I’m still taking in all the outrage over the decision to have Rick Warren give the invocation on Inauguration Day. I don’t agree with the outrage, but I do understand it. I am more in the same line of th

I have no problem with Barack Obama asking Reverend Rick to deliver a prayer at the Inauguration. It will have zero–repeat, zero–impact on the policies of the Obama Administration. And it may do some good, especially if it gives pause to all those people who think that I–and the crypto-Muslim Barack Obama–are going to hell…If it causes those folks to give the new President just the slightest credit for appreciating their worldview, if it causes them to give him the benefit of the doubt on controversial stuff like talking to the Iranians or universal health insurance, then it’s worth it. If it causes evangelicals to say, “Well, he’s not demonizing us, maybe we shouldn’t demonize him,” it’s worth it. If it makes Rush Limbaugh’s toxic blather about our next President seem even the slightest bit ridiculous and over-the-top to his idiot legion of ditto heads, it’s worth it.

So many on the right and left have been quick to criticize Obama’s decisions, and in they have turned out to be wrong. Some of the same bloggers who are complaining about this decision, were the same ones bitching that Obama wasn’t going negative during the campaign. We all know how that ended.

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One of the reasons for this decision I have heard pundits make is that it may bring the Christian-right into the fold on issues like poverty, healthcare and the environment. While I fully believe that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry, I have to be honest and say that those issues trump the marriage issue hands down. If Rick Warren helps bring attention to those issues that can lead us to solutions, then we should all thank Obama for his decision.

As an Atheist, I also am a little upset. I posted about this the other day, but want to ask again – why isn’t the media asking how we feel about religion still being injected into a public ceremony sponsored by our own government? Is it acceptable to deny mine, and other Atheists’, views on this issue? I have heard pundits say that gays and non-believers are the two last groups you can discriminate against without facing public ridicule. Well why isn’t my group, Atheist, getting any attention at all on this?

Since I have been vocal on not demonizing Obama for the Warren selection, I have received some nasty emails claiming that I am a gay-basher like Rick Warren. Nothing could be further from the truth. I just view this decision in a different light. I have never been a blogger to jump on the same bandwagon as the rest of the blogosphere. I share my own views and opinions here. I also refuse to write off Obama over this decision, or compare him to a Hitler sympathizer, just because of this. Instead I want to trust Obama’s decision and see what happens from it.

For this country to heal from the past eight years of divisiveness, we must all be able to come together. Obama campaigned on this repeatedly. That means we can’t shun one group or another because they may not agree with us on everything. If we did that then no one would talk in our country. If Barack Obama can use Rick Warren’s presence on Inauguration Day to help bring attention to the issues I mentioned earlier, then he did something huge for our country, people and party.

And finally – a question. Without searching the internet for it, can you name who gave the invocation at the last 3 inaugurations?