Rick Warren's Son Committed Suicide

Pastor Rick Warren’s youngest son, Matthew, committed suicide.

A statement from the Saddleback Church was released today explaining that Matthew suffered from depression and suicidal thoughts. He took his life last night.

More to come to this story.

source

Chelsea Clinton discuss Gay Marriage with Pastor Rick Warren - WATCH

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Rick Warren: Being Gay is like taking Arsenic

Out of all the descriptions from straight men about being gay, this one is completely silly.

Watch Rick Warren express his feelings about being gay


Again, he said:

Here’s what we know about life. I have all kinds of natural feelings in my life and it doesn’t necessarily mean that I should act on every feeling. Sometimes I get angry and I feel like punching a guy in the nose. It doesn’t mean I act on it. Sometimes I feel attracted to women who are not my wife. I don’t act on it. Just because I have a feeling doesn’t make it right. Not everything natural is good for me. Arsenic is natural.

Really, Rick, really?

Rick Warren cancels his Presidential Forum

Well, we won't have a Christian debate with Rick Warren this year. The megachurch leader has called off the presidential forum because of the negative campaigning between the two candidates.

But there are other reasons:

"It appears that the event was canceled because neither the Romney nor Obama campaigns thought it was in their interest to do," the strategist continued, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a delicate political matter.

A source close to the Romney campaign said that the former Massachusetts governor hadn't planned on attending Warren's event: “We were never going, ever. We offered to do a video.”

During the 2008 election, Warren played host to both major party candidates at his Saddleback Church in Southern California, in what he called Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency.

Warren told the Orange County Register this week that this year's civil forum had been scheduled to take place this week and that there was interest from both campaigns and from the media.

This is no big loss. Their 'religious' views should not be the focus anyway... Moving on.

Ricky Warren raised 2.4 million in 48 hours

Last week, Ricky begged his sheep to send him $900,000 bucks to get the church out of debt.

Well, those fuggers came through and raised over 2 mill-mill in 48 hours.

Warren sent out an "urgent" plea Wednesday for the nation's sixth largest church to come up with more than $900,000 in 48 hours to meet a budget shortfall and allow the Saddleback Church to carry on service programs from Southern California to Africa.

To no one's surprise, the congregation came through big time, even as Warren took a clubbing in the national media for the "sky-is-falling" tone of his missive and his surprise that it made news. A spokesman for the church later said Warren also made clear that the ministry "never asks -- or expects -- outsiders to give."

Saturday night, in the first round of weekend services, Warren announced more than $2.4 million rolled in through online offerings and envelopes delivered to the church's Lake Forest campus, south of Los Angeles.

But the financial tally was not, by Warren's sermon, "The Miracle" -- the title of his sermon. No, he said, the miracle is the "radical generosity" shown this week.

That's interesting and scary at the same time. Take note LGBTers, these are the kind of folks we are fighting. They are highly organized, devoted and head-on. We can learn a lot from them.

Maybe even take notes. They know how to win, we need that same format.

source

Is Rick Warren Broke?

Interesting drama, kids.

Ricky Warren posted this letter on his website:

Dear Saddleback Family,

THIS IS AN URGENT LETTER unlike any I've written in 30 years. Please read all of it and get back to me in the next 48 hours.

I have thrilling news to share with you below but first some seriously bad news:

With 10% of our church family out of work due to the recession, our expenses in caring for our community in 2009 rose dramatically while our income stagnated. Still, with wise management, we've stayed close to our budget all year. Then... this last weekend the bottom dropped out.

On the last weekend of 2009, our total offerings were less than half of what we normally receive - leaving us $900,000 in the red for the year, unless you help make up the difference today and tomorrow.

Basically he's begging his sheep for money. This sounds familiar...

Ssempa Responds to Rick Warren on Uganda's 'Kill the Gays' Bill

Dear Pastor Rick Warren,

Christmas greetings from the Pastors here in Uganda. We acknowledge receipt of your letter in which you called on us to “speak out” against the proposed “Anti-homosexuality bill 2009” which is currently in the process of being developed in our parliament. This bill has been greatly misrepresented by some homosexualists causing hysteria and we take this opportunity to give you the background, educate you on the major aspects of the law as well as respond to the concerns you raised.

