Looking Behind the 'Purpose Driven' Sheep's Clothing

Cybercast News Service ^ | December 29, 2006 | Christopher G. Adamo

[Calvinist_Dark_Lord]

And now, on an entirely non-satirical note, we live in interesting times. Interesting and terrifying times.

Christianity has been subverted from within.

Just as "the left" has subverted government from within -- and the "mainstream" churches -- it is now chipping away at the foundations of Biblical Christianity from within, having insinuated itself into positions of power and influence. And it is meeting with little resistance, and much success.

i see it a bit differently, and so do some others.

John McAuthur has referred to this as what he called "Fundamentalists who have accepted the Liberal Hermeneutic". i see it as far simpler than that.

i am a Presbyterian, a member of a small, conservative Presbyterian denomination. Many of our congregations and ministers came out of the apostate, liberal mainline denomination.

While our confession is conservative, and our ministers bible beleiving, they still tend to do business the same way they did when they were in that Mainline denomination.

The corruption and backroom deals remain.

The reason for this is that the church (pick a denomination) is insufficiently reformed. The Reformation of the church is supposed to be on-going and all pervasive.

There are several things that do not need to be reformed...even within Roman Catholicism there are creeds which were carried on into the Reformation. Those were good things that needed no reform.

The reformation needed is to realise that we can't continue to 'do business' as the corrupt denominations we left still conduct business. That process needs be reformed.

If it's not reformed, our "method" will result in the corruption and decay of our churches from the inside, because error begets error.

[Arizona Carolyn]

You've made some very good points, things I had not even considered. The implications of Warren and how the media and others are swarming to him like bees to a hive is disconcerting.

Warren, as well as a lot of the other "big church" preachers stike me as false prophets and intuitively someone to steer clear of... I watched Joel Olstein on Larry King over the holiday and the same thing, he may be a nice guy, but to have the following he does is a little scary to me. I guess I remember to well Jim and Tammy Baker.

[Calvinist_Dark_Lord]

In this particular case, the media was also fooled. Informatin was pretty hard to get, and it was days before the bodies were discovered. Remember, it was a pretty isolated place.

Lots of mischeif could have happened in that time interval.

If anything, any cover up would have been because Jones rubbed elbows with lots of important people, including Ruth Carter Stapleton, the Sister of President Carter, and a well known speaker in the Charismatic movement.

While Stapleton was certainly NOT involved with any wrongdoing connected with Jones and the People's Temple, her slight association with Jones would have caused the Carter Administration a great deal of grief that it did not need at that time...as the events of 1979 would certainly prove.

[Gamecock]

Interesting that you think expressing one's opinion about the tone of the comments here is considered to be "extremely judgemental", but so be it. I stand by my observation.

And how are your opinions benign, but our opinions judgemental?

[Arizona Carolyn]

I hadn't thought of that, but you make some excellent points there and heaven knows, Carter certainly had a lot of "friends" in that part of the world who with some quid-pro-quo would help him out.

and, yes, I do remember how desolate it was there.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

As to your last post to me, i suggest that you take up getting pinged to these threads with Dr. Eckleburg. i'm certain that you and the good Doctor can come to some sort of accomodation.

LOL. My New Year's resolution is to ping everyone I know until they agree with me.

Prepare to be pung into submission, you two. 8~)

[nmh]

You are soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

RIGHT!

It is a falling away. Ignorant people are falling all over themselves for it. Ministers are desperate to "save" people with a false Gospel. It's a slow seduction. They don't start out that way ... but slowly as the numbers climb for a shallow sermon and entertainment, their ego swells and the move further away from Biblical teachings since the audience prefers "fun", and relativism. They also don't want to offend anyone - all are happy!

[xzins]

Prepare to be pung into submission, you two. 8~)

Ping, pang, pung. Makes sense to me. :>)

But in a dualistic universe all one really needs to realize is the

Ping

and the

Pang

[Sue Perkick]

Rick Warren doesn't take a salary. After his book took off he went to Saddleback and asked them to calculate how much they had paid him since he worked there. When they gave him the figure, he wrote that amount back to the church. Rick Warren also tithes 90% to his church and does not take a salary.

Oh we KNOW! Warren tells us every chance he gets. He's not only a good steward, he's humble too!

[Sue Perkick]

Like worker bees, driven to a frenzy by pheromone signals, they will attack whatever they perceive as a "threat" to The Hive. No thinking involved, no need to understand, to comprehend... just a primal obedience to chemical signals.

That's about the best analogy I've heard. Beats anything I've ever seen.

[Xenalyte]

Tiger is something. Did you hear he's going to be a daddy?

Just heard that yesterday! With those genes, the cub will be the world's best-looking child.

[Not A Snowbird]

And how are your opinions benign, but our opinions judgemental?

I don't believe I used the word "judgemental" to describe anyone on this board. If I did, please point me to the post where I said it and I'll apologize.

[Gamecock]

790:Interesting that you think expressing one's opinion about the tone of the comments

Well excuse me. I base my wording based on definitions.

From Websters:

opin·ion
Pronunciation: &-'pin-y&n
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin opinion-, opinio, from opinari
1 a : a view, judgment, or appraisal formed in the mind about a particular matter

judg·ment
Variant(s): or judge·ment /'j&j-m&nt/
Function: noun
1 a : a formal utterance of an authoritative opinion b : an opinion so pronounced

[Not A Snowbird]

I'm not playing word games with you, Gamecock.

There is a difference between making a personal observation as to general tone and being personally accused of being "extremely judgemental". If you can't see it, I can't help you.

Last word is yours. Make it count.

[pby]

The method and the message are inseperable...They are the same thing.

Warren's method, according to The Purpose Driven Church, is to shape the gospel message according to people's felt needs (psycholigical needs=to feel important, to feel like you belong, etc.) , which Warren considers the key to their heart.

Of course this method/message is not the true gospel.

[Arizona Carolyn]

For sure.

[blue-duncan]

"There is such a thing as being "unequally yoked with unbelievers," and I do believe that Master Rick has mastered it."

When (point of time) were the disciples saved?

[pby]

Has Warren ever said that he tithes 90% to his church?

Or did he use some of the 90% to fund the PEACE Plan, his AIDS work and possibly another foundation?

And whatever happened to Matthew 6:1-4?

"Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men, to be seen by them...do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing..."

[pby]

The guy at A. Roger's old church...why?

He is just following the Purpose Driven method (as I understand the problems there)?

[blue-duncan]

"He is just following the Purpose Driven method (as I understand the problems there)?"

No, he is following his own method of implementing the "Purpose Driven Church" method. However his problem is more for ignoring indiscretions in his staff from what I read, and then covering it up.