Posted on 12/31/2006 8:41:18 AM PST by Gamecock
The facade is beginning to peel back from the so-called ministry of Southern California Pastor Rick Warren, author of "The Purpose Driven Church" and "The Purpose Driven Life." Unfortunately, many among his ample flock have far too much invested in him, both emotionally and otherwise, to admit their mistakes and cut their losses.
Moreover, he certainly faces no possibility of in-depth scrutiny from the "mainstream media," as his brand of "Christianity" poses little or no threat to their liberal social agenda. Yet to the degree that anyone at all questions Warren as anything less than authentic, his response is thoroughly telling as to his true character, as well as the nature of his "ministry."
Joseph Farah, editor-in-chief of the Internet news site, "World Net Daily," opened a can of worms by calling Warren to account over his fawning praise of the terrorist stronghold of Syria. While there, Warren lauded the brutish dictatorship as "peaceful," claiming that the Islamist government does not officially sanction "extremism of any kind."
When confronted by Farah, an American of Middle Eastern decent who knows too well the history of horror and tragedy faced by persecuted Christians in that region of the world, Warren immediately denied ever making such statements.
Subsequently, Farah offered as evidence a "YouTube" video from Saddleback Church, where Warren is pastor, inarguably proving Farah's statement. So Warren's church simply pulled the video from circulation and continued the denial, being unaware that a copy of the video file had been downloaded and is still in circulation. Warren's follow-up to this inconvenient circumstance is perhaps most telling of all.
In a concurrent set of moves, Warren sent a seemingly conciliatory e-mail to Farah while distributing another to his "flock," in which he characterized Farah's pursuit of the incident as nothing less than "doing Satan's job for him." Throughout this sorry episode, Farah's only error has been to suggest that Warren's disturbing behavior represents some new departure from consistency.
In fact, Warren is actually being entirely consistent. Whether his audience might be Farah himself, Syrian despot Bashar Assad or the Saddleback congregation, Warren tells each exactly what he believes they want to hear.
This pattern is the essence of what Warren is and what has made him so "successful" from a worldly perspective.
For those among his congregation who sincerely want to know the truth, the evidence is ample. Unfortunately, it always has been available, and any present "confusion" merely results from past decisions to ignore that evidence.
For example, his letter to the congregation decrying the "attack" and making his defense by invoking Scripture is barely four paragraphs long. Yet in those four paragraphs, he employs three different "translations" of the Bible. Why, it must be asked, does he not trust any single translation to convey God's message to humanity?
Could it be that he has his own message and agenda to advance, and that he has found it very convenient to utilize different wordings of different passages, not because they better convey God's purpose, but rather his own?
It would be better to ask, could his motivation possibly be anything else?
As Farah has refused to let this indefensible situation simply drop, Warren has responded by taking it to another realm, making personal attacks against Farah in an interview with the magazine, "Christianity Today." But once again, by so doing, Warren succeeds in revealing much more about himself than about his adversary.
Warren, who has not to date been known as any sort of standard bearer for Christian principle in the political arena, decries Farah (whose societal and moral views fall unambiguously on the right) and his ideological allies as part of a wrongful "political" encroachment on the faith.
In contrast, Warren's forays into the political realm prove, not surprisingly, to be decidedly leftist. At a recent conference on the African AIDS epidemic, Warren invited the very liberal Senator Barak Obama (D-Ill.) as a keynote speaker. He justified the inclusion of Obama, who avidly supports abortion and same-sex "marriage," on the grounds that Obama offered a worldly solution to ostensibly curb the spread of the disease through condom usage.
The morally ambiguous message conveyed by the advocacy of condoms, along with their inherent unreliability, make them nothing less than iconic to the abortion industry, which fully understands how much new business they generate. In the face of such pragmatism, one has to wonder what will be next. Perhaps Warren's church will sponsor a "designated driver's ministry" at every bar in its locale.
Appalling though Obama's inclusion in the conference may be, it is nonetheless entirely consistent with Warren's behavior from the beginning.
Leading a megachurch in the culturally disintegrating landscape of Southern California, Warren certainly knows that his prospects of maximizing the "flock" will be greatly enhanced as long as he shows proper deference to the real religion of the area, "political correctness."
