I leave for home tomorrow...can't wait to get back to The OC:
Pastor says 'God will punish Rick Warren'Wiley Drake criticizes Warren, calls Obama 'evil illegal alien.'
By MICHAEL MELLO
The Orange County Register
BUENA PARK ? Southern Baptist Pastor Wiley Drake bashed Saddleback Church Pastor Rick Warren this week, saying "God will punish" Warren for agreeing to give the invocation at President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration next month.
"I pray He is kind to you in this punishment that is coming," Drake wrote in a widely-released e-mail. In it, the First Southern Baptist Church of Buena Park pastor criticizes Warren's "recent plan to invoke the presence of almighty God on this evil illegal alien," a reference to Obama.
Drake, who made last November's ballot as a vice-presidential candidate for the American Independent party, is a party to a lawsuit claiming Obama was born outside of the U.S., and is therefore ineligible to serve as president. Obama has a Hawaiian birth certificate, which Hawaiian officials have said is genuine.
Drake said Warren, also a Southern Baptist minister, is "hurting our denomination, and the Lord's work."
He continued: "God will deal with you on this ? God will not wink at this."
Warren did not immediately return messages seeking comment.
"It's an abomination before God and God's going to deal with that," Drake, in an interview, said about Warren's role in the inauguration. "I've gotten several e-mails in response, and overwhelmingly, they have been supportive."
Warren praised Obama for his courage to take flack from supporters and invite the evangelical minister to deliver the opening prayer at next month's inaugural. Obama's choice of Warren has been criticized by several Democrats and also by gay activists who point to Warren's support of Proposition 8, the California Constitutional amendment designed to outlaw same-sex marriage.Obama has said his selection of Warren is in keeping with his desire to celebrate the diversity of opinions in America.