Rick Warren Praises Obama's "Courage" For Taking "Enormous Heat From His Base"

Here is Rick Warren's statement praising Obama for his "courage" in picking the pastor to deliver the invocation at the inauguration despite criticism of the president-elect due to Warren's opposition to gay marriage:

I commend President-elect Obama for his courage to willingly take enormous heat from his base by inviting someone like me, with whom he doesn't agree on every issue, to offer the Invocation at his historic Inaugural ceremony.

Hopefully individuals passionately expressing opinions from the left and the right will recognize that both of us have shown a commitment to model civility in America.

The Bible admonishes us to pray for our leaders. I am honored by this opportunity to pray God's blessing on the office of the President and its current and future inhabitant, asking the Lord to provide wisdom to America's leaders during this critical time in our nation's history.