In this, his Christian populism movement has proven to be far more palatable to the God-hating secularists of the surrounding communities than such stodgy, old-fashioned and "intolerant" notions as "Thou Shalt Not." And the Warren influence has been predictable wherever it can be found.
If other churches that abide in the Warren philosophy, such as Chicago's gargantuan "Willow Creek," were to truly uphold Christian values among their enormous congregations, they would certainly be a constant "thorn in the side" of their surrounding populace, acculturated into the modernism as those communities certainly are. Yet an amazing degree of compatibility and congeniality exists between the Warren Church model and the social structures of Chicago and Southern California.
The tradeoff between true Christian principle and acceptability to the locals is apparently worth the spiritual sacrifice it entails, with expanding parking lots, increasingly lavish facilities and, of course, fuller collection plates bearing witness. Meanwhile, such churches offer ever less of a worthwhile and much-needed alternative to the ailing world around them.
Ultimately, Warren gives conformist Christians, wearied from their ongoing battle with a world that is increasingly hostile to true Christian faith, an apparent "out" by offering a version that the modern world can find more acceptable while remaining in its present spiritual darkness.
Many among Warren's vast following have made the mistake, in light of his "purpose driven" ministering, of presuming, at the heart of the movement, a Christ-driven purpose. Yet as Warren's real character continues to be revealed, it is becoming apparent that members of that following are presuming too much.
(Christopher G. Adamo is a freelance writer and staff writer for the New Media Alliance. He lives in southeastern Wyoming and has been active in local and state politics for many years.)
"The main thing is that Brother Rick cares."
Yes, he "cares" about his bank account, er sorry cares about you and me! How sweet of him!
;)
Good night.
My former church played video clips, from secular movies, with swearing in them and the taking of the Lord's name in vain as sermon illustrations.
When the pastor was asked about it (it happened three or four times), he said that it was just a "mistake" and that he was going "to purchase a device that would bleep out any vulgarity".
Holiness unto the Lord!
But what do you expect from a guy who believes that the Bible contains error and contradictions?
He was also fond of using secular music in the service so that the unsaved could relate to the service better...It was called "worship evangelism" ("being all things to all men").
He loved Rick Warren, Bill Hybels and Ed Young Jr.
Hhmmmmmm
With all the gored oxen lying around . . . we have enough for a burnt sacrifice yet?
Good pt.
good pt
yup
But of course!
So by your logic if Hitler helped laden down with groceries all his evil acts can be over looked because he performed a nice act? Geesh!
We can't go mixing up "good" and "bad" and stuff like that. The important thing is to Look On the Brighter Side of Life! If he was there for someone when they needed help with the groceries, that shows that he wasn't completely evil. Let's focus on these good things, and not go looking for faults. Heck, we can always find fault if we go looking for it.
But we can also find GOOD if we look for it! For example, let's not forget that Mussolini made the trains run on time! And even Pol Pot... hmm, this is a toughie. Ah, got it! Pol Pot helped with the overpopulation problem! And he helped with fertilizing the soil in the countryside. That's good, isn't it?
See? There's alwayus something positive to focus on. So let's not go looking for negatives, cuz we can always find them too! But that's not edifying, is it. It doesn't make people feel good! It's not inspiring!
Instead of being such nitpicking faultfinding negative-thinkers, let's try to spend an hour or two a day looking for good in folks. Let's work on finding good in the folks that others have neglected.
I'll start with Idi Amin. He may have done some wrong things in his life (but who hasn't?) -- but you must admit that the man was a comedic genius! I mean, wearing all those medals that he "awarded" himself, what a character! He even wore the Victoria Cross! Now that shows genius and subtlety! Not only is it only awarded by the Queen of England, but, it's only awarded posthumously! What a corker!
See? There is ALWAYS something good to look at.
Now let's stop all this boring talk, and git down and PAR-TAY! It's Heavenly!
PS:
Please, let's avoid being judgemental, OK?
More importantly did he ever repent? Accept Christ? THAT would get my attention.
