Posted on 11/16/2006 5:33:58 AM PST by Mr. Brightside
WASHINGTON -- Like many fellow Democratic politicians, Sen. Barack Obama is no stranger to the pulpit.
But in December, Obama will go where few progressive Democrats usually venture--to a large, conservative evangelical church that boasts a Sunday attendance of more than 20,000 people.
Even more unusual is that he'll attend at the invitation of megachurch Pastor Rick Warren, evangelical icon and author of the popular Christian book "The Purpose-Driven Life."
Aides to Obama say he will appear at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., on Dec. 1, World AIDS Day.
"Sen. Obama has a deep respect for Mr. Warren's commitment to fighting AIDS and poverty," said Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor.
While he was working on his latest book, "The Audacity of Hope," Obama asked Warren to help by reading one of his draft chapters. Warren issued the invitation to Obama to speak at the church next month.
The messages that Friday will focus on AIDS and HIV, a key area of ministry for Saddleback Church. While many conservative Christians have shied away from AIDS because of their discomfort with its connections to premarital sex and homosexuality, Warren and his wife, church co-founder Kay Warren, have been vocal advocates for patients living with the disease.
Shortly before the release of his latest book, Obama issued a call to progressives to shed bias against religious people and to recognize "overlapping values."
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
See?!
Barack Obama IS the antichrist.
You described Warren and his Laodicean Lemmings to a T.
And they'll move on to a real church as the Holy Spirit leads them.
The next mega church I see that actually seems to be submitted to God's Word will be the first one.
Anything larger than 2,000 adults in the congregation is not going to have much theological depth, fellowship, accountability, or strong preaching associated with it. Strong churches raise up leaders that can be senior pastors in their own right and birth more churches.
A not for profit corporation that collects donations once a week from the most people that they can cram into the doors to watch some flim flammery after latte-ing up at the coffee bar can be many things. But not a church.
I've always wondered what's up with Obama's profoundly discolored lips. Heart troubles? Blue Baby?
"I've completely lost all respect for Warren!"
Never had any to begin with. Heard him speak once and that was enough.
The emergent church detector just went off!
Kay Warren said that she was nervous at first, due to Shuller's lack of orthodoxy, but that they were won over by Shuller. The rest is history.
Even early on, Warren was associating with less than orthodox folks (false teachers).
I've defended Warren in issues of faith in the past. However, I think he's wrong for siding with the global warming folks because the science is not yet there. (Although bible prophecy is with him on an eventual "warming." Yes, I'm prepared for another premill diatribe....:>)
I don't think a pastor should intentionally inject politics into the pulpit, BECAUSE I believe the pastor should be methodically dealing with the Bible. If he can come up with "Barak Obama says" from a passage about getting a coin out of a fish's mouth, then he's got "insight" that I'm just not sourced to receive.
I believe he's toadying, but I can't yet prove it.
When Adrian Rogers was pastor at the 30,000 member church in Memphis, Tenn. it was totally submitted to the Word of God.
More proof that politics and church do not belong together.
People of faith should vote according to their conscience, but churches shouldn't be about politics and that applies even when they are on our side. It is a recipe for trouble, and too often gets in the way of The Message.
this emergent church is really pissing me off cause churches like mine that I have grown up in and loved is now very involved in it. Heck our own music minister who was once a good strong conservative evangelical has turned totally liberal!
Actually, no. I'm friendly to some of the concerns of the emergent church (such that our "christianese" gets in the way), I'm still too into Historical Theology to be considered "emergent." I'm not aware of very many Emergents who are Magisterial Protestants.
Ok...forgetting the entire Christianity angle here...Are you kidding me? There is something I NEVER thought I would see on this site. An open endorsement of Barack Obama.
I am honestly shocked.
The SBC is full of Warren types and wannabees...They won't do anything about it.
If they did, they would have to address several top names (maybe Ed Young Jr., Andy Stanley, and the like).
Unfortunately, faith and politics have been inextricably linked for as long as I have been alive. To untangle it would require active work to extricate the Church from the Republican agenda.
Admittedly, in the 6 years since I joined here, I have moved a little towards the center - and the Republicans have lurched to the hard right. I cannot endorse Obama at this time, but I am intrigued by what I see.
I never siad he wasn't, I was just hoping you had evidence! :-)
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