From the sublime to the offensive!

I've just finished reading Thich Nhat Hanh's Living Buddha, Living Christ, his comparison of Buddhism and Christianity. What a delight it was -- I want to read more of his work. I felt elevated to a new plane of ecumenism! I've added a new link to the Plum Village Practice Center, where I got the photograph to the right. I'll be doing a lot more reading on Buddhism. I know I have lots to learn to learn from all religious traditions.

Well, maybe not all.

Thanks to MadPriest for his post on 3/29, alerting us to more words of wisdom spoken by my own personal nemesis. Pastor Rick Warren's enlightened stance on LGBT issues was quoted in the Monitor, published in Uganda, in the issue for that same day. I looked it up in Westlaw, and I think it's worth quoting in full (just for that full, rancid, fundamentalist flavor):

Famed American pastor, Dr Rick Warren has said he supports the decision by Ugandan bishops to boycott the forthcoming Lamebth [ sic] conference in England, United Kingdom.

The conference brings together Bishops of the Anglican Communion from all 38 Provinces of the Communion every 10 years.

"The Church of England is wrong and I support the Church of Uganda (CoU) on the boycott,"Dr Warren said on Thursday shortly after arriving in Uganda.

The Bishops are protesting the Church of England's tolerance a [sic] homosexuality. Announcing the boycott in February, Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi said that Uganda's action had been prompted by the invitation of bishops of The US Episcopal Church (TEC) who in 2003 elected as bishop, Gene Robinson, a divorced man living in an active homosexual relationship.

Rev. Orombi said the Archbishops of all the 38 Provinces of the Anglican Communion strongly opposed the election of Gene Robinson as bishop - and in a meeting shortly after the election "warned that, if they proceeded with the consecration, their action would "tear the fabric of the Anglican Communion at its deepest level."

Dr Warren said that homosexuality is not a natural way of life and thus not a human right. "We shall not tolerate this aspect at all," Dr Warren said.

Gosh! My head is spinning! From Nhat Hanh's book on the best attributes of Christianity and Buddhism to the prime example of Christianity at its worst (equaled only, perhaps, by the crusades and the Middle East policy of the Bush administration). How does this troglodyte continue to get into print? Why go to Africa to combat HIV/AIDS, if you're ready to throw other people under the bus? It's enough to make Jesus weep.

Go to MadPriest's post mentioned above to see some very unflattering pictures of Uncle Rick. Pastor Warren, crawl back into your primordial muck-hole, please, and take your offensive attitudes with you. The Episcopal Church does not need your help. I already know of a perfectly good one you've ruined!

BOTTOM FEEDER

Thanks to a dear friend (you know who you are!) who did the Photoshop stuff above!