The rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C. – known as the “Church of the Presidents” – is the Rev. Luis Leon.
This priest agreed to substitute for the Rev. Louie Giglio in giving the benediction for President Obama’s second inauguration.
As might have been expected, the Rev. Mr. Leon included in his benediction an endorsement of same-sex marriage (as did Mr. Obama) with no such inaugural devotional endorsement of many other alternative sexual orientations.
From the president of one of this nation’s largest graduate schools, the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the Rev. Dr. Albert Mohler, came a column headlined, “The Giglio Imbroglio – The Public Inauguration of a New Moral McCarthyism.”
In his column, this leader in our largest American protestant denomination wrote the following:
“Barack Obama and those organizing his upcoming inauguration have effectively declared historic, biblical Christianity to be out of bounds.
“A new chapter in America’s moral revolution came Thursday as Atlanta pastor Louie Giglio withdrew from giving the benediction at President Obama’s second inaugural ceremony. In a statement released to the White House and the Presidential Inaugural Committee, Giglio said that he withdrew because of the furor that emerged Wednesday after a liberal watchdog group revealed that almost 20 years ago he had preached a sermon in which he had stated that homosexuality is a sin and that the ‘only way out of a homosexual lifestyle … is through the healing power of Jesus.’
“In other words, a Christian pastor has been effectively disinvited from delivering an inaugural prayer because he believes and teaches Christian truth.
“The fact that Giglio was actually disinvited was made clear in a statement from Addie Whisenant of the Presidential Inaugural Committee:
“‘We were not aware of Pastor Giglio’s past comments at the time of his selection, and they don’t reflect our desire to celebrate the strength and diversity of our country at this inaugural. Pastor Giglio was asked to deliver the benediction in large part because of his leadership in combating human trafficking around the world. As we now work to select someone to deliver the benediction, we will ensure their beliefs reflect this administration’s vision of inclusion and acceptance for all Americans.'”
This inevitably raises the consideration that “all Americans” include pedophiles, polygamists, polyandrists, urophiliacs and zoophiliacs – among other alternate sexual orientations.
Dr. Mohler goes on to note, “That statement is, in effect, an embarrassed apology for having invited Louie Giglio in the first place. Whisenant’s statement apologizes for the Presidential Inaugural Committee’s failure to make certain that their selection had never, at any time, for any reason, believed that homosexuality is less than a perfectly acceptable lifestyle. …
“The imbroglio over Louie Giglio is the clearest evidence of the new Moral McCarthyism of our sexually ‘tolerant’ age. During the infamous McCarthy hearings, witnesses would be asked, ‘Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?’
“In the version now to be employed by the Presidential Inaugural Committee, the question will be: ‘Are you now or have you ever been one who believes that homosexuality (or bisexuality, or transsexualism, etc.) is anything less than morally acceptable and worthy of celebration?’ …
“Louie Giglio was cast out of the circle of the acceptable simply because a liberal watchdog group found one sermon he preached almost 20 years ago. If a preacher has ever taken a stand on biblical conviction, he risks being exposed decades after the fact. Anyone who teaches at any time, to any degree, that homosexual behavior is a sin is now to be cast out. …
“The Presidential Inaugural Committee and the White House have now declared historic, biblical Christianity to be out of bounds, casting it off the inaugural program as an embarrassment. By its newly articulated standard, any preacher who holds to the faith of the church for the last 2,000 years is persona non grata. By this standard, no Roman Catholic prelate or priest can participate in the ceremony. No evangelical who holds to biblical orthodoxy is welcome. The vast majority of Christians around the world have been disinvited. Mormons and the rabbis of Orthodox Judaism are out. Any Muslim imam who could walk freely in Cairo would be denied a place on the inaugural program. Billy Graham, who participated in at least 10 presidential inaugurations, is welcome no more. …
“The gospel makes no sense, and is robbed of its saving power, if sin is denied as sin. …
“We now see the new Moral McCarthyism in its undisguised and unvarnished reality. If you are a Christian, get ready for the question you will now undoubtedly face: ‘Do you now or have you ever believed that homosexuality is a sin?'”
With gratitude to Dr. Mohler – and disgust for the Rev. Luis Leon for failing to refuse such a morally incriminating Obama administration invitation.
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