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.
I don't suppose I should be still shocked at the venom "in the name of God" . . . but I still am.
As Pastor says . . . God must wish He'd redeemed monkies.
Don't tell me truth that I don't want to hear lest I label it 'venom' in favor of more appealing words.
This is the foundation of the 'itching ears' gospel.
Haven't noticed a lot of TRUTH against JW.
In any case, God will be the judge of him and all of us
AND
of what was true and not true that we shared out of our biases, pride, attitudes, stubbornness, vanity, or whatever else.
I notice that you left out the Scriptures...again.
The pharisees had the Scriptures memorized.
Jesus was underwhelmed, unimpressed, unmoved by their quoting of same.
I feel similarly on this thread.
The Pharisees distorted the Scriptures to enhance their own power and prestige.
Matthew 23:25, "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence."
Jesus called them snakes and vipers.
Matthew 23:33, "You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?"
I feel similarly on this thread.
You don't know me at all, Dan. So I'm not taking your unkind remarks seriously.
Dan,
I know Mary very well and your comments are presumptuous and judgemental. You should repent of your smarmy self righteous attitude because your discernment is wrong.
Thanks, Quix. I come from a charismatic, spirit-filled perspective, not a fundamental christian one. I've been there and done that, having been saved in a Baptist church where I attended a few years. I learned much there but the Holy Spirit was not allowed to operate. I belong to a Church where the Word is preached and the Holy Spirit is allowed to function. I am grateful to Joel Osteen's ministry because my son and his wife watched him often and came back to church because of it. His sermons have blessed me. I'm not saying he's perfect (because he's human) but he has a good heart and I believe he's pretty sound.
Much agree. thanks.
Glad your discernment is sharp and fitting!
Thanks, DV. I appreciate your confidence. Folks like you and Quix and other Christian friends are one reason I stay on FR. Bless you. Mxxx
Well, you have my e-mail address, so any time you want to 'talk' you know where to find me. Have a wonderful Christmas season. Love, Mxxx
Thanks for this. I do truly hope that people are starting to see this wolf in the fold for what he is. Theological brother to Jim Wallis and Robert Schuller.
Hang in there Dan... you're on track.
I'll bet Jesus did too.
Mary, I think Joel is probably a nice guy. Too bad the Christian life isn't about 'niceness' on the outside. Being a preacher is about preaching the truth of the gospel (not the way to have a more happy life, which may or may NOT come with true salvation - case in point muslims who convert to Christ and are then sentenced to death) in season and out of season, and not just giving people what attracts the biggest crowd.
Narrow is the way, and few there be that find it. Jesus said that, and no preacher can change what he has said to be true, no matter how big a crowd he gathers.
BTW, much of the Word-faith/spirit-filled movement is devoid of the spirit also, and just as controlling and oppressive as the 'spiritually dead' churches they lambaste.
He always uses scripture verses in his sermons and has a salvation call at the end of every program. He may not be a fire and brimstone kind of preacher, but we have lots of those. He has his place in the body of Christ. I admire his firm stand where it comes to family life, etc. He gets it.
As The Living Word
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