Hitler's religious state was a matter between him and his pastor. Maybe God too, if his Pastor OKs it. But it's none of our business. Our Purpose-Driven Purpose is to accept people with LOVE!
Yes! Yes! You've GOT it!
If only he had implemented the PD method....No jails, no riots, no beatings, no arrests.
And all that reasoning from the Scripture and call to repentance...That is just so first century!
Today's message needs more cultural relevance!
PAR-TAY on!
Viva la Revolucion! "Creative Destruction Theory!"
Leave the past in the past, and let's git it ON, Baby!
(Um, For The Lord, I mean. You know, stuff like that. OK?)
YEEEE-HAW!!
But, the Purpose-Driven Shepherd will help the wolf to embrace his wolfness, and then share his wolfness with the sheepness of the flock.
The Good Shepherd protects his flock from wolves (and the false sheperd lets the wolves in through the gate).
The Purpose-Driven Gospel is one of inclusion, not divisivness. We embrace the wolf with love, and teach him that it's OK to be who he is, what he was created to be.
And if somewhere along the lines, he messes up, and maybe eats a sheep or two, well, remember, NO ONE is perfect. We all make mistakes. How hypocritical it would be to focus in on the wolf's mistakes, when WE are not perfect either.
Hey, Dude...This IS fun!
Lighten up and put on your "Jesus is my Homeboy" shirt and get me another cup of vanilla latte...The movie (Disney's "Cars") is about to begin in the multi-purpose room!
I see...It is how he was SHAPEd!
Embrace the wolf...We wouldn't want to negatively impact his self esteem!
If we don't love the wolves, then who will?!
After class 101, 201, 301 and 401 in the coffee shop and bookstore, we need to add a wolf support group.
Yup, and aren't we lucky?
"The main thing is that Brother Rick cares."Yes, he "cares" about his bank account, er sorry cares about you and me! How sweet of him!
Just kidding. "Luck" has nothing to do with it. We're not "lucky", we'r'e fortunate! Yes, that's it, we're the fortunate ones!
So, as Saint Rudyard reminds us, Ours is Not to Question Why, Ours is Just to Do... well, I forget the rest, but I think he slips up around there and gets into some boring "doctrine" or whatever that stuff's called. But give him a break -- the Book of Kipling was written back in the OLD order, Before Rick!
But, as the Bible says, we need two witnesses, and Saint Hadith (PBUH) reminds us to Trust and Obey, for there's No Other Way -- than to OBEY our Reverend Minister!
Lay your brain at the Cross, as commanded by, um, tradition, or something like that. Mainly, though, there are just three simple rules: 1. TRUST! 2. OBEY! 3. PAR-TAY!
This is one great religion! Why didn't they tell us about it sooner? (Hey, don't Bogart that roach, dude! Um, I mean, "brother"!)
Hurry up, Don Joe...the conga line just left the coffe shop headed to the exercise center where the yoga class is meeting!
Sorry, but the "multi-purpose" room is currently, um, "occupied". That new "unmarried couple" that just joined up is celebrating their baptism. Show a little decency, will ya? They need their privacy! This is a church, after all!
Lighten up and put on your "Jesus is my Homeboy" shirt and get me another cup of vanilla latte...The movie (Disney's "Cars") is about to begin in the multi-purpose room!
How insensitive of me!
And this is the second time I have been yelled at on the way to the family life center.
I took the conga line by the womens lounge where the MOPS group was practicing their silence, breathing techniques and Jesuit prayer exercises with Sister Mary Margaret.
Apparently, the LETS GET THE PAR-TAY started music startled some women channelling their spirit guide. One spilled her fruit juice on her Sue Monk Kidd book and another on her copy of the Message.
Yup, the "TOP" Program -- The Three Rules of Purposity.
Hurry up, Don Joe...the conga line just left the coffe shop headed to the exercise center where the yoga class is meeting!
I'll meet up after they finish with the tattoo job and pierce-work on my... um... well, you know. Down there. (giggle)
(Or, better yet, the PartyTime MultiPurpose Meditation Room BibleBook, with ultra-soft two-ply tear-away pages?)
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