Message Control Idea for Rick Waren

by phil on Thursday Jan 15, 2009 3:42 PM
dlog, message control

Here's a condensed version for those already up-to-date on the Rick Warren controversies.

Since then, Rick Warren has chosen silence. From a PR perspective, I think this is nearly the optimal move. While liberals are still pissed about Obama's decision, the fire has quieted down.

But I think an even better move would involve both PR and a bit of self-development on Rick Warren's part. First, he has to recognize the slippery slope fallacy. He needs to realize that while as only a slight majority of Americans disapprove of gay marriage, the vast majority of Americans probably do not equate homosexuality with incest, bestiality, or polygamy. (This would make a good Gallup poll, if anybody's listening.)

Once he realizes that, he should say this on air:

"There is a tendency, as a pastor, to be steadfast in your positions. If I am fallible, the reasoning goes, how will I gain the trust of my followers? But while as God's word is infallible, pastors are most certainly fallible. God also says, [insert Biblical passage urging us to take breaks, clear our heads, and re-think our ways]. And so over my Winter break, I reflected deeply, and prayed for guidance. What I discovered is that I made a mistake. I need to apologize to the gay community, America, and the world. I do not believe that gay marriage should ever be compared to incest, polygamy, or bestiality. I realize the hurt I have caused by making that comparison. I want to let the gay community know that they will always have a friend in me, and that we will treat them, as we treat everybody, with respect and kindness"

Click "Continue reading..." to read the backgrounder.

Obama stirred a lot of controversy when he announced that Rev. Rick Warren would be delivering the Invocation at the Inauguration. The problem is that the megachurch pastor, who authored the most eminently successful, The Purpose-Driven Life, spoke out for Prop. 8, the California Proposition banning gay marriage.

Probably the most controversial aspect of Rick Warren is not his support for Prop. 8, but his reasoning. He likes to use a common argument among conservatives, that permitting gay marriage would then pave the way to permitting incest and polygamy. Actually, he goes even further than that, in this video, and says gay marriage is just as bad as brother-sister marriage:

I don't know if he simply slipped up, or if he really believes that incest and homosexuality are both equally bad. If he thinks they're both equally bad, then I can't really help him. But if he thinks that permitting gay marriage would simply lead to permitting other things, then I think he's just a victim of a "slippery slope" logical fallacy. Just like legalizing marijuana won't all-of-a-sudden pave the way to legalizing cocaine, legalizing gay marriage won't embolden the pro-incest coalition.

Unfortunately, when he went to the press a couple weeks ago to squash the renewed controversy, he made things worse.

This interview got massive play in the blogosphere, which also reminded everybody about his comparisons between homosexuality and incest.

Since then, Rick Warren has chosen silence. From a PR perspective, I think this is nearly the optimal move. While liberals are still pissed about Obama's decision, the fire has quieted down.

But I think an even better move would involve both PR and a bit of self-development on Rick Warren's part. First, he has to recognize the slippery slope fallacy. He needs to realize that while as only a slight majority of Americans disapprove of gay marriage, the vast majority of Americans probably do not equate homosexuality with incest, bestiality, or polygamy (This would make a good Gallup poll, if anybody's listening)

Once he realizes that, he should say this on air:

"There is a tendency, as a pastor, to be steadfast in your positions. If I am fallible, the reasoning goes, how will I gain the trust of my followers? But while as God's word is infallible, pastors are most certainly fallible. God also says, [insert Biblical passage urging us to take breaks, clear our heads, and re-think our ways]. And so over my Winter break, I reflected deeply, and prayed for guidance. What I discovered is that I made a mistake. I need to apologize to the gay community, America, and the world. I do not believe that gay marriage should ever be compared to incest, polygamy, or bestiality. I realize the hurt I have caused by making that comparison. I want to let the gay community know that they will always have a friend in me, and that we will treat them, as we treat everybody, with respect and kindness"

If this is done in the context of an interview, then of course the follow-up questions will be, "So have you reversed your position on Prop. 8?" "No." "Why?" ... and then Rick Warren can go with his usual problems with changing a 5,000-year definition of marriage.

I think an expression of humility, at this point, would be a key move for Rick Warren, and also within the realm of possibility given his style.

(Cross-posted on Dlog where you can see the keystrokes that made this post)