Warren & Politics

A very interesting interview with Rick Warren about religion and politics:

If you've read any of the hundreds of articles about Mr. Warren that have appeared over the past 10 years, perhaps you think I've got the wrong guy. After all, the leader of the fourth-largest church in the U.S. is supposed to be part of a "new breed" of evangelicals, according to the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post and dozens of other publications. New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof paid him what Mr. Kristof might consider the ultimate compliment earlier this year, referring to Mr. Warren as an "evangelical liberals can love."

It is true that Mr. Warren, whose book "The Purpose Driven Life" has sold 25 million copies, argues that his community needs to "broaden its agenda" to include issues like environmental conservation and fighting poverty and disease. "I don't just care that the little girl is born," he tells me. "Is she going to be born in poverty? Is she going to be born with AIDS because her mom has AIDS? Is she going to never get an education?" And he adds that there are plenty of evangelicals who are tired of the "combativeness" associated with the religious right....

So why is most of the press under the impression that Rick Warren, a Southern Baptist, is so different from, say, Focus on the Family president James Dobson? "It's a matter of tone," says an amused Mr. Warren, who seems unable to name any particular theological issues on which he and Mr. Dobson disagree.

Speaking at the Aspen Institute a few years ago, Mr. Warren was asked by a member of the audience whether he believed that she, a Jew, would be going to hell after she died, since she had not accepted Jesus as her savior. "Yes," he answered, honestly.

... He believes that people can disagree about the issues without demonizing each other. "We are all created in the image of God."

In our interview, he recalls that tolerance used to be the idea that you "treat others with respect." Now, he laments, it has come to mean that "all ideas are equally valid." And so you can begin to understand why some people today are not happy with the idea of tolerance. But Mr. Warren aims to return Americans to that old view. Despite his calm demeanor, his easy laugh and his casual dress, there doesn't seem to be a relativist bone in Mr. Warren's body....

The media assume that when religious people express interest in the problems of poverty and disease, they must have taken a left turn politically. But one can be interested in solving such problems without believing that government is the solution. "Our government has spent trillions of dollars in Africa," says Mr. Warren, "and the standard of living is worse now than it was 50 years ago." He knows whereof he speaks, having launched a massive effort to help the country of Rwanda rebuild itself. "There is only one way to get people out of poverty and it's not charity. It's jobs."...

But there are also less tangible tasks -- cultural problems -- which Mr. Warren believes churches can address better than governments or nongovernmental organizations. For instance, we need "to teach men and boys to respect women and children." No amount of AIDS education is going to help if women are still being raped by men in their villages. "And that is my job as a pastor. No government can do that."...

While he notes that religious people often look to the church to help with these efforts, "secular people have to look to the government." Indeed, what struck him most about the Aspen Institute discussions was that the people there thought "the answer to everything was a government program."

(HT:  Between Two Worlds)

Comments

[Kevin W]

All the talk and reporting about young evangelicals caring more about the government solving the problems of poverty, the environment, etc. is hyperbole. They wish it were so. They actually wish it so bad, and report on it so hard, that they think they can actually make it so. Nonsense.

Also just to note: Pelosi on Meet The Press this weekend said something about just ‘not knowing when life begins’.

PELOSI: “And what I know is, over the centuries, the doctors of the church have not been able to make that definition. And Senator--St. Augustine said at three months. We don't know.”

Folks - that’s pure San Francisco enlightenment, progressive etc., you know, all that good stuff.

They love the science in San Fran.

[Kevin W]

Sorry - that's my post above. Not anonymous.

