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.)
Here's the audio. Scroll about halfway down.
Terriergal, do you have a link to the video?
Oh? Is that a fact? Would a Berean cancel weekly worship just because Christmas was on a Sunday?
BTW, I have visited Rick Wyble's Willow Creek and found it to be far from "Seeker Friendly".
From the above cited link:
"It's more than being family friendly. It's being lifestyle-friendly for people who are just very, very busy," said Cally Parkinson, spokesperson for Willow Creek, to the Associated Press. Some "lifestyle-friendly" adjustments include bunching up the services on Christmas Eve....
People who are just very, very busy? Too busy to worship Christ? I'm glad Christ wasn't so "busy" that he had the time to life a life of perfection and die on the cross for my sins.
Are you saying "life-style friendly" model at Willow Creek is somehow superior to "seeker friendly"?
One thing that concerned me about RW was the use
of SO many translations in his book PDL. It was like he was
attempting to make the Bible say what he wanted it
to say at the time.
With a lot of money at his disposal, I'll betcha five of mine that he is up to something.
So if you actually read the book, and compared it to Scripture, and actually noticed who Warren quotes in his book and saw absolutely nothing wrong with it, you have a serious problem with discernment. You have answered my earlier question, no further discussion required.
You are extremely naive and ignorant if you really believe this. My discussion with you is a waste of time. Happy New Year, and I hope you find the truth eventually.
More Willow Creek shenanigans.
Amazing what people are allowing to pass for Christianity these days. Let's mold the church to fit our needs & work with our schedule. Afterall we're all so busy. I mean we have LIVES for cryin' out loud.
By jove I think you've got it!
Seriously I am glad more people are seeing through it and willing to speak up.
I think Hybe has a real heart for Jesus and for the lost.
THX.
The religious leaders of Jesus dusty pathed days crucified Him.
He'd likely fare no better today--even here on FR. He'd not be narrow, rigid, prissy, exclusive, punitively pontifical, haughty, self-righteous . . . . sufficiently . . . to be considered ONE OF THE RIGHTEOUS.
At best, He'd be suspect.
It's such a refreshing blessing that some dear folks like you, Dear Heart, know me and know my heart well.
THANKS more than words can say.
LUB,
BLPH,
AMEN!
RM, Would it be possible to have a month's FAST from RICK WARREN/JOEL OLSTEEN BASHING THREADS?
I think it would be a great way to start the New Year.
Perhaps others who might agree could express their yea for the idea?
PAISE GOD!
Not surprised.
It is highly likely that I'be been greatly more burned by my mistakes than you have by yours.
Time and The Lord will reveal on this issue.
Thanks for your compassion for my learning. i think.
No promises.
Discussing the issues with you has never been fruitful for The Kingdom, in my assessment. And, it gets to close to Paul's prohibitions on such.
Thanks anyway.
Nevertheless, God Almighty also expects you to be truthful about a fellow Christian and FREEPER.
Welllll, we all know Salvation is via CHURCHIANITY.
How foolish for folks to avoid kowtowing to CHURCHIANITY.
I'll betcha five of mine that he is up to something.
= = =
He is. Tremendous good for the Body of Christ and evidently the world.
Thankfully, Mary, He that is in us is greater than he that is in the world.
I've consistently found your discernment way above average.
Praise God for that.
The Lord's Truth in the matter will eventually be reveald even to the blind, deaf and dumb.
We shall see who falls on which sides of which lines on such scores.
I really was undecided about him but
after he invited Obama into his pulpit that was
all I needed to know and it wasn't good.
__________________________
Ditto.
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