GraniteGrok

Romans 1:16

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

As regular readers know, neither Doug or I hold the NH Episcopalian Bishop Gene Robinson in high regard.  It comes as no surprise that we both disagree with his stance on homosexuality on religious grounds (regardless of his standing within the disintegrating Episcopal Church) - we continue to believe that it is against Biblical teachings.  No, this is not about being tolerant of what society demands that we be accepting of something; rather, it is about adhering to absolute rights and wrongs.

Further, I have additional problems with the Bishop, as it seems that he has become the lightning rod and representative of liberal theology within that Church.  As such, he is one of the leading root causes of the ever-widening split amongst believers in that Church. As he continues his jihad for tolerance for gay and gay marriage

sidebar: in liberal speak, tolerance really means you have to accept what I want you to - you have no choice in the matter; if you don't, you are full of hate and, in this case, homophobia.

Now, I have another reason to believe that this man is pushing his own agenda and not His agenda:

N.H. bishop invited to D.C. to give prayer
Robinson to speak at an inaugural event

New Hampshire Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson, an outspoken, international gay rights leader, has been asked to give a prayer at one of President-elect Barack Obama's first inauguration events at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Obama can invite anyone he wants to his Inauguration - I have no problem with the fact that the Bishop has been asked.  What I do have a problem with is how he will portray himself and his prayer:

The announcement follows weeks of criticism from Robinson and gay-rights groups over Obama's decision to tap the Rev. Rick Warren, who's likened committed gay relationships to incest and polygamy, to pray on inauguration day.

Robinson, an early Obama supporter, said last month the choice of Warren left him feeling as if he'd been slapped in the face. In a telephone interview this weekend, Robinson, of Weare, said he doesn't believe Obama has included him in response to the Warren criticism. But he said his inclusion won't go unnoticed by the gay and lesbian community.

Nope, carping about evangelical Rev. Warren is not my problem (at least, not right now)...

"It's important for any minority to see themselves represented in some way," Robinson said. "Whether it be a racial minority, an ethnic minority or, in our case, a sexual minority. Just seeing someone like you up front matters."

Warren, author and high-profile pastor of a California mega-church, will still give the invocation at the Jan. 20 inauguration, shortly before Obama delivers his much-anticipated inaugural address. Robinson will share his invocation prayer Sunday afternoon on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during an inaugural kick-off event.

And it is not that a person who I believe is in error concerning his views on sexuality giving a national prayer.....

Remember:

Why do I quote Scripture.  Well, for a Christian, the Bible and the Gospel message IS the standard of my faith.  So, in light of this, what does this Bishop, this leader of a mainline CHRISTIAN Church have to say?  

Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden will be there, and Obama is expected to speak, Robinson said. The event will be open to the public and run on HBO. Robinson doesn't yet know what he'll say, but he knows he won't use a Bible.

One...

"While that is a holy and sacred text to me, it is not for many Americans," Robinson said. "I will be careful not to be especially Christian in my prayer. This is a prayer for the whole nation."...

Two...

...At home, Robinson was long known foremost as a gifted and devoted priest. He gained international attention after New Hampshire Episcopalians made him their bishop and, as a result, the worldwide church's first openly gay bishop.

His election has divided the church here and abroad. Despite his insistence that he wants to be "the good bishop, not the gay bishop," Robinson has sought out a high-profile role as a gay rights activist while also leading his congregations here.

The "good bishop"?  Umm, why would a "good bishop" deny the fundamentals of his own Christian beliefs?  Why would he deny the Gospel at such a time?  Given the Great Commandment, wouldn't this be a time to give a "Christian" prayer? Or is the Bishop ashamed of his faith?  I know of no other religious leader that would deny his faith for this kind of event...

He signed on to the Obama campaign early during the New Hampshire primary, saying he liked Obama's commitment to uniting people of different viewpoints and lifestyles. When Obama invited Warren, who has campaigned against gay marriage in California, to give the invocation inauguration day, Robinson shared his disappointment.

"I actually have a lot of respect for Rick Warren, amongst evangelicals," Robinson told Beliefnet.com in late December. "He's taken a hit for his compassionate response to AIDS, his commitment to alleviating poverty. He's done some good things. The difficult thing is that he's said, and continues to affirm, some horrendous things about homosexuality."

In other interviews, Robinson said Warren deserved "to be at the table" but not in such a prominent way. And he wasn't alone. Gay rights groups chimed in with their own complaints.

Hmmm, great "tolerance" shown by the good Bishop - not accepting someone else's views on homosexuality...and from a religious leader!  Yes, tolerance is supposed to work both ways....