Thursday, January 10, 2013

Who should give the inaugural benediction?

By now I'm sure you've heard that the evangelical pastor, the Rev. Louie Giglio, chosen to given the benediction at Pres. Obama's inaugural has stepped aside, after it became apparent that he preached virulently anti-gay dogma  in the 1990s.  Whether that was right or wrong, it was a tin-ear by the Obama Administration especially after the same thing happened last time, with anti-gay Rick Warren giving the invocation.  (Interestingly, at least one anti-gay group called on Giglio to step down lest his presence be viewed as an endorsement by Real Christians of the Evil Obama Administration.  Giglio couldn't win.)

Now, Think Progress has suggested five people of faith whom it thinks would be able substitutes
1. Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño – A bishop in the United Methodist Church,....
2. Rev. Otis Moss III – Pastor of Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ,... 
3. Very Reverend Gary R. Hall – Rev. Hall, an Episcopal priest and dean of the National Cathedral in Washington, DC.... 
4. Brian McLaren – ....A pastor, author, and speaker within the emerging church movement... 
5. Someone who isn’t Christian – ....Possible candidates could include Rabbi Denise Eger, Muslims such as interfaith activist Eboo Patel, or any number of representatives from the Sikh community, just to name a few.....

Go to TP to read more about them.

Who do you think should speak?

1 comment:

Erp said...

No one. No one did until the 1930s as far as I've been able to find.

BTW every person giving a benediction or invocation since 1989 has been Protestant. Before that Catholics and Jews and sometimes Eastern Orthodox were frequently involved.

I might nominate Joan Chittister as she is a good speaker.