[Garry Sahl]

When the writers of the Humanist Manifesto took over our universities and law schools under the guise of separation of church and state. The church had nothing to do with the state, but the Western Civilization’s Worldview was based on Christianity not Darwinism.
The Humanist Manifesto was written in 1933. The father of Western education John Dewey was one of the first signatories. His book, A COMMON FAITH ,1934 Yale University Press was about the Religion of Darwinian Humanism. Here is how the book ended," Here are all the elements for a religious faith that shall not be confined to sect, class, or race. Such a faith has always been implicitly the common faith of mankind. It remains to make it explicit and militant." The father of the sexual revolution Alfred Kinsey shocked the world with the publication of, SEXUAL BEHAVIOR IN THE HUMAN MALE, in 1948. Dr.Alfred Kinsey's overall thesis titled "Outlet Sex" placed all sexual acts on the same moral, social, and biological level whether in or out of marriage, between people of the same or opposite sex,or when sex involved even children or amimals. By declaring that "Darwinian science" had found "no value" in traditional sexual morality, the Kinsey Reports,provided the so-called "Darwinian Scientific Foundation" for university sex education classes and the sexual revolution. The minds of our Darwinian humanist professors were already corrupt, and with their textbooks had already started socially engineering their students. They were not interested in separating the church from the state, because the church was already separated from the state. They started the process of separating Western Civilization from Christianity, and to institutionalized atheism through Darwinian Humanism. The consequences of this on our justice system, education, entertainment, music, art, media and society are dire. We have become a pagan nation with all the power in the hands of the Darwinian Humanist Institutionalized Atheist Supreme Court. We have a few good Justices, but they are out-numbered by atheists. This is exactly what the authors of the Humanist Manifesto wanted, and now have.
This institutionalized atheism has most of our citizens in a drug induced type of mind-set where they live according to Darwin’s theory or any way they want. These Darwinian Humanist beliefs have permeated our culture, and they have a profound effect on the behavior of our society. Opening closed brainwashed minds is not easy , but it can be done. My friends asked me to research the consequences of the Humanist Manifesto on Western Society. I am glad they did as it sure helped me to understand why our civilization is in crisis. I don't know how we can take back the schools from the Darwinian Humanists, but if we are to save our children and society form this "evil" social engineering we must. Getting involved in politics to change bad laws and put in good ones is one answer. Who will do this McCain or Obama ? First of all the citizens will have to decide which worldview they want to live by, Darwinism or Christianity. Rick's timeless book, THE PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE, has helped me refocus my view and now I have a peace within, even in the political battles of a fallen nation.

[Mo]

I listened to James Dobson for years and years. I never heard any 'tone' that would be a problem to anyone. The hatred shown toward that man is unwarranted, not to mention sickening.

[Garry Sahl]

Jim Dobson is awesome. In 1991 I was at the hospital emergency room waiting. I picked up a Focus on the Family magazine there and in it was a story by Ruth Bell Graham about her book titled, Prodigals and Those Who Love Them. I will be eternally greatful to Jim Dobson and his ministries.

[Sage S.]

Mo and Gary,

Amen. Dr. Dobson is a man I eminently respect, appreciate, and value for his years of pioneering work in psychology, ministry, and political activism. Once we begin to evaluate the character of individuals by the consensus the world reaches about them, we are very nearly ready to abandon the faith altogether. If anyone has faults, let the word of God reveal them, not the mainstream media.

Dobson is repeatedly vilified not for his "tone," but for his political views and his political influence - both of which are completely biblical.

Mr. Warren is a more acceptable evangelical because his public message is more broad-based than Dobson's. Warren is a pastor - a "mega-pastor," best-seller, and Presidential candidate host, placing himself squarely in the spotlight on the national stage as a representative of the Church (the post-modern, socially conscious, spiritually balanced Church in 21st century America...). He's very concerned with representing a balanced view of morals, spirituality, political duty, etc.

Dobson is a psychologist. His specialty guides much of his public emphases in ministry and politics. He tends to focus on social issues that directly impact families (homosexuality and same-sex marriage, abortion, fidelity, pornography) and less on "social justice" (poverty) and environmental concerns. He also shared tons of insight into parenting and personal identity issues - like a good psychologist. The left hated his message because of its emphasis, not its tone.

[Garry Sahl]

Dr.James Dobson is concerned about families,and he does not like the consequences of paganism on our families and culture. His book,What Wives Wish Their Husbands Knew About Women,has helped more men to become better husbands than all the writings of all the Darwinian Humanist Atheists put together!
I became involved in politics and studied Political Science after listening to Jim say," If you have to hold your nose to vote for the so-called best candidate out there,run yourself."