Posted on 12/03/2014 10:23:22 AM PST by NKP_Vet
In a new video, megachurch leader and author Rick Warren is calling for Christians to unite with Roman Catholics and “Pope Francis,” who Warren recently referred to as the “Holy Father”—a move that is raising concerns among Christians nationwide and is resulting in calls for Warren to repent.
Warren made the comments following his visit to the Vatican last month, where he spoke at an interfaith conference on the “Complementarity of Man and Woman.”
“We have far more in common than what divides us,” he said in the two-minute video released by the Catholic News Service on Wednesday, described as being an outline for “an ecumenical vision for Catholics and Protestants to work together to defend the sanctity of life, sex and marriage.”
“They would all say, ‘We believe in the Trinity; we believe in the Bible; we believe in the resurrection; we believe in salvation through Jesus Christ,” Warren asserted, speaking of the various denominations within Christianity, of which he included Roman Catholicism. “These are the big issues.”
The author of the bestselling book “The Purpose Driven Life” then sought to defend Catholics from those who take issue with the practice of seeking the intercession of Mary and the various deceased persons that have been sainted by the Vatican.
“Sometimes protestants think that Catholics worship Mary like she’s another god, but that’s not exactly Catholic doctrine,” Warren contended. “People say, ‘What are the saints all about? Why are you praying to the saints?’ And when you understand what they mean by what they’re saying, there’s a whole lot more commonality [that we have with Roman Catholics].”
“There’s still real differences—no doubt about that,” Warren stated. “But the most important thing is, if you love Jesus, we’re on the same team.”
He closed by speaking of his belief that Christians and Catholics serve as co-laborers for the cause of defending life and family.
“When it comes to the family, we are co-workers in the field in this for the protection of the sanctity of life, the sanctity of sex and the sanctity of marriage,” Warren said. “So, there’s a great commonality and there’s no division on any of those three.”
But Warren’s comments have raised concern from Christian leaders nationwide, who are now calling the Saddleback leader to repentance. Matt Slick of the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry (CARM) repudiated each of Warren’s points.
“Sure, there are Catholics who love the real Christ, the one who died on the cross for our sins. That is not the problem,” he said. “The problem is the Roman Catholic Church’s false teachings concerning Mary and salvation.”
“Rick Warren says both the Catholics and the Protestants believe in the Bible. But, there is a significant difference between the Bible of the Protestants and the Roman Catholic Church, which has added seven books,” Slick wrote. “[T]here are numerous problems in the apocryphal books, such as the teaching of salvation by works [and] the offering of money for the sins of the dead.”
“Warren implies that both Protestants and Catholics have the same view of salvation,” he continued. “Though it’s technically correct to say that Catholics believe in salvation through Jesus Christ, they reject justification by faith alone in Christ alone. Instead, it teaches that good works of various kinds are necessary for salvation.”
The Christian apologist then pointed to several Roman Catholic teachings on Mary, mainly from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), such as that Mary “by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation” and that “[b]y asking Mary to pray for us, we acknowledge ourselves to be poor sinners and we address ourselves to the ‘Mother of Mercy,’ the All-Holy One.”
“Rick Warren has not only failed to recognize the problems in these serious areas, but he has lent his credibility as a Protestant pastor in support of the Roman Catholic Church,” Slick wrote. “This should never be done by any Protestant pastor who takes the Bible seriously. I must conclude that Mr. Warren does not take the word of God seriously and/or he does not understand the damnable teachings of Roman Catholicism regarding salvation.”
“Rick Warren needs to repent,” he said.
He was a hyper conservative, legalistic something or other who had a university named after him...
Not to be confused with the Bob Jones associated with the apostolic movement who recently passed away.
No argument. I’m curious what you heard Billy Graham preach that was not of God. Seriously, do you remember what were any of the errors you heard? Or did someone just say that BG was wrong when you were younger?
Same here. Maybe the one I scorned in HS is here on FR today!
Like Louis Zamperini, the Olympian and WW2 prison camp survivor who died recently, subject of the book and impending movie Unbroken. He was a mess after the war, but then was converted at a Billy Graham Crusade and became a new man.
Bump for later
If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
1 John 4
Who shall judge? the Lord Jesus Christ.
When shall he judge? At his appearing.
2 Tim 4:11 was a good post.
It was mainly the item I noted in post 53. The denomination I was raised in believed baptism by immersion was a necessary part of being saved. They didn’t believe the sinner’s prayer was the Scriptural means of salvation. There were probably other things, but that was the main/big one.
We are all hell-bound, except for His Grace.
Love of a brother does not allow leaving the brother in error without trying to show the truth.
>>Who shall judge?<<
John 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
I can not tolerate Billy Graham ...He put priests on his podium and sent the altar call people back to Rome ... not to mention before the last election he took Mormonism of his “cult” list and he said they are Christians... compromise and political power mean more to Graham than the gospel
Note to Matt Slick of the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry (CARM): We Catholics didn’t ADD anything to the Bible. You guys CUT seven books out when you broke away from us, 1500 years after the establishment of what had been, until then, the ONLY Christian Church, the Roman Catholic Church.
That is your interpretation and I have heard it before, "the truth" who's truth? Who's interpretation of "the truth"? This is why the Lord has given us the Holy Spirit to teach us ALL truth, men make a mess of it and should keep their focus on the log in their own eyes.
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1 Cor 4:5 Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.
DO NOT !
Can it be more clear than DO NOT ? How more clear does the Lord have to make it? Do not judge, do not force your "truth" "your doctrine" .
Gal 5 ... the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
There is no I will judge you fruit, no I will show my truth fruit, no accusing our brothers fruit.
The Lord has not lost control/leadership of his church, he knows what to do and he is doing it. Wolves and goats are not his.
Did he say they were Christians?
Do you have a source?
I sure never heard of such a thing as you just claimed, and I have been around a long time and am from Texas which has it's share of Evangelicals.
Agreed.
Everything we do in this life requires that we make judgments about it. What is good for us and what is not. What is truth and what is falsehood. Who we associate with and why.
There is simply no way of avoiding making judgments of any kind.
Even your reaction to CB is judgment of him as being wrong. So you are, in effect, doing the very thing you are condemning him for.
We are told in Scripture to test the spirits to see if they are from God or not. That requires comparing them to the known truth standard of Scripture and making a determination of whether they match up or not.
We are to judge with righteous judgment, not unrighteous judgment. How else can we discern if someone is a false teacher or not?
1 Corinthians 5:13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
Please tell me how you would know which to "put away from among yourselves" if you didn't judge whether what they were doing or believing was according to scripture?
1 Corinthians 2:15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
1 Corinthians 6:2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
We are told to judge. If you didn't judge you wouldn't know which "religion" you associate with. How do you know that a religion other than the one you believe is wrong without judging?
Romans 12:9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
Please tell me how you know what is evil without some sort of judgment.
1 John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Please tell me how you "try the spirits" without correct understanding of what scripture says and make some sort of judgment.
James 5:19 My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
By your logic would you just allow that person to remain in error contrary to what scripture says to do?
I am just posting scriptures, let the Word of God judge us, I am not.
If I am not accurately interpretating those scriptures please show me where, they are very clear instructive scriptures to me. As in “do not” judge. The Lord is not double minded he would say “do not” unless he meant “do not.”
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