A Simple Criticism

I have been wrestling with a few statements made by Mega-Church Pastor Rick Warren. Recently, he has developed a bold, ambitious plan to combat the five "global giants" affecting the world today. These giants include; Spiritual Emptiness, Self-Serving Leadership, Extreme Poverty, Pandemic Diseases, and Rampant Illiteracy. His method to attack these problems is known as the P.E.A.C.E plan. The acronym stands for Promote Reconciliation, Equip Leaders, Assist the Poor, Care for the Sick, and Educate the Next Generation. Overall, I think that Warren has unveiled a honest and well intentioned plan to help the millions of people living in distress.

My criticism is not directly related to the Peace Plan but rather indirectly. I have often heard him make statements such as this:
“You know, 500 years ago, the first Reformation with Luther and then Calvin, was about beliefs. I think a new reformation is going to be about behavior. The first Reformation was about creeds; I think this one will be about deeds. ... The first Reformation actually split Christianity into dozens and then hundreds of different segments. I think this one is actually going to bring them together. Now, you’re never going to get Christians, of all their stripes and varieties, to agree on all of the different doctrinal disputes and things like that, but what I am seeing them agree on are the purposes of the church. ... Last week I spoke to 4,000 pastors at my church who came from over 100 denominations in over 50 countries. Now, that’s wide spread. We had Catholic priests, we had Pentecostal ministers, we had Lutheran bishops, we had Anglican bishops, we had Baptist preachers. They’re all there together and you know what? I’d never get them to agree on communion or baptism or a bunch of stuff like that, but I could get them to agree on what the church should be doing in the world.

I humbly suggest that Warren's view of church history is shortsighted. To state that the Reformation led by Luther and later Calvin was simply one of beliefs is to totally misrepresent their accomplishments. Yes, it was founded on the realization that the Roman Church was a false church which taught the greek humanist principle of Free Will. Luther saw through the fraud and revolted but stood on the principle of sola scriptura (scripture alone). 

The Reformation transformed the landscape of western Europe and liberated millions of people living under the oppression of the RCC. This freedom affected culture on every level. In the arts, there was Rembrant, Bach, and Luther. Intellectually, again there was Luther, Calvin, the Dutch Reformers, and later William Wilberforce. Politically, it brought reforms to government and the United States is considered an extension of the ideals of the Reformation. In conclusion, to reduce the first reformation as one of only "beliefs" and not deeds is a poor summary of one of the single greatest periods of the modern era. 

Those are my thoughts...Am I wrong with this??

Thoughts On the Civil Forum

On Saturday, I attended the Saddleback Civil Forum. It was an energizing evening and a once in a lifetime opportunity to watch both presidential candidates on the same stage. Rick Warren was the moderator and posed questions related to leadership, faith, worldview, and character. Each candidate was interviewed separately by Warren and the order was decided by a coin toss. Here is how I interpreted the responses from each candidate:

Obama

• Overall, Obama's performance was solid. He appeared comfortable talking about his faith in Jesus and his shortcomings in his early adult years. Compared to previous Democratic nominees Obama is attempting to break the mold. However, that might worry many secular-progressive democrats.
• Perhaps Obama's biggest mistake was his definition of human conception. He stated, "Its above my pay-grade." I felt that was a very weak response and will hurt him with the evangelical vote. This apparently a grey area for him...and he waffled on this question.
• Obama affirmed that marriage is between a man and a woman. 
• Obama's loose references to scripture citing "thinking of the least of these..." to give him the basis for his massive social agenda (socialized medicine, wealth redistribution).  However, I believe that is a distortion of scripture to apply concepts intended to the individual to the state.
• Biggest surprise: throwing Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas under the bus. Clarence Thomas is the only african-american justice in the Supreme Court. 
• Biggest mistake: his definition of human life. 

McCain

• I felt that John McCain outperformed Senator Obama and provided a unmistakably clear contrast between the two.
• McCain's style was direct and unequivocal. 
• On abortion: human rights begin "at the moment of conception."
• On gay marriage: it is a sacred bond between a man and woman. 
• He took full advantage to discuss the conflict in Georgia, the need for offshore drilling, activist judges, national security, and the need to keep taxes low. 
• Often, McCain mentioned his time as a POW during the Vietnam War and how that experience shaped his faith and his character
• Biggest surprise: citing that the failure of his first marriage as his worst moral mistake
• Biggest mistake: his definition of "rich"

After watching the debate twice, I believe that McCain ruled the night. Speaking in front of a crowd that was more receptive to his ideas allowed him to settle in and showcase his personality. For someone who has not had the coziest relationship with the evangelical community, McCain took a giant step forward to strengthen the Republican base. Obama, on the other hand appeared uneasy on questions such as the Supreme Court and abortion. He was at times indirect and lacked definitiveness in his responses. 

With the 2008 campaign a statistical tie, both candidates will be engaged in a dogfight for every vote. Warren's vision to achieve civility may have been fulfilled for at least one night in the summer of '08. But I wonder if this forum will be remembered as the last moment where both candidates and the nation were one. 

Saddleback Civil Forum

On Saturday, Saddleback Church will be ground zero in the 2008 Presidential Campaign. Pastor Rick Warren will moderate a question and answer session with Barack Obama and John McCain. The event will be televised nationwide and will be a pivotal moment for both campaigns and Saddleback Church.

I am very curious and excited to watch this event. Warren has often invited politicians to his church but this will be the first time that the entire nation will witness a pastor interview both Presidential candidates. In 2006, I attended Saddleback's World Summit on AIDS where Kansas Senator (R) Sam Brownback and Illinois Senator Barack O'bama spoke before a packed house. Alining himself with both sides, Warren is in an interesting and powerful position. I think everyone is anxious to evaluate the quality and merit of the questions that will be posed to McCain and Obama. Will the questions have substance or will they be softball topics that both candidates can spin to their own advantage?

Everyone will have something at stake. For the candidates, it will be a golden opportunity to appeal to the evangelical voters and traditional-value Americans. For Warren, it will be his chance to advocate his vision and social gospel known as the "PEACE Plan" to the nation at large.

With that said, my DVR is set. I am encouraging all my friends to watch with an open mind but to think critically about both candidates and their vision for the nation.