Jan 12 09:43 AM US/Eastern

CONCORD, N.H. (AP)- The first openly gay Episcopal bishop/b will offer a prayer at the Lincoln Memorial at an inaugural event for President-elect Barack Obama.

The selection of New Hampshire Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson for Sundays event follows weeks of criticism from gay-rights groups over Obamas decision to have the Rev. Rick Warren give the invocation at his Jan. 20 inauguration.

Warren backed the ban on same-sex marriage that passed in his home state of California on the November ballot.

Robinson said last month the choice of Warren was like a slap in the face. In an interview with the Concord Monitor, he said he doesnt believe Obama invited him in response to the Warren criticism but said his inclusion wont go unnoticed by the gay and lesbian community.

Its important for any minority to see themselves represented in some way, Robinson told the newspaper for a story in Mondays editions. Whether it be a racial minority, an ethnic minority, or in our case, a sexual minority. Just seeing someone like you up front matters.

Clark Stevens, a spokesman for the inaugural committee, said Robinson was invited because he had offered his advice to Obama during the campaign and because of his church work. When asked whether Robinson was included to calm the Warren complaints, he said Robinson is an important figure in the religious community. We are excited that he will be involved.

Click here to read the whole story.

Personal comment from the writer of this web log.
The real question we have to ask ourselves is, do we really want our country going in this direction? God created Man for Woman and Woman for Man to create a family. He did not create Man for Man or Woman for Woman. This is one of the things that brought the fall of Sodom and Gomorrah. Gen 19:24-25 i24 Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;
25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground./i (KJV)