Posted on 11/21/2006 5:49:44 AM PST by TommyDale
Millions and millions of people have purchased his books.
His California church attracts thousands every Sunday.
He seems to be the go-to guy whenever the establishment, ultra-secular press wants to quote an evangelical leader they like.
I'm talking about Rick Warren, author of "The Purpose Driven Life" and the pastor of the Saddleback Church.
Ever since I first pointed out the way he betrayed the persecuted church and our Jewish brothers and sisters living in captivity in the totalitarian police state of Syria, I have been expecting to get blasted.
Millions and millions of people have purchased his books.
His California church attracts thousands every Sunday.
He seems to be the go-to guy whenever the establishment, ultra-secular press wants to quote an evangelical leader they like.
I'm talking about Rick Warren, author of "The Purpose Driven Life" and the pastor of the Saddleback Church.
Ever since I first pointed out the way he betrayed the persecuted church and our Jewish brothers and sisters living in captivity in the totalitarian police state of Syria, I have been expecting to get blasted.
I thought for sure I would hear from these millions of well-educated, well-informed, biblically astute purpose-driven disciples.
It has been six days. God created the whole universe in that amount of time. And, so far, I haven't heard one cogent argument, apologia or rationalization for Warren's actions by any of his flock.
I'm told he's got one of the best PR machines money can buy. He sure is not getting his money's worth.
On the other hand, I can tell you hundreds of thousands of people are reading my critiques of his misadventures in misguided foreign policy. We can actually count those readers on WND. And they are being spread far and wide in a viral way by e-mailers and bloggers.
Is the strategy now to ignore Farah?
Is the strategy to pretend WND doesn't exist?
Is the strategy to ignore the hard facts presented here about what Rick Warren said and did in Syria and hope the controversy blows over?
I've got news for you. It's not going to blow over. I won't let it.
I demand an apology from Rick Warren – not to me, for heaven's sake, but to Christians in Syria who choose to worship outside the state-approved churches he toured. I demand an apology to the Jews who suffer the humiliating life of dhimmitude in Syria today while Rick Warren tells the world they don't exist.
This is a world I know something about.
It was just about a year ago that my Jerusalem bureau chief, Aaron Klein, was prevented from entering Syria for one reason – he's Jewish!
Funny, I don't remember Rick Warren protesting that action – minor, really, compared to the indignities Jews in Syria live with daily, but well-publicized nonetheless.
Perhaps Rick Warren hasn't seen the Syrian TV show – a big hit in Damascus – that renews the blood libel direct from "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion," entertaining millions with a graphic story of a rabbi who slits the throat of a young Christian boy so he can use it to prepare the Passover motzah.
Perhaps Rick Warren hasn't noticed that the Syrian government has published an updated version of the "Protocols of the Elders of Zion," an anti-Semitic story that claims Jews run the world by proxy.
Perhaps Rick Warren is not aware of hundreds of years of genocidal pogroms that have taken place in Syria at the expense of the Jews.
But of course he must know about all these things, because he says he's an avid reader of my column and an expert on the Middle East because of his membership in the Council on Foreign Relations.
Rick Warren thinks it is commendable that Syria has opened its arms to Christians fleeing Iraq. What he doesn't know or doesn't say is that many of those Christians fleeing Iraq are fleeing bullets and bombs and terrorists that have entered Iraq through Syria. He also doesn't explain President Bashar Assad's penchant for keeping his friends close and his enemies closer.
I'm not going to let this matter slide. Not me. Not this Syrian-Lebanese-American Christian journalist. If Rick Warren thinks dialogue with everyone is so great – let the dialogue begin right here. The persecuted church in Syria can't speak for itself. But I will stand with them in answering Rick Warren's lies about their tormentors.
So...RW doesn't rightly handle the Word (your assessment), but his system/business model brings people in (your assessment)?
So...as people critical of the Purpose Driven model have been saying for years...the PD method is more important than the Biblical, Gospel Message.
The bigger problem (if it can get bigger than the above), in the Nazarene Church, is its embrace of other false teachers like Brian Mclaren and Leonard Sweet (and other Emergent Church/conversation gurus).
These false teachers and their teachings are so pervasive in the Church because the Church's universities are training in liberalism (a more mature world-view than just a Biblical world-view; the Bible is not inerrant; the Bible is not verbally inspired; the Bible is written, in part, by men and thus contains error; Genesis is based on near east mythology; Satan is not a real personality; Process Theology and Open Theism are viable theologies, etc., etc., and etc.).
I was given that book as a gift by a friend. I thanked her, but told her it was largely worthless. I added that the most important way to approach life was in the Bible.
She pretty secular as Christians go. The book sits, covered in dust, having never been read.
PDL certainly beats that other book.
The Bible.
Exactly.
What PDC has done to people is defined as "spiritual abuse". The next step known as "Transitioning" has also been a divisive method, and has destroyed many churches and leaderships.
I wouldn't sign the "pastor's vision" agreement/covenant that, in part, we would support shaping the Gospel to meet people's felt needs.
All of the other board members did...I walked.
There are some great Christian books out there and some Great Christian Authors but Mr Warren and his Platte River Gospel don't fit the "Great" mold at all
Interesting, seeing as how the Church of the Nazarene was founded in 1907 with the merger of three Wesleyan-Holiness denominations. The church has always been Arminian- Wesleyan - Holiness and as you know (or perhaps you don't)that is antithetical to the Calvanist doctrines of Predestination- Limited Atonement and Irresistable Grace.
So...as people critical of the Purpose Driven model have been saying for years...the PD method is more important than the Biblical, Gospel Message.
I don't know where these "critics" are coming from, but We (myself and my pastor)certainly don't consider the RW model to be even remotely as important as the Gospel message. C'mon, that's just ridiculous. It's just a tool and nothing more. Are having a Church building, Sunday school and a nursery for the little ones more important then the Gospel message!? I think all those traditional churches might be apostate, if that is the case.
Would you explain Transitioning? Or tell me where I can learn about it?
Speaking of the history of the COTN, were you aware that, in the 1920's, G. Orton Wiley was tasked with writing the church's statement on inspiration and that he wrote it, in the manner in which he did, with the purpose to leave "elbow room" for science and the like (I believe psychology was on the list along with some other items)...big mistake as it turns out!
I also have knowledge of the differences between Arminianism and Calvinism.
I don't understand why you see my conclusion as so unreasonable...
You stated that you, and your pastor, concluded that Rick Warren does not correctly handle the Word of Truth as required by 2 Tim. 2:15. This conclusion is made by the content of his materials....yet you use these materials for small groups and outreach.
So despite "horrible" hermeneutics, "lousy" preaching, being off the reservation politically (what does that say about the practical application of the Gospel message and Biblical doctrine in life) and an unlikeable message delivery..."we are using a lot of the PDL material."... because he teaches organization well, puts together a good outline/method for growing a church and getting more people committed to service in church.
Given your statements, it is not unreasonable to conclude that Warren's message isn't good but his method works for your desired purposes...pragmatism in practice.
...And since his methods work, the damage his sloppiness does to the Biblical message doesn't matter.
If you recognize the problems in his writings and messages and still use them, that is placing the method above the message.
By the way, it is also impossible to separate message and method.
Well now, here is the crux of the problem.
I never said that. You misunderstand.
"I'm sorry if I insinuated that you are a self righteous judgemental heretic."
I am shocked, shocked that you are so quick to judgement.
Yes, but the people have those 'itching ears' and don't like to hear the truth.
BTW, isn't that what got Christ crucified in the first place? Telling people who loved the lie what the truth really was?
Not much has changed, has it?
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