Fresh from being tapped to deliver the invocation at President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration, Orange County Pastor Rick Warren spoke Saturday night to about 800 members of the Muslim Public Affairs Council at its convention in Long Beach.
Warren’s theme was about people getting along, forgetting their differences and focusing on areas of agreement. The audience cheered him, and many people rose to their feet.
Among the first to stand was singer Melissa Etheridge, a lesbian, who performed for the audience.
Recognizing the potential for controversy, Warren said near the beginning of his speech: “Let me just get this over very quickly. I love Muslims. And for the media’s purpose, I happen to love gays and straights.”
He said people ask him what he prays for when it comes to Obama. “I pray for the president the same things I pray for myself: integrity, humility and compassion,” he said.
