Purpose-Driven Terrorism--Mega-church pastor visits Syria and promises to repeat its propaganda.

FrontPageMagazine.com ^ | November 15, 2006 | Mark D. Tooley

[SJackson]

 

Syria's state-controlled media is lavishingly boasting that California mega-church pastor Rick Warren, during his visit in Damascus, has endorsed the Syrian pespective on the Middle East. Not only that; Warren has reportedly promised to carry that state sponsor of terrorism's propaganda message back to the U.S.

Warren, pastor of the 30,000 member Saddleback Church and author of the best-selling The Purpose-Driven Life (over 30 million copies sold), is increasingly drifting in a Religious Left direction.

The Syrian newspaper Umar Jaftali, which like all Syrian media is tightly manipulated by the Baathist dictatorship, editorialized on November 14:  

Pastor

Rick Warren, who yesterday met with [Syrian] President Al-Assad and Foreign Minister Al-Mu'allim, said: "Washington is wrong not to hold dialogue with Syria, which wants peace. I call on the Americans to visit Syria and meet its beautiful people. I will tell the Americans that their idea about Syria does not reflect the truth." This is what the American clergyman said after seeing the facts on the ground. It was not in his interest not to say the truth about what he himself and the accompanying Protestant delegation saw and felt.

The supposed quote from Warren reads like a news release from Assad's propaganda ministry. Perhaps, the translation into Arabic and back into English does not do Warren justice. We can hope.

 

But the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) provided four reports about the Warren visit. According to SANA, Warren's "American delegation stressed that the American administration is mistaken not to hold dialogue with Syria." Even more eggregiously, "Pastor Warren hailed the religious coexistence, tolerance and stability that the Syrian society is enjoying due to the wise leadership of President al-Assad, asserting that he will convey the true image about Syria to the American people." Apparently, Warren gifted the Syrian dictator with a "memorial drawing" to "thank the Syrian people for their...efforts exerted for maintaining peace and harmony."

 

Needless to note, there was no mention by the Warren delegation, at least not as mentioned by SANA, about Syria's one-party police state, its political prisoners, its chambers of torture, its support for Hezballah terrorism in Lebanon, and its continued devotion to the destruction of Israel.

 

Another SANA report told of Warren's seemingly equally breathless visit with Syria's Baathist Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallim, with whom he "reviewed Syrian-American relations."

Apparently Warren afterwards gave SANA a written statement in which he told SANA exactly what it wanted to hear: "Syria wants peace, and Muslims and Christians live in this country jointly and peacefully since more than a thousand years, and this is not new for Syria," which is an example he urged that others should follow. 

 

Warren assured SANA that, in SANA's words, he would "tell the Americans that the ideas which had been shaped about [Syria] didn’t reflect the truth and they have to come to Syria and see by themselves and realize her nice people and visit her wonderful and historical ruins."

 

Apparently making the grand circuit of Damascus, Warren also pow-wowed with Syria's Islamic Grand Mufti, about which SANA also generously reported. According to SANA, Warren said, in SANA's words, that there is "no peace in the region without Syria, noting that 80 percent of the American people rejected what the U.S. administration is doing in Iraq and considered the U.S. policy in the Mideast as wrong." Warren went on to share his "admiration" for Syria and its admirable "co-existence" between Christians and Syria. 

 

The Grand Mufti urged Warren to share with the American people the "real" story about Syria, whose image has been "distorted" by the Bush administration. Reportedly, at least according to SANA, Warren obligingly promised to do just that. 

 

In contrast to the lovefest between Warren and Syrian officials reported by SANA, human rights organizations portray a different "real story" about Syria. This story tells of a nation where only the ruling Baathist Party and its allies are permitted to win elections, where all news media are owned or controlled by the government, where indepedent labor unions are prohibited, where universities must proclaim Baathist Party policies, where clerics are appointed by the government, where the president by law must be Muslim, and where women's limited rights are governed by Islamic Shari'a law, even though the government is ostensibly secular.

 

Ten percent of Syria's population is Christian, having diminished greatly in recent decades. Compared to Saudi Arabia, where conversion away from Islam is punishable by death, Syria is tolerant. But Syria's constitution stipulates that Islam is the "main source for legislation." Christians cannot preach to non-Christians, and churches, like mosques, are tightly regulated by the government. No construction of a new Christian school has been permitted in 40 years, and all schools by law must have Muslim principals.

 

Will Warren share this news about Syria with America?

 

Next year, Warren is scheduled to visit North Korea at the invitation of its despotic Communist regime. It is reasonable to assume that the North Korean state-controlled media will issue reports about Warren's visit there that are remarkably similar to the Syria's dictatorship's boastful coverage of Warren's chit-chat with them.

 

It is sad story, repeated often. Big-name U.S. preachers, often otherwise sensible and orthodox in their faith, visit despotic regimes and naively curry favor with police state thugs. The preachers supinely believe that their cozy ties with the dictatorship will facilitate greater preaching access to the oppressed populations. But the end result more usually is a propaganda bonanza for the tyrants, and a population that is left to feel forgotten by the outside world.

