Americans of Goodwill Coming Together?

Rick Warren, author of "The Purpose Driven Life" and pastor of California's Saddleback mega-church, praised President-elect Obama for choosing gay Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson to offer a prayer at the inauguration. "President-elect Obama has again demonstrated his genuine commitment to bringing all Americans of goodwill together in search of common ground."

I suppose this is a nice goodwill gesture since Robinson earlier criticized Warren's selection to give the invocation at the swearing-in: "It was like a slap in the face ... we’re talking about putting someone up front and center at what will be the most watched inauguration in history, and asking his blessing on the nation. And the God that he’s praying to is not the God that I know.”

Is it just me or does it sound like there's a shortage of "goodwill looking for common ground" in Robinson's attitude? Of course not. Warren is just playing the politician, and that's one of the big things that rankles me about him. His "I'm okay, you're okay" hob-nobbing with the political elites gives me the impression that it's all about Rick Warren, not so much about the gospel message of conversion and salvation. The message is so soft that it borders on spineless, methinks, and I don't think that's what Americans of this age need to hear, regardless of how many books he's sold.

Others will surely disagree, but I just don't see Rick Warren and Gene Robinson as opposite ends of the religious spectrum. Robinson's definitely out there on the left end, but Warren is smack dab in the middle, hugging the center as only a fence-sitter can.

And if the selection of these two guys wasn't enough to get everyone's shorts in a knot, the Associated Press has revealed that

A prayer will be offered at the National Cathedral by Ingrid Mattson, the first woman president of the Islamic Society of North America, according to an official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information. The Islamic Society, based in Indiana, is the nation's largest Muslim group.

Three rabbis, representing the three major branches of American Judaism, will also say a prayer at the service, according to officials familiar with the plans. The Jewish clergy are Reform Rabbi David Saperstein, Conservative Rabbi Jerome Epstein and Orthodox Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, sources said.

It is assumed that the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Washington, D.C., Donald Wuerl, will also deliver a prayer, but this is standard fare.