The Saddleback Civic Forum last night disappointed me greatly. I was hoping we would see Rick Warren force the candidates to wrestle with deep moral issues, engage complex situations with wisdom, and discuss their personal philosophies in detail. I was hoping that Rick Warren actually meant it when he said that there were more moral issues than abortion and gay marriage.

Instead, it turned into a two-headed coin: Barack Obama, being honest, thoughtful, nuanced, and intelligent; and John McCain, spouting talking points and obviously prepared anecdotes. And Rick Warren proved that for all his talk about being different, he's just another Christian Right hack.

Why did Rick Warren, who claims to understand Christianity, spend 20 minutes with each candidate on abortion, gay marriage, and stem cells (none of which are mentioned in the Bible) and not ask either candidate how their religious views impacted their understanding of the people across this planet and in this very country living under the crippling oppression of poverty? Where was the question about one of the primary moral questions of our age - that of the United States's proven and admitted use of torture in treatment of detainees (which John McCain flip-flopped and approved in a moral failure that should disqualify him from receiving the vote of anyone who calls him- or herself a person of conscience)?

In short: Why were all of Rick Warren's "moral questions" on the Republicans' turf? Why did he not address the very real and very meaningful moral issues of poverty (mentioned throughout the Bible) and treatment of the oppressed and the prisoner (also mentioned throughout the Bible)? Why did he not ask John McCain and Barack Obama if they thought the Federal Budget was a moral document?

Moreover, if this was supposed to be a faith forum with all Christians on stage, where were the deep questions about the candidates' faith? I would have liked to see a question - or even a mention - of Jesus Christ from Rick Warren or John McCain; as it is, only Barack Obama seemed to acknowledge the existence of Jesus Christ on that stage.

This was a setup, plain and simple. This wasn't an opportunity for the candidates to prove themselves to the Christian Right; it was an opportunity for Rick Warren, about whom my opinion has changed 180 degrees as a result of this forum, to prove himself to the Christian Right by telling them that their two big issues really are the only ones that matter. It was a pitiful display on his part.

Rick Warren has demonstrated that he is just another right-wing hack.

Labels: Barack Obama, Christian Right, Christianity, John McCain, Religion, Rick Warren