Indeed the headlines that say Ugandan law to kill gays, is deliberately misleading. It should really say, Uganda law proposes capital sentence for Men with HIV who rape boys and infect them with HIV/AIDS just as it is for heterosexuals who rape girls. You see, we have many troubling concerns, such as a crisis of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWA) who rape and infect young children with IV/AIDS in a grotesque demonic belief of a “virgin sex cure” as prescribed by satanic witchdoctors. We are harrassed by a massive invasion of rich Europeans and Americans groups who are scorning our traditional African view of marriage and family, bullying and threatening to cut off “aid” if we dont legalise the sins of Sodom and Gommorrah! We are troubled by some members western media which is obsessed with homosexuality.

Indeed, we are troubled that Christianity in the global North has fallen so much from Gods word that homosexuals and lesbians are being ordained into Bishops as evidenced by the election of Mary Glasspool in your state of California last week! We want to make sure that Africa purposefully avoids the mistakes of the Global North Church and we hope to learn more from our encyclical pastoral dialogue.

Africa101: Homosexuality is illegal, unnatural, ungodly and un-African: In Uganda as most of the global South, homosexuality is an “evil and repugnant sexual act” which simultaneously breaks four established laws.

First, the law of nature, which states that males mate with females;

Second the law of our land as already stated in our Penal Code and constitution;

Thirdly, the law of our faiths as in the Holy Bible for Christians and the
Holy Quran for our Moslem friends;

Fourthly, the law of our African tribal cultures which have been handed down to us by our fathers from thousands of years of civilized traditions.

While we may have differences of opinions on many issues as in many democratic societies, this is one issue we all agree on.

A recent steadman survey demonstrated this that 95% of Ugandans are opposed to homosexuality. Just so you know, the current law on homosexuality (in Uganda Penal Code 145) punishes all forms of “unnatural” sexual
activity as an offense liable with up to life in prison. Similarly attempts to commit the same offenses is a felony liable to seven years imprisonment. This law was established by act on Sunday 15th June 1950!

Our Historical Struggle:

When you came to Uganda on Thursday, 27 March 2008, and expressed support to the Church of Uganda’s boycott of the pro-homosexual church of England, you stated; “The Church of England is wrong, and I support the Church of Uganda”.

You are further remembered to say, “homosexuality is not a natural way of life and thus (its) not a human right. We shall not tolerate this apect at all”. (Gay Row-US Pastor supports country on boycott)

You were indeed affirming Uganda’s Christian’s long historical struggle against
institutionalized homosexuality. This boycott was not the beginning of the struggle. In fact on June 3rd 1886, 26 Ugandas new converts to Christianity were martyred for their stand against a deviant king who had taken to the practice of sodomy. There faith in Christ emboldened them to stand against homosexuality, resisiting to the “point of shedding blood”.

Today we honor them, and June 3rd is a national holiday where millions of Ugandan believers converge to remember and renew their strength.(When faith, state and state inspired homosexuality clash).

As you yourself have said, “..the Bible says evil has to be opposed. Evil has to be stopped. The Bible does not say negotiate with evil. It says stop it. Stop evil."(12/2007)

Since homosexuality is evil, you cannot possibly be against a law that seeks to
stop it unless if you have misunderstood it.

What is the law about?

Last November 18th 2008, France and Netherlands initiated a law which seeks to use UN to push homosexuality on other nations all over the world. This moral imperialism which ntends to use the coercive powers of European Union and the UN to impose sodomy legalization in our nations is a driving factor in Uganda’s legislators effort to draft a law to protect our nations moral sovereignty. That explains clauses 18 and 19.

Secondly we are dealing with a well funded homosexual nations and foundations which are pouring millions of dollars into Africa with a singular effort of pushing homosexuality and abortion down our throats. These evil men are seducing young boys and girls into sexual acts as to expand their evil empire. “Homosexual admits recruiting students”. While we have a law that currently prohibits acts against nature, we don’t have a law against the promoters of these acts. The draft laws seeks to stop this criminal activity as section 13.

Thirdly the law seeks to provide equal protection for the boy child as currently granted the girl child from pedophiles, some who are deliberately raping young virgin boys and girls with a false belief that it will heal them of HIV/AIDS! Since 1997, Section 123 of the Penal Code only provides protection against defilement (sexual abuse) of girls under 18 years of age.

Section 123(1) states that: - " Any person who unlawfully has sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of eighteen years is guilty of an offence and is liable to suffer death." Sub-section 2 of Section 123 of the Penal Code provides for attempts to defile a girl under the age of eighteen years. It states that: "Any person who attempts to have unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of eighteen years is guilty of an offence and is liable to imprisonment for eighteen years with or without corporal punishment". This has and continues to be the current law which no one has complained that it is unchristian or a human right violation. Many boys have been violated without legal protection leaving their evil oppressors to get away with no law enforcement protection. The current draft law, simply aims at providing equal protection of the boy child, as currently existing for the girl child. This is found in section 3 and 4 of the bill.

