“God won’t ask about your
religious background or doctrinal views. The only thing that will
matter is, did you accept what Jesus did for you and did you learn to love and
trust him?” (Warren:
34)
The last thing many believers
need today is to go back to another bible study. They already know far more
than they are putting into practice. (Warren:
231)
First Read:
ECUMENICAL RICK WARREN’S PURPOSE DRIVEN HERESY INVADES ST. FRANCIS CHAPEL MAKERERE UNIVERSITY
RICK WARREN'S PURPOSE DRIVEN LIES EXPOSED
Rick Warren marks 10th anniversary of "Purpose Driven Life," says Christian faith will go on another 2,000 years
http://www.al.com/living/index.ssf/2012/11/rick_warren_marks_10th_anniver.html
By
on November 27, 2012 at 12:41 PM,
updated November 27, 2012 at 12:44 PM
The Rev. Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in California, appeared on "CBS This Morning" today to mark the 10th anniversary of the release of his book, "The Purpose Driven Life," which has sold 60 million copies.Warren discussed the re-release of the book with co-hosts Charlie Rose and Norah O'Donnell, who asked him about whether he opposed President Obama, his stance on same-sex marriage, his church's weight-loss program and whether church attendance is declining.
"This week more people will go to church on one weekend than attend all professional sporting events in one year," Warren said. "Let’s put that in perspective. "More people will go to a synagogue, a cathedral, a temple, or a church, on one weekend, than go to all professional sports in an entire year."
Warren also said media reports exaggerate when they claim a decline in Christian faith.
"Nine months ago, Newsweek had a cover, 'The Decline and Fall of Christian America.' In December, Newsweek declines and falls. Christianity’s going to go on for another 2,000 years. So, these predictions of the church’s demise are highly exaggerated. Kingdoms come and go. I mean, where’s the Syrian empire? Where’s the Nazi regime? Those things come and go."
Warren said he started a weight-loss program at Saddleback, in Lake Forest, Calif.
"I’ve lost 50 pounds; I’ve got about 40 more to go," he said. "I was baptizing 876 people. Along about number 500, I had a not very spiritual thought. I thought, 'We’re all overweight.' The next Sunday I got up, I said, 'Folks, I can’t ask you to get in shape unless I do. I’ve only gained 2 or 3 pounds a year. But I’ve been your pastor 32 years. I need to lose 90 pounds.' I brought in 3 doctors. We started a thing called the Daniel Plan. In the last year, our church has lost 267,000 pounds."
Here are excerpts of the transcript from CBS:
ROSE: On Nov. 4, before the election, you posted on Facebook, "Why would anyone jobless today vote to maintain the status quo instead of change? Unemployment is still higher than four years ago." What are your thoughts on President Obama’s reelection, would be my question to you. Were you saying to people at that time, if you are jobless today, the President has failed you and you should vote against him and you should vote for change in the presidency?
WARREN: Well, what I was saying was the old recovery mantra, to do the same thing over and over and over and expect different change is called insanity. We spent $2 billion on an election that nothing changed. Same Congress, same Senate, same President. So should we expect change? I’m not that sure.
ROSE: So therefore the reelection of President Obama was a good thing or a bad thing?
WARREN: Well, I don’t ever get into politics, as you know, Charlie. I’ve always said I’m not right-wing or left-wing. I’m for the whole bird.
ROSE: But evidently, according to what we’ve just been talking about, God wanted President Obama, if he had a purpose for him, to be reelected. Do I follow that? What’s the disconnect between those two thoughts?
WARREN: We don’t know God’s purpose in a lot of events. I was at the Notre Dame-USC game on Saturday night. People were praying for both sides to win. I don’t think God has an opinion on that.
ROSE: So God didn’t care who won. But God does have an opinion in terms of the purpose of your life and what you do.
WARREN: God is more interested in your character than your career. Because you’re not taking your career to Heaven. You are taking your character. So really, what you do is not nearly as important as who you become. And I would say God is extremely interested in who Barack Obama is becoming, or who Mitt Romney is becoming, or who you or I or Norah are becoming, because that’s the character issue that’s going to outlast our career.
###
O’DONNELL: Speaking of love thy neighbor as thyself, I want to talk about gay marriage, same-sex marriage, civil unions. Someone tweeted when you were coming on, and said ask him about his opposition to same-sex marriage. Why do you oppose same-sex marriage?
WARREN: Well first, let me ask you. Do you consider yourself to be a tolerant person?
O’DONNELL: I do, yes.
WARREN: So you would be respectful of people who would disagree with you, no matter what?
O’DONNELL: Agreed.
WARREN: Because that’s a very, very personal question. People want to make an incendiary issue over it. I just have biblical views of what I think marriage is about. I am in favor of not redefining marriage. I’m not. It’s not illegal to have a gay relationship in America. So it’s not a big issue to me.
O’DONNELL: Let me ask you, it’s interesting. There’s a pollster named Bill McInturff. A Republican pollster, he was John McCain’s pollster, he’s head of a big firm, his partner was Mitt Romney’s pollster. And he has talked about there has not been one issue where there has been so much change so quickly as on the issue of same-sex marriage. Now we saw a majority of Americans support same-sex marriage. How do you mix those two things, which is a personal opposition that might be founded in religious faith, based on what is public opinion, that is shifting so dramatically on that issue? How do you merge those two things?
WARREN: Well, as a pastor, I believe in both the good news, that I believe Jesus is who he said he was, the son of God, and I also believe in the common good. And we’re in a democracy, where nobody wins all the time. For instance, I happen to believe life begins at conception. But that’s not the law. Okay?
ROSE: And for the people that don’t believe that, you’re tolerant of their views, right?
WARREN: Well, the point is, nobody’s leaving the country. We have a wide spectrum in America and we have to work for the common good. And that means sometimes when I mean being co-belligerent. For instance, I don’t agree with everything that the national organization of women supports. But when they are opposing pornography that objectifies the woman body, I’m a co-belligerent with them. So I don’t happen to agree with everything that my gay friends believe, but when they want to end AIDS, I’m a co-belligerent with them. In fact, Kay and I have given millions of dollars to fight AIDS around the world. And we work with both gays and straights. I can work with an atheist, I can work with a Mormon, I can work with a Muslim, I can work with a Baptist, Buddhist, Jew, and that’s one of the issues we have to work on.
ROSE: But the important thing I think is to underline what you said earlier to Norah in terms of same-sex marriage, you have to be tolerant of other people’s views. So if they differ with you with respect to Christianity or with respect to some of the things you say, you’re tolerant and accepting that they came to their beliefs in a genuine way and have to be respected for that.
WARREN: The problem is that tolerant has changed its meaning. Tolerant used to mean I may disagree with you completely, but I’m going to treat you with respect. That’s what tolerant means. Today, to some people, tolerant means you must approve of everything I do. That’s not tolerance, that’s approval. There’s a difference between acceptance and approval. Jesus accepted everybody no matter who they were. He doesn’t approve of everything I do or you do or anybody else does either. So you can be accepting without being approving. That’s an important point.
