(Rom 13:8 NKJV) Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.

(Rom 13:9 NKJV) For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

Obama's inauguration swearing in ceremony on 20 Jan 2009, with the selection of the more moderate, yet Anti-Gay Pastor, the Rev Rick Warren to give the invocation has caused many in the Gay community to again feel betrayed so soon after the Obama affect which had resulted in massive black turn out swayed the votes against Gay marriage in Proposition 8. The irony of it all was that the call for change, matters little for the Gay community who once believed that change was possible and had put their heart and soul in supporting Obama in the Presidential election. The greatest irony of it all was that if Obama had not run for President, Proposition 8 may not have succeeded. Gays got nothing out of supporting Obama, only general statements claiming a strong advocacy for gay rights but no tangible actions such as placement of an openly gay person in his cabinet, nor the dismantling of the "Don't Ask, don't tell policy".

The Rev Rick Warren has not been insightful in his comments. He has equated incest, child rape, and polygamy by straight men and women with same sex marriage. Not only this "sins" had nothing to do with Gay marriages, it exemplifies the right of straight people to be married and to commit this crimes simply because they were straight. Therefore, it is all the fault of Gays. It becomes much more than only a social issue claimed by Obama, because there can be little civil conversation when the difference of opinion is not a matter of intellectual disagreement but results in the very basic rights taken away. Gay rights is simply not a Civil Right, it is basic humanity. Even when Blacks were discriminated against, they still had the right to marry, and to go to Churches where their very color is not considered as sin against God. The Rev Rick Warren treatment of the Gay issue is hostile at best, succumbing to the more conservative Christian Right elements of his Saddleback Church. There is nothing civil but only politics, power and control.

The bible tells us to owe no one, except love. Obama owes the Gay community a lot for supporting him, just as they did Bill Clinton in the 1990s. Are they going to be betrayed again when the Clintons under political pressure agreed to taking an anti-gay stance in the military service. However, the decision by Obama to call upon the Rev Rick Warren to do the invocation, is politically brialliant and will give him space and room later on in his presidency. By choosing a very well known and accepted moderate in a highly Christian Right environment, he has brought a large part of the Christian moderates to his side, leaving James Dobson, and his fundamentalist and extreme anti-gay protagonist far less support. Therefore, the centre of attention will be Rick Warren, rather than a "war" between the Obama Camp with James Dobson as happened during the Presidential campaign. Sure, the dear Rev may have similar views on Gays as the Christian Right, but he is far more moderate on other issues and over time, there is a possibility of a u-turn as he did on the AIDS issue in Africa.

There is the prospect of at least "civil" discussion in a highly uncivilised environment. However, Christianity is not about "civil" discussions, it is about Christ, about the Gospel message. We are called to love, but we have stolen from the Gay community their basic rights, and dignity, and even their right to worship God without being excommunicated. We have bore false witness and blamed them for our sins, and misinterpreted the sins committed by Straight men in the bible in a religious context as being due to gays. We have coverted even the small space given to gays. Even the marriages given to them in California, we want to take away. We have committed adultery against gays - by taking away their partners and destroying their relationships through insisting they cannot get married because of us. We are the third party in the relationship, insisting our rights. We have not loved our neighbour as ourselves. We have not loved God, by excommunicating gays from our churches.

The so called "moral values" are nothing more than the Jewish Laws given so that the Jews could come to the understanding of their need for a messiah in view of their inability to follow the laws. We have completely missed the social and religious context on the law in a multi-god environment where the Jews were committing spiritual adultery by worshiping other gods and in the process of their faith, had sex orgies even to the extent of straight men having sex with men!. The Liberals are loathed to interpret the bible as such because this would ultimately imply that there is one true God, one way to heaven and one true righteouness. The Christian Right are loathed to do likewise, because without the law, there are few absolutes and certaintly but a simplicity of faith in a grace that they afraid may be abused.

We transplant a few clobber verses to our own environment and say it must be due to sexual orientation because we are not gays. The lack of faith and self centeredness of modern day Christianity is no different from that of the Jewish faith when lacking in trust and faith in Jehovah God, they worshipped the fertility gods so that their land may prosper. We worship ourselves, our self righteous, our morality, our wealth and prosperity and blame Gays as the poor lamb to take upon our sins. Our abortions, promiscuity, divorce, adultery, incest, child rape are all heaped upon and personified upon the homosexual "sinner"!. It is not that Gays can change through the power of Jesus Christ, but that the Church must quickly change before judgement come based on the law they liked so much.

The selection of the Rev Rick Warren has clearly antagonised the Gays into more affirmative action to champion their own rights. No one is going to help them much, even Obama. They will have to fight for themselves against a very organised and very powerful Christian Right. The selection of Rev Rick Warren gives notice to the Christian Right that Obama is far more dangerous than the John Kerry's and Clintons, willing to move strategically accross partisan lines to forge agreements and relationships for the long term interests. The monopololy of the Christian Faith by the Christian Right has been dealt a major blow by the engagement of Rick Warren and this is a must as Obama moves on to the future which I hope will fulfilled his claim to be a strong advocate of Gay rights and to return what he owes to the Gay community for supporting him.

(Isa 56:5 NKJV) Even to them I will give in My house And within My walls a place and a name Better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name That shall not be cut off.

The morning has broken. There is hope in the air, signified by the non binding support of 66 nations at the UN for basic human rights for gays. Despite the birth pangs of what seems a betrayal, true freedom is coming. There is a move of God, He is doing a new thing in the midst of the nations around the world, to give Gays a name and a hope, in a world and a church that has rejected them. But God will not reject them, but will give them a new name and a place in His kingdom even above the straight people who has placed them in bondage and in the jails of their own closets. God is arising in our midst to free them. Morning has broken because of Jesus Christ, that the year of Jubilee has come to the Gay community. There might be despair and dissapointment at the moment, but can you hear the sound of praising and rejoicing, for freedom is coming, freedom to be how God has created us, and the freedom to come to God as dearly beloved and to praise God and give thanks for His creation.

Morning has broken, like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for the springing fresh from the word

Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven
Like the first dewfall, on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where his feet pass

Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God's recreation of the new day