 

Fortunately, the Deity whom these preachers proclaim, whatever the failures of His ostensible messengers, has not forgotten the imprisoned and the persecuted. For the oppressed He will contend, even while the celebrity preachers attend to the public relations considerations of the oppressors.

[silverleaf]

Soon to hit the bookstores in Damascus-

"The Purpose-Driven Useful Idiot".

[SJackson]

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[Southerngl]

The religious equivalent of Sean Penn. Useless to make a valid opinion when they are showing off you for you idiot!

[Obie Wan]

The Lord has used Rick Warren and his Saddleback ministry in a powerful way especially among young people.I'm going to reserve judgement until Warren can give his side of this article !!!

[Just mythoughts]

There is no way this guy knows his Bible, considering the House of Israel "lost sheep" as Christ referred to them, were sent into captivity to the Assyrian king all those many many years ago.

[100-Fold_Return]

This author is behind the times as mega-churches are NOW valuable with outstanding, loving people>

Oh, CNN means the African-American mega-churches who only vote dim?? And then other mega-churches are still hate-mongers forcing their down our childrens' throats-

[imskylark]

I don't know if I buy this. I've listened to him speak about the Middle East. I can't remember what exactly he said but I do know he sounded pro-Israel and supports the war on terror.

[wayne_b24]

the purposely dhimmi life?

[JackDanielsOldNo7]

Ahhh..just like most preachers. The money rolls in and they go insane.

[SJackson]

I don't know if I buy this. I've listened to him speak about the Middle East. I can't remember what exactly he said but I do know he sounded pro-Israel and supports the war on terror.

We'll see. The source of most of the information is Syria and SANA, their state controlled media. Wouldn't be the first time they lied. It does seem to me that some clarification is required from Warren.

[Cheapskate]

What psrt of "I will bless those who bless Isreal and Curse those who Curse Isreal" doesent he understand??

[william clark]

I'm not a big Rick Warren fan, and I might question the wisdom of his visit in the first place, but why on Earth would you accept the Syrian media account at face value?

[voiceinthewind]

Rick Warren should have known that the pictures the Syrians were taking would be used for propaganda purposes. Hope he addresses this real soon.

[Just another Joe]

I think I'll wait for words out of Mr. Warrens own mouth.
Then I'll judge.

Syrian controlled media, almost as bad as the USAs MSM.

[patriot preacher]

I've been a big fan of Warren, even used his "Purpose-Driven Church" as a textbook in a class I taught. If this is true (because you never can tell when what the MSM says are merely propaganda) then I've lost even more respect for the man.

He's already been duped by the environmentalists and the whole "global warming" junk -- now duped by our ENEMIES?! Say it ain't so Rick.

[Mamzelle]

Well, well, well. This will chip a little evangelical support away from Israel.

[Convert from ECUSA]

"Soon to hit the bookstores in Damascus- "The Purpose-Driven Useful Idiot".

LOL! Ain't it the truth!

[Mamzelle]

Celebrities and those who identify closely with a celebrity--I honestly believe no one can really handle it without becoming something of a jerk. The question is--how much of a jerk will they become?

[Salem]

Rick Warren: American Envoy to Syria?

Syria, long known as the resort location for terrorists, has had a visit from Purpose Driven guru, Rick Warren. According to this article, Warren was there to discuss "Syrian-American" relations. (I find it interesting that Rick Warren has exchanged his Hawaiian shirt for a respectable suit for foriegn heads of state. For worship of the King of kings, however, the Hawaiaan shirt will do just fine.) I personally was unaware that Rick Warren had taken the place of our American Secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice, on foreign policy junkets. I wonder if Mr. Warren discussed the ongoing supply of weapons and insurgents making their way over Syria's border into Iraq to blow up American and Iraqi troops? He gave the Syrian President a gift for "efforts exerted for maintaining peace and harmony." Excuse me, but someone needs to inform the Israelis about these terribly kind, peace-loving Syrians. Here is an excerpt from a research paper from the Institute for Counter-Terrorism that describes the use of terrorism under Assad. It is entitled, "Terrorism as a Preferred Instrument of Syrian Policy". Apparently, Rick Warren forgot to read this before he left California.

"The Assad regime has made systematic use of the "terror weapon" since coming to power in 1970. The basic reason for this is the wide gap between Syria's aspirations to regional hegemony and its desire to play a leading role in the Arab-Israeli conflict, and the objective limitations and weaknesses of Syria from a military, economic and demographic point of view..."

I think Mr. Warren needs to go back to Saddleback and stick with what he knows best--dividing evangelical churches.

Posted by Ingrid on November 13, 2006 @ 09:58 AM
Purpose Driven Madness

http://www.sliceoflaodicea.com/archives/2006/11/rick_warren_ame.php

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