You do know that Warren doesn't keep any of the royalties from his book don't you? He gives it all back to his church, and other philanthropies. Warren is NOT a con man. He may not be your cup of tea; he certainly isn't mine (I am a rather decided skeptic - it was the way I was brought up and suits my "nature" to boot). There isn't much of the live and let live spirit suffusing this thread. Sad really. We all different, have different backgrounds, and different ways of worhsip or no worship suit different individuals. Who are we to criticize and put down?
Have you ever met even one person who was half as morally superior as yourslf?
You said -- "Who are we to criticize and put down?"
Well, when it comes to the issue of salvation and the diluting of that, to the point where many take salvation to mean -- following the book that Warren wrote -- then we must criticize.
I have read (from others who have "been there") that in some of these groups where they are doing a Bible study group using Warren's book, they are discouraged from using the Bible, in examining some of the things in the book and are told to not even bring the Bible to these "Bible studies" (or should I call them "Warren studies..."?).
There's something wrong when that kind of things happens.
So, "who are we to criticize and put down?" -- we (the ones whom He has saved) are the church and must be a "workman approved"...
2 Timothy 2:15
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Regards,
Star Traveler
"He gives it all back to his church, and other philanthropies."
If he puts the money back into his own church, then it benefits him.. As for "other philanthropies," good for him (depending on what those are and how much he spends on them).
Look, I'm not saying the guy is evil incarnate. I'm just saying that he's selling something, and that salvation is not something to be multi-level marketed like toothpaste or deodorant. (You do know that Warren trademarked Purpose-Driven®, don't you?)
Warren supposedly gives away 90% of his income to charities -- but many of those charities are controlled by his organization. Hmmm. Still, to the extent that Warren is doing genuine works of charity, I salute him. But as a Christian minister he's a con man -- he's peddling his own formula instead of the pure stuff Our Lord gave to St. Peter. His "purposes" are at odds with the Sacraments that Christ gave the Church, and his franchising of his "worship concept" to other congregations is more like Amway than the Apostles.
Christ instituted one Church. To the extent that Warren (or anybody else) is in communion with that Church, I support them. But Rick Warren is not the Pope, and does not infallibly proclaim the teachings of Jesus Christ as the Pope does. Therefore, I'll have to take a pass on 'the purpose-driven" doctrine.
Exactly. God in Hebrews tells us NOT to criticize or speak out against a brother. Yes, if a brother that we know is in sin, you need to speak directly to him, but to sit around and judge this man or any other Christian is a real no-no in God's eyes and the persons doing it may end up being judged by God. Thanks but no thanks. I've done enough of that in my life and since reading that scripture, I am trying very hard NOT to do that. We need to be careful about such matters.