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.
"speak" not "preach" Technicality. I know. But Warren denied inviting him to "preach".
Maybe that 20,000 guy dunked in the water will get to hear a pro-abort speak from Rick's pulpit, heah? Sounds like a lot of cleansing going on...
Not mine either, Jan. I sent out info on Warren to a preacher friend of mine who had just received a denial letter from Warren. Warren blamed bloggers for "doing Satan's work" in attacking him - when in reality, it was the Chicago Tribune that reported his invitation to Obama. He said also that bloggers had used a Syrian news release to condemn him, but Farah has him on audio saying the very things the Syrian agency purported. (Syrians said he said more, but who can believe Warren now when he says he didn't?)
Preaching or teaching or even sharing the pews, a pastor should never give credibility to an unrepentent, spiritually blind wolf like Obama. His mere presence as a speaker at one of his church programs, invites leftist- leaning congregants to stall off on changing their ways and repenting. Having Obama speak at any Christian church is a spirtually sick thing to do--the act of a hireling.
It would appear that Warren is a flat out liar.
I know very little about Mr. Warren. I have been busy since 9/11 trying to learn all I can about islam and what, as a Christian, I am to do about it!
I saw him interviewed on Fox quite some time ago and he seemed like a good guy and I didn't really pay much attention to him.
The other day I heard about his connection with Obama and a light went off...just like it did with me for Oprah several years ago. He is the tool the DemocRats will use to get the 'religious' vote. It's political, no doubt in my mind. He is a very dangerous man. He teaches just enough truth, but in the end...
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires;
and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths.
2 Timothy 4:3-4
I will do some reading this week so I can be more informed about Mr. Warren, but I doubt my opinion will change.
I never could get past the eye-batting thing that Osteen does.
The only people I ever knew who did that didn't believe what they were saying...
20,000 baptisms is NOT fruit?
Clearly some definitions need a more Biblical adjustment.
Denial is not a river in Egypt.
Please avoid allowing the crows, ravens, briars, etc. of the enemy robbing whatever good may have resulted from your study and experience.
Satan hates effective believers. And he's very good at getting them assaulted by other believers.
I'm not happy with what I observe from a distance with RW and Syria, Obammamama, CFR, etc. But I trust his heart a lot more than I trust the assaults and the attitude and spirit they seem to come from.
God sent Daniel into many figurative and a literal lion's den for HIS PURPOSES. God alone is in a position to judge RW.
His fruit is quite significant enough, to me.
2 Samuel 24:1,
Again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, "Go and take a census of Israel and Judah."
Maybe...maybe not. But I'm beginning to see more and more clearly that he's a little light in brain capacity.
Really...I think he's a dumb person.
At least he's not light in the loafers.
Recent events have shown that high level christian leaders are not exempt from that particular problem!
Unfortunately, it's the low-level christian leader-worshippers who continue to foster the problem.
Matthew 20:25-26,
"Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant..."
Hogwash.
Presidents and others . . . including supposedly brilliant Henry Kisssaaarrrrrsssssenger are guilty of doing stupid things.
Many brilliant people do many stupid things.
It's called being human.
Ahhhhh . . . . what a bald faced brazen off the wall out rageous assumption.
His book is quite shallow.
I just don't think he has too many brains.
Thanks for the ping!
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