The question for you is this, does the sexual rape of a boy constitute a lesser crime than the rape of a girl? Indeed it is this issue of aggravated homosexuality which is equal to “statutory rape” of a minor, handicapped child and infecting her with HIV/AIDS which is punishable by death.

Many people, including you may have failed to understand section 3 of aggravated defilement. This is really pedophilia. The key is in understanding the difference between the victim and the offender which I am sure is a different language for many. This section deals
with offenses to two kinds of vulnerable populations-children below 18 or those who are handicapped! Those who are offenders or Pedophiles can be a person with HIV/AIDS, someone ie a teacher or priest who abuses their authority, etc.

In addition it should be noted that there are people who are living with HIV/AIDS who seek to have sex with young children both boys and girls in the misguided hope that it will cure them of HIV/AIDS. This is a problem driving the sexual abuse of children under 18 and spiraling HIV/AIDS infections both in girls and boys! A recent report shows this.

Uganda: Child Abuse rampant. This tragedy is happening all over Eastern and Southern Africa. There is evidence of rising rape and defilement of boys and girls which is driving HIV/AIDS rates up. This Bill is taking a lead in providing both the boy and girl child with equal protection of capital punishment.

Finally a lot of the sexual violence of children takes place in institutions such as boarding schools. Research by ACFODE, “The situational review of rape, sexual harassment and defilement 2005 in three districts found unusually high levels of coercive heterosexual/homosexual rape and harassment especially in single sex schools. Unfortunately the school officials and prison officers, maintain a conspiracy of silence, ignoring the pleas of the children and victims who report these crimes to them. They reputation of their school business or prison above the welfare of the children and adults in their custody. This is the spirit behind the section 14, of mandatory reporting of the offenses within 24 hours.

This reporting is similar to the mandatory reporting of all “unlawful sexual intercourse” in the state of California Penal Code 11165 which includes, 1-rape(261), incest(285), sodomy (286), child molestation(647.6), statutory rape (261.5).

Pastor Rick you must be aware that California Penal Code 11166;11165.7 requires that Teachers, Social workers, District attorneys, Doctors, Psychologists, marriage and family counselors, clergy members and state
or county public health employees are required by law to report “unlawful sexual
intercourse” as defined by the state of California. You have never complained about this law hindering access to health, legal or spiritual services which you and Kay offer. Why don’t you think that we too in Africa have the right to make laws pertinent to restrict what our nations deems as “unlawful sexual intercourse”?

What has been our recommendation to the law?

At a special sitting of the Uganda Joint Christian Council taskforce sat and reviewed the bill to make comments. We resolved to support the bill with some amendments which included the following.

a. We suggested a less harsher sentence of 20 years instead of the death penalty for pedophilia or aggravated homosexuality.
b. We suggested the inclusion of counseling and rehabilitation being offered to offenders and victims. The churches are willing to provide the necessary help for those who are willing to undergo counseling and rehabilitation.

Again on Friday 11th December, more than 200 of Uganda’s top religious leaders met and supported the legislators and governments effort in strengthening the law against homosexuality. Church leaders back government on anti-gay bill. The issue is we all want a law, it is simply details of how much punishment will be meted out.

Warning of a widening shift.

We note with sadness the increasing levels of accepting of the evil of homosexuality. The ordination of Mary Glasspool a Lesbian as a bishop in Los Angeles without any condemnation from you, has increased the widening gap between the global south church in Africa and the global north church in Europe and America. In these increasingly dark days, we encourage you not to give into the temptation to water down what the bible says so as not to offend people. Jesus’s gospel is a stumbling block, and a rock of offense.

Rick you are our friend, we have bought many of your books and have been blessed by them. Do not let the pressure of bloggers and popular media intimidate you into becoming a negotiator for homosexual pedophilia rights in Africa.

As you yourself say about evil, – “the Bible says evil has to be opposed. Evil has to be stopped. The Bible does not say negotiate with evil. It says stop it. Stop evil." (RW-12/2007) Since the bible says that the giant of homosexuality is an “abomination” or a great evil, you cannot achieve the peace plan without a purpose-driven confrontation with evil.

source or source2

David Bahati vows that the Uganda Anti-Gay bill will remain in its original state

The horrid, David Bahati continues to push the Anti-Gay in its original state. He believes that gays must be put to death, however he said that we have misunderstood his intent.

