[ladyinred]

Oh Geeze.

[Sunsong]

Obama is doing a lot of very smart things. People better keep an eye on him!

[Mamzelle]

Dems court Warren, more like it. And the heart of the wannabe celeb just craves the attn. Gawsh.

[tang-soo]

Syria's Grand Mufti Sheikh Badr al-Din Hassoun and Rick Warren

California mega-church pastor Rick Warren, author of the best-selling "Purpose-Driven Life," reportedly told a Syrian-controlled news agency the U.S. should have been holding dialogues with Damascus; Syrian Muslims and Christians co-exist peacefully; and the Syrian leadership is responsible for the nation's tolerance and stability.

That's according to the news agency SANA, which has issued a number of reports this week as Warren visits Syria and meets various leaders and officials, much to the dismay of many in the U.S.

"We at VCY America Radio network are appalled and angered that Rick Warren is praising a nation that has long supported international terrorism and that desires the utter destruction of Israel," said a statement from the broadcasting organization.

"The U.S. State Department reports that Syria - along with Iran - gives the Lebanese militia Hezbollah 'substantial amounts of financial, training, weapons, explosives, political, diplomatic, and organization aid.' The State Department also has documented that Iranian arms destined for Hezbollah pass through Syria on an ongoing basis," the group continued.

"Syria has also let Hezbollah operate in Lebanon and attack Israel, the results of which were seen in the July, 2006 violence between Hezbollah and Israel in which many lost their lives," the statement said.

The SANA reports included statements that:

* "Pastor Warren hailed the religious coexistence, tolerance and stability that the Syrian society is enjoying due to the wise leadership of President al-Assad, asserting that he will convey the true image about Syria to the American people."

* "Syria wants peace, and Muslims and Christians live in this country jointly and peacefully since more than a thousand years, and this is not new for Syria."

* Warren told Syria's Islamic grand mufti there could be no peace in the region without Syria and 80 percent of Americans reject the U.S. administration's policies and actions in Iraq.

The comments attributed to Warren contradict documentation by the International Counter Terrorism organization and U.S. State Dep artment of Syria's extensive use of terrorism for its political goals.

The ICT said "frequent use of the 'terror weapon' has been made by Syria against Lebanon, Jordan and the Palestinians" in an attempt "to impose Syrian hegemony over them and bring them into line with Syrian policy."

"The main Lebanese leaders killed by Syrian proxies were: Bashir Gemayel (who was accused by Syrian propaganda of being a 'Zionist proxy'); and Kamal Jumblatt (accused of being a 'traitor' and an 'American agent.')," the ICT said.

Syria also has used terror tactics against Egypt and Iraq, although less successfully, the ICT said, but it has been used against Christians in 1978 and in the city of Zahle in 1980, and even against Muslim residents of Beirut.

The broadcast group says Warren "has no business involving himself in any role that appears to be representative of the United States and his promise to Syria to present a brighter view of that nation to America and Saddleback members demonstrates his willingness to serve as a mindless shill for a nation that embraces terror as a legitimate way of solving problems."

Messages left with Saddleback requesting a comment were not returned immediately.

But Mark D. Tooley, writing in FrontPageMagazine.com also noted "Warren has reportedly promised to carry that state sponsor of terrorism's propaganda message back to the U.S."

He accused Warren of being adrift in a religiously left direction.

"The supposed quote from Warren reads like a news release from Assad's propaganda ministry. Perhaps, the translation into Arabic and back into English does not do Warren justice. We can hope," he wrote.

"Needless to note, there was no mention by the Warren delegation, at least not as mentioned by SANA, about Syria's one-party police state, its political prisoners, its chambers of torture, its support for He! zbollah terrorism in Lebanon, and its continued devotion to the destruction of Israel," he wrote.

Freedom House notes Syrian people have no way to change their government and no influence into its policies.

This is a nation, Tooley wrote, "where only the ruling Baathist Party and its allies are permitted to win elections, where all news media are owned or controlled by the government, where independent labor unions are prohibited, where universities must proclaim Baathist Party policies, where clerics are appointed by the government, where the president by law must be Muslim, and where women's limited rights are governed by Islamic Sharia law, even though the government is ostensibly secular."

No new Christian school has been allowed to be built in 40 years, and all schools by law must have Muslim principals, Freedom House said.

