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.)
Appy, straining at gnats and swallowing camels on this issue is nonsense.
It's not an EITHER OR thing.
HOLY SPIRIT IS WELL ABLE TO MAKE ALL OF US MOST EXCRUCIATINGLY UNCOMFORTABLE AT HIS WILL OVER ANY SPIRITUAL ISSUE, PRINCIPLE, BEHAVIOR, THOUGHT, WORD, DEED.
GETTING FOLKS CONNECTED ENOUGH TO GOD BY HIS SPIRIT THAT THEY
CAN
AND
WILL
listen . . .
REALLY LISTEN . . .
is much more of a love process than it is a beat-about-the-head-and-shoulders-with-big-Bible-and-large-cross process.
Sounds like y'all are exhorting that we have to rush out and take all the abused foster kids and rush them off to this church camp where we strip them down and flog them for good measure first off.
Then we feed them some cold gruel and bread and maybe a bit of grapefruit juice and run them around the track until they drop.
Then we have them clean out the latrines.
Then we have them hoe the blackberries.
Then we have the slop the hogs.
Then we give them a 3 hour lecture about how all our activities so far have been great acts of love in their best interests.
And then we wonder why the spit at us and curse us.
Appy, it's not that difficult.
Sorry, it was WWII. And the info is in the cover pages of my copy. My copy is stored away for now. Winston Churchill asked Lewis to write something to boost moral.
Thank you for the correction. "Mere Christianity" is also a favorite.
Jo
I agree with you entirely.
Maybe I should go in for a check-up?
What you win them with
Is what you win them to
That is true.
But, does that mean that we should just sit back and ignore it?
What you win them with
Is what you win them to
= = = =
When Holy Spirit woos them to God with God's Love
Then they are hooked up to God by HIS LOVE.
THEN THEY OBEY HIM OUT OF LOVE--WHICH IS BY FAR HIS PREFERENCE.
It is interesting to note that you really don't see Franklin Graham (now there's a guy that gets the Gospel out) aligning himself with Rick Warren.
= = = =
I suppose it depends on one's definition of align.
But the above assertion is as untrue as folks are accusing RW being about Syria, imho.
The following is from an inside source trusted by and known to me:
". . . and said Franklin Graham has not aligned himself with Saddleback. I know for a fact that Franklin is very close to RW, has preached at least twice at Saddleback (I met him in person one time), and we collect more Christma shoeboxes for his Samaritan's Purse than any other church in the world. Things get so twisted around by Satan and it is sad to see brothers and sisters in Christ being used by the Deceiver. "
Sheesh.
But, does that mean that we should just sit back and ignore it?
= = =
Of course not.
But blowing things gallactically out of proportion; turning things inside/out and upside down; distorting truth and facts to unrecognizable states; majoring in minors and minoring in majors . . .
Isn't exactly Biblical and helpful either.
I'm not interested intemporal standards.
I'm interested in hooking folks up with Jesus.
And so is RW.
These are the people that diminish the work of the Cross and take away from the Gospel."
Read and learn. It does more than just mention salvation, it lays it out plain and clear. This is the work of the Cross and His gospel.
From Saddlebacks website
What we believe
ABOUT GOD
God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God.
Genesis 1:1,26,27; 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14
ABOUT MAN
Man is made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character. He is the supreme object of God´s creation. Although man has tremendous potential for good, he is marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called "sin". This attitude separates man from God.
Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a; Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:1,2
ABOUT ETERNITY
Man was created to exist forever. He will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or in union with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally in union with Him is eternal life. Heaven and Hell are places of eternal existence.
John 3:16; John 2:25; John 5:11-13; Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:15; 1 John 5:11-12; Matthew 25:31-46
ABOUT JESUS CHRIST
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all men by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven´s glory and will return again to earth to reign as King of kings, and Lord of lords.
Matthew 1:22,23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5, 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14,15; 1 Corinthians 15:3,4; Romans 1:3,4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 6:14,15; Titus 2:13
ABOUT SALVATION
Salvation is a gift from God to man. Man can never make up for his sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God´s offer of forgiveness can man be saved from sin´s penalty. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith.
Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8,9; John 14:6, 1:12; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26; Romans 5:1
ABOUT ETERNAL SECURITY
Because God gives man eternal life through Jesus Christ, the believer is secure in salvation for eternity. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian. It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives this security.
John 10:29; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 7:25; 10:10,14; 1 Peter 1:3-5
ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son as God. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. The Christian seeks to live under His control daily.
2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13, 14:16,17; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 5:1
ABOUT THE BIBLE
The Bible is God´s word to all men. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. Because it is inspired by God, it is truth without any mixture of error.
2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20,21; 2 Timothy 1:13; Psalm 119:105,160, 12:6; Proverbs 30:5)
RW is interested in hooking people up with the CHURCH. His whole philosophy is to remove obstacles to people coming to the church. Warren says he wants to meet peoples' NEEDS.
Remember, Jesus turned people away.
RW is interested in hooking people up with the CHURCH. His whole philosophy is to remove obstacles to people coming to the church. Warren says he wants to meet peoples' NEEDS.
Remember, Jesus turned people away.
= = = =
I disagree about what RW's desire is. The church is merely a potent, effective, nuturing, supportive means to hook people up to AND MATURE THEM IN CHRIST. I think any other allegation about him on that score is overhwlemingly false. Certainly God knows his heart. But people who work around him say the same thing. I'll take their word over distant rock throwing Jr Accusers, most any day.
SOMETIMES Jesus turned people away.
But when the disciples ENCOURAGED HIM TO TURN THE PEOPLE AWAY TO GET FOOD, He fed the 5,000+ women and children.
HE PERSISTENTLY MET FOLKS' NEEDS FIRST.
FIRST, APPY,
FIRST.
THAT WAS JESUS' NEW TESTAMENT PATTERN. RW could do worse than follow Jesus' pattern.
Jesus turned no one away. There are some who turned away when Jesus told them what was required to follow Him.
Maybe you could give some examples of these people who Jesus turned away.
Nonsense
Luk 12:13-15 KJV (13) And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. (14) And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? (15) And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
Mat 13:57-58 KJV (57) And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house. (58) And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
There is no evidence he healed more than just the blind man sitting by the pool at Bethesda. Not to mention the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Jesus healed people so that God might be glorified, not to merely make people temporarily happy.
He already has...people are ignoring it, though (worse yet...defending it).
How could you not?
How is Warren's going to the synagogue and teaching Synagogue 3000 how to increase their attendance via Purpose Driven methods not taking away from the Gospel?
How could a "pastor" teach a Christ-less message to a group that so needs the Savior?
Even some Synagogue 3000 members commented on Warren's language gymnastics in avoiding Christ.
If you care about winning the lost, then how do you explain Warren's teaching the lost to increase in their numbers?
Really...Is this what Scripture says?
So you have moved from the Meet the Press interview, that you alleged gave no reason for concern (but it should have), to Saddleback's belief statement...(always having to move the goalposts).
This guy wasn't the lead character in "A Fool and his Money", was he?
"...and all who were appointed for eternal life believed." (Acts 13:48)
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