While Great Britain's former Prime Minister, and recent Roman Catholic convert, challenges the “entrenched” attitudes of the Pope on homosexuality, and argued that it is time for him to “rethink” his views, President Obama has named Harry Knox, a Pope-bashing homosexual activist, to his faith-based initiative.
UPDATE 2/3/10: Obama Adviser, Harry Knox, Stands by Statement That Pope Is 'Hurting People in the Name of Jesus'
-- From "Tony Blair tells the Pope: you're wrong on homosexuality" by Ruth Gledhill, The Times Religion Correspondent 4/8/09
Speaking to the gay magazine Attitude, the former Prime Minister, himself now a Roman Catholic, said that he wanted to urge religious figures everywhere to reinterpret their religious texts to see them as metaphorical, not literal, and suggested that in time this would make all religious groups accept gay people as equals.
In the interview Mr Blair spoke of a “quiet revolution in thinking” and implied that he believed the Pope to be out of step with the public.
“There are many good and great things the Catholic Church does, and there are many fantastic things this Pope stands for, but I think what is interesting is that if you went into any Catholic Church, particularly a wellattended one, on any Sunday here and did a poll of the congregation, you’d be surprised at how liberal-minded people were.” The faith of ordinary Catholics is rarely found “in those types of entrenched attitudes”, he said.
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From "Obama Names Pope-Basher to Faith-Based Initiative Board" by Fred Lucas, Staff Writer CNSNews.com 4/6/09
President Barack Obama has named to the federal government’s faith-based initiative a gay-rights activist who, last month, described Pope Benedict XVI and certain Catholic bishops as “discredited leaders” because of their opposition to same-sex marriage.
Harry Knox, who is a newly appointed member of Obama’s Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, is the director of the religion and faith program at the Human Rights Campaign, a homosexual activist group.
Knox told CNSNews.com that he “absolutely” stands by his criticism of the pope.
"The Pope needs to start telling the truth about condom use," Knox said on Monday, Apr. 6. "We are eager to help him do that. Until he is willing to do that and able, he's doing a great deal more harm than good -- not just in Africa but around the world. It is endangering people's lives.”
According to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Web site, the religion and faith program run by Knox has created “a weekly preaching resource that provides scriptural commentary to ministers and lay people interested in an ecumenical gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender perspective on the Bible."
The appointment of Knox advisory board makes a mockery of the faith-based program, said Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League.
“This is exactly the kind of bastardization of common sense that the Obama people are putting forth,” Donohue told CNSNews.com. “Quite frankly, I would prefer to see the entire faith-based initiative closed down. They’re going to use this as political capital in the Obama administration to say, ‘We reach out to people of faith.’ The whole thing is a sham.”
Conservatives have already expressed concern that Obama’s faith-based advisory council is heavy with liberal activists, such as the Rev. Jim Wallis, the Rev. Otis Moss Jr. and Rabbi David N. Saperstein, among other left-leaning clergy on the council who have advocated for more social spending, less restrictive immigration policies and more environmental regulations. Some council members have been avid supporters of abortion rights, gay marriage, and keeping a strict separation of church and state.
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UPDATE 5/8/09
