Feeling persecuted even before it happens
by digby
Fergawdsakes. Think Progress reported yesterday that one of the pastors slated to speak at the inaugural had made some homophobic comments back in the 90s. There was a little chatter, but there was not even a real kerfuffle, much less a major scandal. But a mere 24 hours after the little piece a Think Progress went up, the past pre-emptively withdrew saying:
I am honored to be invited by the President to give the benediction at the upcoming inaugural on January 21. Though the President and I do not agree on every issue, we have fashioned a friendship around common goals and ideals, most notably, ending slavery in all its forms.
Due to a message of mine that has surfaced from 15-20 years ago, it is likely that my participation, and the prayer I would offer, will be dwarfed by those seeking to make their agenda the focal point of the inauguration. Clearly, speaking on this issue has not been in the range of my priorities in the past fifteen years. Instead, my aim has been to call people to ultimate significance as we make much of Jesus Christ.
Neither I, nor our team, feel it best serves the core message and goals we are seeking to accomplish to be in a fight on an issue not of our choosing, thus I respectfully withdraw my acceptance of the President’s invitation. I will continue to pray regularly for the President, and urge the nation to do so. I will most certainly pray for him on Inauguration Day.
So, he withdrew voluntarily once the information about his older comments came to light. He crawls up on his cross and whines a little bit but as far as I know there were no petitions, no protests, no nothing. He assumed there would be and decided he didn’t want to deal with it so he took his ball and went home.
So far, it all makes sense. He’s probably not the right guy to be speaking at a big Democratic event and he knows it. So what in the hell is this all about?
A chorus of right-wing leaders Thursday decried the withdrawal of Pastor Louie Giglio from President Obama’s second inauguration ceremony, suggesting a left-wing conspiracy to force him off of the program.
There are a bunch of idiotic quotes,including some from such luminaries as Eric Erickson and Kristen Powers, all of whom apparently believe this poor man was forced out of the celebration despite the fact that he clearly says he quit in order to avoid a fight.
But this one takes the cake:
“The bully bigots at Big Gay win huge victory for fascistic intolerance.” [Bryan Fischer, American Family Association radio host]
American Family Association spokesman Bryan Fischer yesterday on Focal Point defended his close ally Scott Lively, downplaying his work shaping Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill and advocating for the imprisonment of gay people as simply giving “talks supporting natural marriage.” But Fischer, who shares Lively’s views on criminalizing LGBT status and blaming gays for the Holocaust, asserted that Lively “did the same kind of stuff over there that we do every day on Focal Point.” Fischer said the left seeks to “exterminate pro-family voices” and “want us to be destroyed,” which is interesting because the bill in Uganda makes the “promotion homosexuality” a crime.
No hobgoblins in that little mind.
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