The New Agenda press release on Rick Warren
January 7, 2009
by The New Agenda
|The New Agenda issued the following press release this morning:
Rick Warren: women have no “right” to divorce abusive husbands
Teachings on domestic violence demonstrates Warren is the wrong choice for Inauguration honor
The New Agenda calls upon President-Elect Obama to withdraw his selection of controversial pastor Rick Warren in light of his dangerous advice to battered women.
“Victims of domestic abuse are frequently alienated by their friends and family when they gather the courage to seek help. By instructing victims of abuse to go back to their abuser, Rick Warren is taking away another important form of support: their religion,” said Amy Siskind, co-founder of The New Agenda.
Warren, Obama’s choice to deliver the Inaugural Invocation, teaches his parishioners that “God hates divorce” and that the Bible says physical abuse is no excuse for getting a divorce.
“If you are in this kind of a situation, I strongly recommend that you take advantage of our lay counseling ministry,” Warren says in an audio clip on the page Questions and Answers on the Bible in the Saddleback Family website. “Go in and talk to someone and let them minister to you.”
The New Agenda expressed dismay in Obama’s choice at a time when our country is in the midst of a crisis of violence against women. As reported recently by Human Rights Watch, a new government reports shows a 42 percent increase in reported domestic violence and a 25 percent increase in the reported incidence of rape and sexual assault over a two-year period (2005-2007). In 2007, at least 248,300 individuals reported being raped or sexually assaulted in 2007, up from 190,600 in 2005.
Siskind said comments and feedback reflected on The New Agenda Web site, e-mail box, and radio show demonstrate the outrage many women and men feel about the selection of Warren.
The New Agenda co-founder Nina Miller added: “We are concerned that Warren’s dangerous comments about domestic abuse have largely been ignored and will only be ratified in homes across America and used to perpetuate even more violence against women. If President-elect Obama is concerned about women’s safety, he will revoke this historic privilege and give it to someone with more productive, healing, unifying messages for our nation.”
Good Press Release…
Now we’ll see if Obama follows up on it.
I’m not holding my breath……
Cuz, as you know, he was “surprised” by the outcry from the gay community.
Does anyone know if Warrren’s views on this issue are representative of evangelical leaders, in general, or is he an outlier? I talked with a man I know who was raised in an evangelical home when growing up and he felt that this bent was fairly common, noting that, in general, the interpretation of the Bible tends to lean in favor of men. I ask because, if Warrren is a garden variety evangelical pastor, then there’s a bigger issue of concern here that extends far beyond Warren, specifically, no?
The evangelical church I grew up in believed that divorce was only permitted in the case of adultery.
Anna,
At this point you get into Bible interpretation and everyone has a different opinion. In my experience, the general opinion would be that divorce is always a “last resort” but I have never had a pastor that would not put physical abuse on the list of acceptable reasons. The church I grew up in was a very small old fashioned Southern Baptist church. Our religious community was very clear on the issue. Our pastor and a few of the deacons once dragged a “flock member” out of his home and thrashed him in his own front yard after his wife showed up at one of the deacon’s house beaten to a pulp. She stayed with my family for a few months while getting back on her feet. That pastor felt they could not only get a divorce but should “be avenged.” I’m not saying every church would feel that way but we had two victims of abuse who were divorced mothers that were “in the collection plate,” meaning the church gave part of the collection plate to them every week to help them get by.
I don’t make “group” judgements about religious belief because every church and every pastor is different. I do feel comfortable saying I think Warren is just flat out wrong and his “opinion” of God’s view on divorce in abuse situations is dangerous.
Holy cow, Thia! That’s some pastor!
Keep those press releases rolling!
Thia – Thanks for sharing your story. And, you’re likely correct that everyone has different interpretations of the Bible. And, of course I agree that Warren’s views are dangerously misguided. I’m just trying to get a sense of whether he’s in the center of the normal curve, or an outlier. Probably impossible to really know unless someone did a study on it. BTW, I e-mail my questions to him that i posted a day or so ago, and so far, no word back. (No big surprise there, but I had to try.)