"It is a sad story, repeated often. Big-name U.S. preachers, often otherwise sensible and orthodox in their faith, visit despotic regimes and naively curry favor with police state thugs," Tooley wrote, resulting in "a propaganda bonanza for the tyrants."

Saddleback, with 30,000 members, was begun by Rick and Kay Warren in 1979 and now has more than 200 ministries in the Orange County area.

His popular book, which has sold about 12 million copies, focuses on worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry and evangelism. It tells readers the life is "not about you," and shows how God can enable each one to live for His purposes.

Warren already is scheduled to preach in North Korea next year.

[Recovering_Democrat]

I think I'm gonna hurl!

[tacticalogic]

By the timing, it looks to be a fairly straight-forward case of political opportunism.

[Honorary Serb]

Rick Warren now supports the New World Order/Global Union, and the idea that implementing the UN Millennium Goals will "bring the kingdom of God on earth". Just like the New World Order feminazi heretic Katharine Jeferts-Schori, the new presiding "bishop" of the Episcopal Church!

His sharing his pulpit with the clinton surrogate Osama Obama is no surprise.

[Binghamton_native]

Rick Warren on those who oppose "Purpose Driven" teachings in their church:

"Be willing to let people leave the church. And I told you earlier the fact that people are gonna leave the church no matter what you do. But when you define the vision, you're choosing who leaves. You say, "But Rick, yes, they're the pillars of the church." Now, you know what pillars are. Pillars are people who hold things up ... And in your church, you may have to have some blessed subtractions before you have any real additions."

In addition, if it is known what church the people that leave move to, the leaders of that church are contacted and are advised that the new-comers are troublemakers and should not be entrusted with any leadership position.

[eleni121]

More bad news...I had no idea Warren was a hypocrite until I found out about his trip to Syria...and now this - an invitation to someone who has no problem with abortion on demand.

He's lost his marbles...if he ever had any.

[hinckley buzzard]

Relax. All this does is reaffirm the axiom that in general preachers are intellectually mediocre hucksters who, like vinyl siding salesmen, substitute the gift of gab for critical judgment.

[the_doc]

John MacArthur, a conservative Baptist, has always warned us about Rick Warren.

[TommyDale]

The entire subject of Rick Warren's opposition can be summed up in one word:

Discernment

Discernment is missing in most churches these days, and very few leaders even understand what it is. Rather than depend on Divine guidance from God, they depend on men and their books. Rather than prayer, many current pastors depend on the internet for their sermons. Rather than visit the sick or needy, they depend on "small groups". Rather than preach the true Gospel of Salvation, Heaven and Hell they teach "seeker sensitive" as an easy path to righteousness -- a "cotton candy" form of Christianity. In the end, they end up with a group of shallow pseudo-Christians with no depth, no roots, no meat.

[WalterSkinner]

..this is reminiscent of Bill Hybels of Willow Creek embracing Bill Clinton during the Lewinsky scandal--to a standing ovation of his congregation

[Zack Nguyen]

I was leafing through Obama's book at the store the other night. Very well written (Obama is obviously a man of keen intellect, much more so than vitually any other politician out there.) However, in discussing homosexuality, he says that there is no way that an obscure verse in the book of Romans (he means Romans 1 I think) can possibly outweigh the Sermon on the Mount.

This is really disturbing to me, because it points to an old liberal fallacy that the Gospels are somehow "more Bible" because they have the words of Jesus on earth, while the words of the Apostles (also the words of Christ)are relegated to second class, especially where they skewer a sacred liberal cow. (In this case a strong denunciation of homosexual conduct.)

Barak Obama may be a Christian, and we may all see him in heaven. But for the reason listed above, he has some serious doctrinal problems and I would not allow him in my pulpit. The spiritual safety of the sheep must come first. This is only my opinion.

[scripter]

Just saw this on WorldNetDaily: Why is Obama's evil in Rick Warren's pulpit?

[AD from SpringBay]

So, if Democrats take the black vote for granted, and if Republicans take the evangelical vote for granted, whose going to take this new mix for granted?

[KenmcG414]

I just threw Warren's book in the garbage. Ever notice how the RATS can go speak from the pulpit (those who espouse abortion, gay marriage etc.) are always lauded. God forbid a Pubbie preaches from a pulpit and he's depicted as a right-wing nit.

[xone]

ph

[Rytwyng]

treachery in the pulpit... ping

[BnBlFlag]

Rick Warren is the Proverbial "Wolf in Sheep's Clothing".