Parker: Rick Warren Is No Billy Graham

[Terri]

By Star Parker
January 5, 2009

Last August I wrote a column critical of Rick Warren's decision to host a presidential candidate forum at his Saddleback Church.

My reasoning then was that America's crisis is moral ambiguity. I argued that Pastor Warren would only contribute to this ambiguity by hosting candidates with opposing views on issues such as abortion and homosexuality and presenting himself as a neutral moderator.

Only Barack Obama would gain, I felt, being showcased as an acceptable candidate by one of the nation's best known evangelical pastors. If John McCain had wanted to clarify his social conservative credentials, he didn't need to go to Rick Warren's church with Barack Obama to do it.

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[jack virtus]

I'm sorry, Rick Warren couldn't carry Billy Grahams bible!

[pnyikos]

The title of the article reminds me of another all-too-true title of a Gopusa commentary:
"Arnold Schwarzenegger is no Ronald Reagan."
This came out just as Old "Hasta La Vista, Baby" was voted governor in a recall election, and the words have been vindicated hundreds of times since. Let's hope Pastor Warren's record does not get so lopsided.

[fred w hensel]

Jack Virtus is exactly right. Warren is a liberal first, Christian second. The abortion issue alone should be enough to have him reject Obama, but it doesn't. 50,000,000 dead babies can be whitewashed over? Apparently so.

[FlaJim]

The same crisis of values that has hobbled the GOP seems now to have invaded the Christian church. In neither case is there any evidence that the dropping or shading of values attracts a larger following.

Look at the Episcopal Church and what it's accomplished with it's dogged insistance on special rights and privileges for homosexuals. Another group, in Wisconsin, has now broken from them.

Jesus certainly welcomed sinners but with the admonition to "go and sin no more." He definitely didn't compromise with the Devil when tempted during his 40 days in the desert. He also said that you're either with him or against him. No wiggle room there.

Rick Warren seems to be another of those self-aggrandizing preachers who wants to kiss all the babies and shake all the hands - good photo op.

He's definitely no Billy Graham, a self-effacing man who simply wants to share the Gospel with as many as possible.

[welder4]

all one has to do is notice his turkey neck hanging down that comes from eating to much so there fore he is most likely guilty of gluttony, not for sure . but any way he is to mainstream to the press and he says things that scares me for him to be a leader of the gospel to the masses . I am not into his world wide reach and his giving back his salary he must really feel guilty about something . As for me I would stay at home read my bible and give to my church which is not into getting millions upon millions just heard that we needed ten thousand dollars now that is doable with out hurting ones pocket book . I bet you the church gets it . Any way Rick Warren does not espouse the gospel as I see it, that is just a matter of opinion of course but something is not right about him . I don't think he should have had Obama on there in that type of forum as we are not electing a pastor but a leader ,there is no place for the church in the political forum although they should be allowed to say what they think the best choice should be according to the Bible and our beliefs , we certainly should not elect someone who is for killing babies and that also shocked me that any born again Christian would vote for Obama it is not with in the teachings of the Bible . So called Christians are going to rue the day they voted for abortion ,... and Rick Warrens pandering to a violent religion at the Muslin conference, Christian and Muslims do not believe the same things , we don't believe in honor killings nor beheading ones who don't become Christians . That is a big step to embrace the Islamic religion, it is not compatible with Christian belief.

[Mary-Lou]

When one starts reducing the Christian faith to platitudes and Slogans (The Purpose-Filled Life), in order to make it more "palatable", then it becomes watered down and pretty soon, anyrhing goes. Rick Warren has shown this by providing platforms for ideas that are TOTALLY antithetical to Evangelical Christianity under the guise of being "inclusive and tolerant".

Sounds like the "lukewarm" church of Revelation to ME.

[Jack Reacher]

And all this time I thought it was just me that had little faith in Rick Warren. I just kept my mouth shut and moved on.

Now I see that others feel the same way. This olive branch has some very nasty thorns attached.

I will not be watching the crowning of the new King of the USA, so whatever Warren has to say will fall on deaf ears as far as I'm concerned. It is those ears that do hear the religious acceptance of a President that supports the mass extermination of so many young lives that bothers me.

I have been "purposely driven" from listening to anything this guy says.

[Melissa47]

While I see the point in all of these comments, if it is possible that he is reaching out to change BO? Jesus didn't go to the churches, he went to the sinners. I am NOT comparing Warren to Jesus, but the concept of preaching is to reach those that don't know Christ, correct? Is it possible that this is why he consented to this? To try to reach BO and convince him of the greatness of Jesus?

Just a question...

[Dan Talbot]

Amen to what others here have said. Warren spooks me a little bit, well maybe even a lot. His emphasis seems on ecumenicism across Christian-to-non-Christian boundaries. While I believe in preaching to non-Christians, I don't believe in pandering to them. I can only hope that Warren says something controversial enough to make him stand out from the "Pastel Christians" whose numbers seem to be mounting.