Along this topic..get a load of this:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26675865/
http://www.rbc.org/uploadedfil....._Women.pdf
Here’s a pastor who would disagree with Warren. He even wrote a entire pamhplet on why he believes victims of abuse should be able to Biblicaly divorce.
As far as attitudes within the church on divorce, I poked around on the internet, and the ideas Warren espouses seem to be fairly common, unforchently. Good news, though people are are working to change this.
Here are some more websites that may be of interest.
blogs of two Christian women who were/are dealing with abuse:
Christians for Biblical Equality
Click on “Free Articles” under “The Resources”. Under “Article Topics”, click “Abuse”.
I’m sorry, but I don’t know how to do links!
Hey it was a link!!!
But the blog sites didn’t get through. I since I can suddenly do links here they are:
http://hupotasso.wordpress.com/
http://dannimoss.wordpress.com/
“Neither approach, assuming as they do that moms are either indulgent spendthrifts or lazy parasites, offers women the hope and respect they deserve. And both approaches ignore a viable third road that was the natural solution not so long ago. It is a road that our grandmothers and great-grandmothers trod instinctively. And it is a road that enables a wife who wants to prioritize her time at home over her time at work to use all the wonderful talent, intelligence, and skill she possesses to help her husband get ahead.”
From Plain Old Anna to Anna in AK
Wow, thanks for doing a bit of digging around, thanks for the info and thanks for the links. (And, congrats on figuring out how to copy and paste links!)
Kiuku – I have to go throw up now.
Sheryl – Please don’t puke on your leopard print shoes!
I won’t, Anna – but perhaps on the ones I’m going to throw at that author.
Go over to The Daily Beast and read about Warren’s REAL work on AIDS in Africa, you know the work that has made it possible for O to say that Warren’s really a great guy? It’s appalling!! We’ll all want to puke all of the time (but not on Sheryl’s hot shoes).
I did go there, and read as much as I could stomach. Then I saw this. Just what the doctor ordered:
Rejected Surgeon Generals (sic)
http://www.thedailybeast.com/b.....04;page=12
Interesting to note, once again, no-one blames Obama for this. Not a word.
To All Military Personnel and Everyone Who Loves Them
I posted a template of the Military Complaint v. Barack Obama on my blog. Please feel free to use this. Copy the language exactly, filling in only the information specific to your Complaint, including the names of the military Plaintiffs and their identifying facts; and the federal court in which the Complaint will be filed. Any questions, post a comment.
As soon as I receive confirmation anyone has filed this, I will post the filed Complaint.
http://jbjd.wordpress.com/
Keep them coming! Press releases like these illustrate how little Obama cares about women’s rights. The part that angers me the most is how little women get for our votes. I didn’t vote for him in the general election or the primary, partly because the way he came to power was just as dirty as Bush.
I like the press releases. Public statements calling him out on these sorts of sexist picks and endorsements exposes him, but I have no faith that he’ll change his mind.
As a Christian, I have been taught that domestic violence is a broken convenant between a husband and wife, and as such is considered a form of unfaithfullness. While many churches stick to the letter of the law regarding adultery, they many times ignore the spirit of the law – which is marriage is considered a union that was not to be broken. Domestic violence shatters that union and mutual committment to each other. Jesus taught that adultery is not only the physical act of abandoning your spouse, but the mental abandonment as well. I could probably go on and on, but what I am trying to convey here is that not all Christian Churchs have the same views as Rick Warren’s views.
Kathy in CA
That has been my experience as well. My issue isn’t with Christianity, but specifically with Warren and how he has chose to address abuse and divorce.
oops chosen
I’m sleepy
Good work! Congrats! Obama really should have a representative from each major religion give a short prayer – that would be symbol of unity and progressive thinking. Keep-them-barefoot-and-pregnant-in-the-kitchen Warren needs to be in the audience, not on the stage, it’s really disgusting his primitive mentality gets the world’s spotlight.