"Most people have misunderstood the bill," Bahati told the Observer. "The section of the death penalty relates to defilement by an adult who is homosexual and this is consistent with the law on defilement which was passed in 2007. The whole intention is to prevent the recruitment of under-age children, which is going on in single-sex schools. We must stop the recruitment and secure the future of our children."

The Ugandan bill extends existing laws to make it illegal to promote homosexuality by talking or writing about it, and forcing people to tell the authorities about anyone they know who is gay. The bill, said Bahati, 35, an MP from the ruling party, aims to "protect the cherished culture of the people of Uganda against the attempts of sexual rights activists seeking to impose their values of sex promiscuity on the people of Uganda".

He denied reports that international pressure might result in parts of the bill being toned down. "We are not going to yield to any international pressure – we cannot allow people to play with the future of our children and put aid into the game. We are not in the trade of values. We need mutual respect."

This is highly wrong, Bahati! This is murder! What do you this will do to the children? To the people of Uganda? This man is evil or ridiculously stupid.

But what hurts, is this piece here:

In March, Bahati met several prominent anti-gay US Christian activists who attended a conference in Uganda where they pledged to "wipe out" homosexuality. The conference featured Scott Lively, president of California's anti-gay Abiding Truth Ministries and co-author of The Pink Swastika, a book claiming that leading Nazis were gay. Also there was Don Schmierer, on the board of Exodus International, which promotes the "ex-gay" movement, believing people can change their sexuality and be redeemed. The third extremist evangelical to attend was Caleb Lee Brundidge, who is linked to Richard Cohen who believes that psychotherapy can "cure" homosexuality.

These cretins are pushing this mess! I hope they are caught and held accountable. In some ways, they are supporting the murder of innocents. So God-like, right?

source

Rachel Maddow puts Ricky Warren on Blast

Keeping them Honest

Ricky Warren Finally Denounces 'Kill Gays" Bill

Rick Warren: I Love Everybody

Please watch this mess.

He's saying this because he's under scrutiny for paling around with Martin Ssempa, a Ugandan pastor and anti-gay fiend.

You ain't slick, Ricky!

Question of the Day

Not so long ago, Rick Warren endorsed Prop 8


Then last week, he said he didn't


Okay...maybe forgot (I doubt it). So, he was going to be ABC’s “This Week” with George Stephanopoulos to possibly clear up the confusion.

But moments before the show started, Stephanopoulos was told that Warren was bailing out due to exhaustion.

So my question is...Did Ricky have something to hide? Is the more to the story? What's going on Rick?

Source

Question of the Day: Skip being the new Black...Are Gays the new Evangelicals?

I love different views and opinions about anything. And I also love challenging different views and opinions. So in the spirit of doing such stuff, I have a question/situation for y'all.

In several conversations with fellow gay folks, I've learned we're all over the place about Obama's Rick Warren drama, appointing LGBT folks to the cabinet, and the infamous Prop 8. "We are the new Black" motif is slowly becoming a new T-shirt of the year.

However, some folks are saying that we are not the new Black...We are the new Evangelicals. When I asked why, I was told we are acting like the uber-Christians back in 2004 when Bush won his 2nd term. They demanded so much stuff from prayer in schools to a constitution amendment to ban gay marriage. And later they claimed they were betrayed.

I thought it was an interesting concept. Are we jumping to fast? Do we have a reason to be this upset? I think we should be upset, but I think we need to focus our energies in long term planning and goal setting. But I want to know what y'all think. Are we becoming the new Evangelicals?

Frankie says Let Go, Let Flow

Frank Rich wrote an opinion piece about the Secret "Rick Warren" Invasion. In all, he wants us to move on and fight for another day.

He said...

Since he’s not about to rescind the invitation, what happens next? For perspective, I asked Timothy McCarthy, a historian who teaches at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and an unabashed Obama enthusiast who served on his campaign’s National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Leadership Council. He responded via e-mail on Christmas Eve.

After noting that Warren’s role at the inauguration is, in the end, symbolic, McCarthy concluded that “it’s now time to move from symbol to substance.” This means Warren should “recant his previous statements about gays and lesbians, and start acting like a Christian.”

McCarthy added that it’s also time “for President-elect Obama to start acting on the promises he made to the LGBT community during his campaign so that he doesn’t go down in history as another Bill Clinton, a sweet-talking swindler who would throw us under the bus for the sake of political expediency.” And “for LGBT folks to choose their battles wisely, to judge Obama on the content of his policy-making, not on the character of his ministers.”

I agree, we need to judge him on more than Ricky's mess. We are wasting too much ammo on him and leaving nothing for the bigger battles ahead. Let's skip fighting The Toad and Mastermind and move on to Magneto. I had to throw in a X-Men reference in there.

