Letters to the editor

January 7, 2009

December 24, 2008

Rick Warren is Barack Obama's choice to deliver the invocation at the presidential inauguration on January 20. While Warren has been involved in many positive activities during his ministry, he has been a leading and outspoken opponent of the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, and in particular, he was one of the chief lobbyists for the passage of recent Proposition 8 on the California ballot opposing same-sex marriage. In his public addresses, he likened same-sex marriage to incestuous marriage between a brother and sister, to pedophilia, and to polygamy.

Obama's choice of Warren for his invocation speaker brings up for me two questions:

1. Why did Obama choose Warren if Obama intends to heal the divisions in this country, and

2. (this is my primary question) If this country is truly dedicated to the notion of a clear separation between religion and government, why are we having religious invocations at presidential inaugurations, and for that matter, at congressional and other governmental ceremonies?

Everyone has the right to hold any, or no, religious beliefs as they consider appropriate to suit their lives. This is a basic constitutional right, and more importantly, a basic human right to which all are entitled. History records a number of religious texts, however, that individuals and organizations have referenced throughout the ages to justify and rationalize the marginalization, harassment, denial of rights, persecution, and oppression of entire groups of people based on their social identities. At various historical periods, people have applied these texts, sometimes taken in tandem, and at other times used selectively, to establish and maintain hierarchical positions of power, domination, and privilege over individuals and groups targeted by these texts. For example, individuals, organizations, and entire nations have quoted specific texts to justify the construction and maintenance of the institution of slavery, the persecution and murder of Jews, male domination and denial of rights of women, adult domination and persecution of young people, and marginalization and denial of rights of LGBT people.

Many of the framers of the United States Constitution were well aware of the dangers of entangling religion with governmental public policy. So I ask again, why are we having religious invocations at presidential inaugurations, and at congressional and other governmental ceremonies? In actuality, how "separate" are religion and government in the United States?

Dr. Warren J. Blumenfeld

Assistant Professor

Multicultural and International Curriculum Studies

Department of Curriculum and Instruction

Iowa State University

Ames, IA 50011

wblumen@iastate.edu