It is not just many evangelicals who believe divorce is anathema and anti-Biblical, but also sectors of denominations who do not consider themselves “evangelicals.” But they have more evangelical and conservative groups within their denominations: Episcopalians, Methodists, Presbyterians, etc. Right now the issue for these denominations seems to be homosexuality which is dviding the denominations.
JBJD,
I read over the complaint. Former military here. I’m not a lawyer. And I read through nearly half of it. And I’m pretty sure, while a good attempt, it has no legal standing. You have to prove that he is not a natural born citizen. I don’t think, in fact, that anyone must prove their suitability to be POTUS, but if you are going to take this to a court, you’re going to have to bring proof that he is not a natural born citizen, and I don’t se any proof in there, and it almost seems like the writer can’t decide if he is insinuating, and the author is insinuating that Obama is a citizen of Kenya or Indonesia. I see a lot of speculation and things which are suggestive that he is not but you can’t just bring someone to court to make them prove they are a natural born citizen…I don’t think.
The other issue is standing. And..former military, I understand that it is messed up. And I don’t know what to believe as far as Obama’s credentials. But I think it runs into the same problem that Mr. Berg is having, called “standing”. The court said that Mr. Berg, as a U.S citizen, didn’t have any standing to contest Obama’s presidential bid, which is in my opinion as a citizen and as a veteran is simply wrong and I hope the Supreme Court over rules that judgment on the 9th.
I for one Support Rick Warren and his wife. If you know him you know that he doesn’t stand with one group or another . He is his own person. Those of us that know the bible understand just how important the Mary’s were to Christ and how Christ believed in women in high places.
Rick Warren has given Millions of his own money to fight AIDS and he has been in the middle of Africa hands on. NOT JUST RUNNING AROUND WITH A WRIST BAND ON. Rick walks the walk, not just talk the talk. How many dollars and hours have members of New Age Agenda given to working in Africa? Talk is cheap.
I think if you are going to get into religion it will destroy the New Age Agenda. I for one have Pastors that I can’t stand and Churches that I don’t believe in. Where will you stop? Will we all need to take up the Religion of the current founder of New Agenda?
I say you are making a big mistake. Excluding women because of the religion just doesn’t cut it. If this is just going to be an arm of the liberal democrat party why would many of us waste our time being members. Stick with equal pay which we all can support. Day care, Sr. Care. Those are the real issues. One prayer isn’t an issue since I am sure a Muslim will also be in attendance which is OK by me even if they kill women and keep them from having basic Mammos and education. Where do you draw the line on religion?
Rebecca,
I cannot stress to you enough that this is NOT about religion. It is about domestic violence. I am a Christian but I believe in looking critically at our leaders and calling them out when necessary. This is about Warren specifically, and the bad advice I feel he gives to battered women. The spotlight is on him because he was invited by Obama to be part of the inauguration. I think it is very appropriate that we use that spotlight to speak about domestic violence and the ways in which we disagree with his approach. I have no doubt that he has done wonderful things for AIDS and Africa, but we are a women’s rights organization and I don’t feel his helping one group excuses his hurting another. I want him to reconsider and consult some experts in domestic violence so he can offer responsible advice. Or don’t address it at all and leave it to the domestic violence experts to handle.
I repeat, this is about Domestic Violence, not religion.
Apparently, Warren has harmed the AIDS fight, not helped:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/b.....-in-africa
Rick Warren’s Africa Problem
by Max Blumenthal
Team Obama likes to cite Warren’s work on AIDS in Africa to combat criticism about the controversial pastor. But how does burning condoms in the name of Jesus save lives?
