Melissa Etheridge’s Rick Warren Defense Continues


UPDATED — Rick Warren’s favorite lesbian singer Melissa Etheridge did a phoner with NPR’s All Things Considered this morning where she discussed her defense of Barack Obama‘s inclusion of Rev. Warren in his inauguration. Basically, it boils down to “I believe in Barack Obama.”

Etheridge says:

“I believe I understand Barack Obama’s choice here , I believe Barack Obama wants to be President of the entire United States.

I just want to make sure that as the liberals progressives Democrats whatever you call us are moving into this new time with this new President that we do not say “Well they, the evangelicals and the ones who say such horrible things about gays , they have to stay over here and were not going to let them in.”

And then, NPR, bless it’s wonky soul, plays for Etheridge the tape of Warren comparing gay and lesbian marriage to marriages between brothers and sisters and adults and children and asks what she thinks of them apples. You go, public radio!

Etheridge listens to the tape, laughs and says:

“I don’t think he’s alone there. I think there’s all kinds of people who think that if we let them gays get married it’s going to open the door to all kinds of crazy stuff. Just because he thinks that does not mean that I have to not speak to him or I never want to be in his company.”

Sister, we’re not saying ‘Don’t talk to the guy’, we’re saying that if you do, you ought to mention something along the lines of “Hey, you know all that stuff you say and do about gay marriage is wrong and does more harm than good for families both straight and gay, right?”, because taking his compliments about your CD’s is not change anyone believes in.

Etheridge is right about getting past our divisions, but the way to do that is not with the attitiude of “Oh, my God! He’s talking to me! He likes me! Better shut up!” On whether her position on Warren would change if John McCain had been elected president instead of Obama, and McCain had been the one to invite Warren, Etheridge says

“No. I would be out on the street marching about McCain being president. That would be a whole different situation. […] [Obama] is trying to include all of America, because that’s the only way we’re going to move forward. We are so polarized, and that’s what we have to break. And I see him trying to do that and I would like to join him.”

Does Etheridge understand that the reason the nation is polarized is because of people like Rev. Warren, who misleads and distorts the truth to deny people their civil rights?

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