the guns ... lol.
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