“If you believe that you don’t know the first thing about historic Protestantism.”
The first thing to know about “historic Protestantism” is that it isn’t very historic.
“He’s not protesting anything because he agrees with the core free-will theology of Rome.”
Many Protestants believe in free-will. Being a Protestant who believes in free will does not make you unProtestant. It just makes you a particular kind of Protestant. These Protestants are just as undeniably Protestant as any other Protestant: http://nafwb.org/
“Historic Protestants do not believe that theology.”
Again, the first thing to know about “Historic Protestants” is that they aren’t very historic.
“Protestants believe Rome is apostate whereas Rick believes Roman Catholicism is simply another expression of Christianity.”
What Protestants believe about a city is immaterial. What Warren believes about “Roman Catholicism” is essentially immaterial as well.
“Rick has vocally championed at least one book about “coming home” to Rome.”
A number of Protestants have lauded Catholic books (such as Pope Benedict’s series on Jesus) so, again, that is immaterial.
“The list of differences between Rick and historic Protestants is L O N G.”
Again, the first thing to know about “historic Protestants” is that they aren’t very historic.
Warren is nothing other than a Protestant who upsets many other Protestants just like Joel Osteen does. At the same time, many other Protestants were disgusted by Jimmy Swaggart or Fred Phelps when he was alive and kicking. Protestants is an enormous spectrum of error. It should not surprise anyone that Protestants on one spectrum are offended or outraged by someone on another end of the spectrum. All that being said, however, it cannot be logically denied that Protestantism exists, covers a huge spectrum of error and that Rick Warren is a Protestant.
Whatever. I don’t feel like debating it. We will never agree.
Botton line for me: Rick Warren lining up to kiss the pope’s toe is disgraceful, but since he’s never been a true Protestant in the historic sense of that term, hardly surprising.