Replies

I lived in Mission Viejo, when Warren started his church. Originally, most of the members were former members of other protestant churches in the area, looking for something more from a church than what they were getting from the mainstream churches in the area. The Presbyterian church had just voted to ordain women, and a whole lot of member left over that. The Lutheran church's pastor ran the service like a game show host, and the Methodist church was more of a women's social club than a church. Warren offered something different, or at least he seemed to be more fundamentalist than the others. I remember members of his church who wouldn't let their kids listen to rock music or play with He-man figures, because of their religious beliefs. I mean this church (the members, not the pastor) was strictly Bible believing.

But...I never bought into his act. His service was just another one of those pastor-centered, not God centered, shows that are put on every Sunday around the country. I think that he envisioned himself as in competition with Schuler.

How can it be so difficult for a group of Christians to gather together a few times a week and have song and Bible reading/study, sweet, simple - like it used to be. How many sad, lonely, broken hearts there must be, people who want so badly to be with others but with all the dysfunction in churches and the leadership, who can blame them for staying away. Would almost be better if one had been locked up in a cave the last 30 years then to have to live through the circus that has been going on and all the psycho mumbo gumbo. So ironic that this nation has come to such a pinnacle of freedom and wealth, yet both our churches and homes look like unimaginable dysfunctional jokes/parodies. Love is suppose to be sincere and authentic, with out wax, not pretend - but the way folks are lead to believe they should act and carry themselves off in the church is so phoney, unreal. The circus conductors (pastors) train up their congregations to be circus ponies, doing tricks for the unconverted to bring them and their money in, push them till they break their backs and their hearts.

Then again, a good majority actually crave and seek out this superficial road show. They've been nurtured on it, addicted to the excitement of it like boose and drugs, they would be bored without it. The real thing may have come along once or twice and they rejected it for it'simplicity and plainness.