More of Frank's opinion piece is here.

I'm going to hang out with Rick Warren

Since Ricky is doing photo ops in Gay L.A., I'm going to find him and hang. Hopefully, I can talk him into dropping his Ex-Gay program at the Saddleback Church, or buying me a LV bag.

The OTHER Rev. in the Room

Instead of talking about Ricky, let's talk about the other Rev. in the room, Rev. Joseph Lowery. This man has done so much in his lifetime and he's truly an example social justice and good faith.

Rev. Lowery start his journey right after Rosa Parks made her historic stance. He help lead boycotts and protest in Montgomery and with Dr. King founded founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference which he was president for 20 years.

Lowery also co-founder and leader the Black Leadership Forum. This group were active against the Apartheid and he was among the few to get arrested at the South African Embassy in during the Free South Africa movement.

Later he became a pastor in Atlanta and remains very active in the civil rights movement. In fact, he is huge supporter of LGBT rights and our right to marry. He has received many awards for his work and he is dedicated in the fight for social justice.

This choice was a wise choice for Obama. I hate that through all of this hype, we barely hear about the Rev. let alone the accomplishments Lowery has achieved. I only hope to do as a fourth of what he's done in my lifetime. So please everyone, look at Joseph Lowery as the balance to Rick Warren. Let his message, his work, and his purpose speak loudly that night and hopefully beyond.

Interesting Quote: Jasmyne Cannick

"Instead of denouncing Obama's choice to invite Warren, gays should be hailing it, as it shows a continued effort on Obama's behalf to reach across the aisle in an effort to bring everyone to the table, the very thing that the gay leadership hasn't even made an effort to learn how do post Prop. 8. You would think that after running a horrible campaign that was predicated on assumptions about how Blacks would vote that the gay leadership would have learned that preaching to the choir will get you about a far as West Hollywood."



The madness continues....great Hera

Family...Rick Warren ain't worth it so let's move on

For the past week, I have heard everything you can hear about Rick Warren this and Rick Warren that...it's getting to the point that Rick Warren has conquered the world.

Yes, I'm disappointed that he's speaking at Obama's cotillion, but I'm not going to let that ruin my hope for the future. Many of our family are up at arms over this, saying that we have been thrown under the bus, and Obama don't care about us. But I beg to differ, he does care about us, all of us. It's not just our party.

However, I have a few points to make about this Rick stuff. It may be crazy talk, but I have to get this out.

• Rick Warren is not in the cabinet or in Obama's smart team, he's giving a prayer. It's not a secret that Rick ain't a fan of us. But seriously, how many preachers are a big fan of the gays...not many. And how many of us are a big supporter of the Lord?
  
• We are giving Ricky too much power. I remember at the end of A Nightmare of Elm Street, where Nancy told Freddy, that she will take back all the power she gave him to be real. And when she did, he disappeared. We have given him too much power over us. We need to realize he can't hurt us or say anything that we can't deal with. We can handle his views, we have been for quite some time. We should let him speak. He can't harm us if we let him, we are stronger than that. Remember Ricky is only a man.
  
• Are we that fickle? After reading many articles and responses, many of our family are hatin' on Obama. Really, it's not that serious. Obama has said he is supportive of us, we have to trust in his words. To turn our backs this easily could backfire. We need to show that we can deal and continue to hold Obama to his word and support.
• Rev. Joseph Lowery is also speaking too. He supports us and provides a balance to Ricky.
• And it's a prayer, not a spell to cast out all of us from the world. Again, we are putting too much power in him.
  

I feel like this is getting way out of hand. Sure, I'm not feeling Ricky, but he ain't all that. We have dealt with tougher things than a damn prayer man. I know what Ricky thinks of us and I know what Obama thinks too. I'm holding on to Obama's words and promise. Ricky can't tell me nothing, I know who I am and I know what I believe. Okay I'm rambling, but I think we can deal with this. Obama will not let us down, we have to have faith...it's our greatest weapon.

Ricky Thinks WE are a bunch of Horny Teens

My buddy NG posted this on his fabulous blog. While it sounds crazy, there are some who would agree. And I'm talking about fellow gay folks.

Some folks are saying that we send that message of being immature and irresponsible. I think our actions are questionable at times, but that's with any group or culture. I can't accept Rick Warren's views, but something happening when our folks are somewhat agreeing.

Question of the Day

Is Obama's choice of Rick Warren for the invocation a gut punch to gays?

Some think so, some do not. I would love to hear what y'all think.