They all claim to be "Christians" but what they advocate (verbal) and how they lead their lives (actions) ... leaves one wondering. The same is going on here with Rick Warren. RW has ISSUES and his Scripture twist isn't "good news".
During 40 days I remember seeing and hearing Rick Warren on tape talking about the different versions he used. It seemed he was a little concerned with it but I cannot remember his exact justification. Rick Warren has little to offer me, but obviously, from what I've seen with my own eyes, has something to offer others. His book helped lead my nephew to Christ and I can't condemn Warren for writing in a style that reached my nephew.
Isn't that special!
Rick Warren has little to offer me, but obviously, from what I've seen with my own eyes, has something to offer others. His book helped lead my nephew to Christ and I can't condemn Warren for writing in a style that reached my nephew.
Let's see now...
I became a Christian, back in the late '60s, after listening to a guy who was 1) involved with the "Urantia Foundation" cult (and a wilder bunch of madness you are not apt to find this side of The Pit), 2) flipped out on LSD, 3) convinced that women do not have souls, and 4) arrogant, domineering, short-tempered, 5) of the belief that "communion" was God's design for "getting high" (drunk). (And finally, the "foundation" of his "faith" was that, as he put it, Christianity was "the religion of this country", and since he was an American, it only made sense for him to be a Christian.)
Suffice it to say that I, born Jewish, did not exactly warm up to his, ahem, "message" -- and, it was obvious to me that a great deal of what he was saying was total rubbish.
Yet, by the same token, I cannot deny that except for the exposure I had to the Gospel -- provided (tangentially, at least) -- by this guy, I would not have become a Christian.
He didn't lead me to any altar, LOL! But, I did at one point reach over, take his "New English Bible" off his lap, and begin reading it, and that was the beginning of MY new beginning.
So, by the logic presented in your post, I guess we must assume that my old friend (whom I've lost contact with since around 1970), is "A Man of God", and that his "ministry" is to be respected, admired, and looked up to.
I don't think so.
If God can speak through Balaam'a ass, then I think we can safely say that the medium is NOT the message!
(Otherwise, we'd have to respect every radio that we used to hear someone preaching the Gospel. "How dare you speak ill of my Grundig! Do you want God to smite you?" LOL!)