Once hailed by Time magazine as “America’s Pastor,” California mega-church leader and bestselling author of The Purpose Driven Life Rick Warren now finds himself on the defensive. President-elect Barack Obama’s selection of Warren to deliver the inaugural prayer has generated intense scrutiny of the pastor’s beliefs on social issues, from his vocal support for Prop 8, a ballot initiative banning same-sex marriage in California, to his comparison of homosexuality to pedophilia, incest and bestiality. Many of Obama’s supporters have demanded that he withdraw the invitation.
(…)
Warren’s allies have rolled back key elements of one of the continent’s most successful initiative, the so-called ABC program in Uganda. Stephen Lewis, the United Nations’ special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, told the New York Times their activism is “resulting in great damage and undoubtedly will cause significant numbers of infections which should never have occurred.”
Sis – Thanks for posting that link.
There is also a larger problem here JBJD, and I hope you get around to reading this before you advertise elsewhere. I’ve seen this and versions like it floating the internet. I’m not saying you don’t have cause to be suspicious about Obama’s credentials or cause to render your own investigation.
One thing I’m used to, being former military, is people trying to use the good name and honor of military service members to further political agendas. It is ok if the military person themselves wants to contest something in a court of law, but trying to get military personnel to back something political, and convince them based on their strong patriotism is wrong.
Further you might put them at risk.
I don’t know if you are military yourself. If you are military yourself, I will ask you to reconsider. I am not saying this from any political standpoint. Because I read through it, and it is defamatory at worst, and the speculative nature of the “contest” is insubstantial at best.
Obama is going to be inaugurated on the 20th and then he will be our sitting President. You address this to all military members as a military contest, and, therefore, in an act of passionate patriotism, an unwitting young soldier could sign his name and identifying information, while on active duty, or as a veteran drawing benefits.
Because it is insubstantial, meaning there is no proof, a General could turn around and charge every single one of them with Subversion.
I would.
Revolting is for civilians; not military. If you had proof it would be another issue and this written contest would be much shorter.
Can’t post on the top thread by Dr. Socks cause of the page alignment, so posting here:
Sis, Dr. Socks and others: I’m not disputing that Warren is physically large. It’s obvious. I’m simply saying it’s my opinion that a writer simply cannot state what they don’t know. I’m not defending Warren. I’m simply saying that he has a set of life experiences behind him that we don’t know and I would not presume to assert that he’s never been physically picked upon. It’s just that simple. Perhaps he hasn’t and likely his size has been an asset in that department. But I know from working in health care and in mental health, along with my own humbling life experience, that it’s truly amazing what various people have lived through that one might never have thought. None of us knows if Warren has ever been physically assaulted. Period. Therefore, we can’t asset it as a statement of fact that he’s never cowered, etc. That’s all.
JBJD,
Further if this progresses past his inauguration, and you are military, you could be charged with inciting disobedience. I don’t know the technical term, but I know the UCMJ good enough to know you would be on shaky ground posting that online.
Anna, have you worked as a writer? I have. I’m not confused about what Vi’s saying.
Read Vi. Read her lots. She knows what she’s doing. She’s an online, free, writing course.
2) Sedition. Sedition requires a concert of action in resistance to civil authority. This differs from mutiny by creating violence or disturbance. See subparagraph c(1)( a) above.
http://usmilitary.about.com/od...../mcm94.htm
I don’t think it’s useful to parse every religious belief in the world to accept that generally, religion does not support a strong, independent, personally self-directed woman. Women must subordinate their needs to men, the religious institution and the family. If women feel strongly about women’s issues they should become spokespersons within their own faiths and within their own families. Defending or attacking a religion’s position is going nowhere arguing with other women activists.
The democratic party’s efforts to create a new subordination of women’s issues by making Obama the representative of every cause is a sham.
If you want to have your say send a BCC to this link expressing your outrage at the Ms. Mag cover: mkort@msmagazine.com, letterstotheeditor@msmagazine.com, contentsuggestions@msmagazine.com
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