I agree fully. However, oftentimes we have to preach with our lives and our love and save the words for later. I'm not criticizing you but I'm suggesting that folks on this thread read Acts and see how Paul approached the Greeks on Mars Hill. He did not dilute his message but he did find common ground before he began to preach outspokenly.
I don't disagree with you, hence my use of the weasel word "artificial". And I'm glad you reminded us of Paul on Mars Hill. I wish I had thought of it.
I'm not criticizing Warren for speaking to a muslim group. I can't, I don't yet know what he will say.
I have talked to muslims and hindus about religion and there is certainly a way to find common ground that opens the door for a deeper discussion. You'll never get to that deeper discussion if you aren't respectful of the sensibilities of the people you are talking to.
And I will agree with you further that you have to preach with your life and your love. In a case like this your words are meaningless without context, and the context can only be modeled.
In a similar vein its hard to have a serious discussion about political philosophy with a foreigner who doesn't know me personally, because we don't yet have a common understanding, and the fact that I don't agree on some point looks like ignorance on my part to someone who doesn't yet know me. And furthermore, debates in which we beat each other with factoids are almost pointless because the factoids don't mean the same thing to him as they do to me. You have to find the common ground, and then work back.
So, I don't disagree with you.
I think what I was trying to say though is that he should not look for any artificial common ground. I've seen too many people lately apologizing for America in order to get to that supposed common ground, and its a mistake to do that. I wouldn't want to see him do anything similar. They know he's a Christian, they invited him to speak, so he should take the opportunity. Not to purposely offend, but to present Christ to an audience that, with the exception of the radicals, may not be as hostile as people might presume it to be. The average muslim believer very much believes in God. Thats your common ground.
He doesn't have to try to convince them that Islam is wrong. Thats not his job. He'll never breach that barrier. Just preach love, redemption, forgiveness, and preach it as if he assumes they already agree with him. Because if he does it right they will agree with him. Because they are muslims and they agree with him they will not necessarily process that those are uniquely Christian concepts. In their mind, how can those be "Christian" concepts if he's a muslim and he agrees? So the seed is planted. And then let the holy spirit do the rest.
But while you have to be respectful of the other man's sensibilities, and you always have to listen to the unspoken subtext, cheerful and unapologetic works a lot better than timid and bashful. It just does.
I love Acts 17. It really puts these debates to bed.
"Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And according to Paul's custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ." ...But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market place, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and attacking the house of Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people...the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews...many of them believed...but when the Jews of Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there as well, agitating and stirring up the crowds."
Acts 17: 1-13
The Apostle Paul proclaimed the word of God to the Jews in the synagogues and Rick Warren apologized to the Jews for it.
Paul's evangelism effort in Athens was driven by anger at the widespread idol worship in that city. The men who brought Paul to Mars Hill did not understand his preaching/reasoning in the synagogue and marketplace. They called Paul's teaching about Jesus and the resurrection "babbling" and "strange".
This is what the Apostle Paul said on Mars Hill: "Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects. For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, "TO AN UNKNOWN GOD." Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you...Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom he has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead."
Acts 17:22-31
I would not say that Paul's calling their idol worship "ignorant" was in any way finding common ground with them.
He called them ignorant; revealed the Biblical truth to them; and called them to repentance because one day they were going to be judged by Christ.
Too bad Warren defied the Apostle Paul's Acts 17 example!
If the Apostle Paul had followed Warren's example, Acts 17 would be changed to a delivery on how to grow the unbelieving crowds at Mars Hill through utilizing popular music, disco balls, ear-tickling stories and market studies (which is what Warren told Synagogue 3000 to do and what they actually did).
Cool! A big crowd of hell bound people worshiping idols of all sorts...
always asking questions, but never coming to the Truth...
But the laser lights, fog machine and hip music really create a great energetic/entertaining atmosphere, especially in front of the altar to the unknown god! The crowd is getting bigger and just loves it!!!
Syeed said that he and Warren, a Southern Baptist and author of "The Purpose Driven Life," have worked together on projects fighting malaria and advocating for people with HIV and AIDS.
The convention will not be the first time Warren has addressed an American Muslim group. Last December, he spoke at a meeting of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, a policy organization based in Los Angeles. But the Islamic Society gathering is by far his most dramatic display of friendship with U.S. Muslims. Warren would not comment ahead of the event.
Warren's Purpose Driven agenda and P.E.A.C.E. Plan excludes Christ, and His Good News, and is a social gospel driven organization that utilizes all faiths, all businesses and all governments. It is the dream of Warren's mentor, Peter Drucker. Peter Drucker is the father of "communitarianism", which uses the three-legged stool (government, religions, business) to solve social ills.
It certainly ain't biblical.
Warren did just the opposite of what the Apostle Paul did in his missionary journeys....Warren minimized the doctrinal differences between Christianity and the Muslim faith, encouraging them to not compromise their convictions (which is just plain unbelievable!), thereby giving ceredence to Muslim false worship and weakening the position of the absolute truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and asked for everyone to find common ground to work together to the slay the global giants.
The ones who couldn't see this coming are the ones who haven't paid attention, and/or who are unable to be discerning on any level, from the beginning of Warren's public ministry.
This is what a Christian Post (http://www.christianpost.com/article/20090705/rick-warren-to-muslims-talk-is-cheap-let-s-work-together/page2.html)recent article recounted about Warren's latest Muslim visitation (he has visited and worked with them over several years...this ain't the first time):
But despite the praises, Warren maintained his religious differences with the Muslim crowd and encouraged audience members to also not compromise their conviction.
“You know as an evangelical pastor, my deepest faith is in Jesus Christ,” Warren stated. “But you also need to know that I am committed not just to what I call the good news, but I am committed to the common good.”
He called on the members of the two largest faith communities in the world to not only figure out how to live in peace and harmony with each other, but also to find a way to work together for the greater good without compromising each group’s convictions.
In his speech, Warren suggested that Muslims and Christians work together to challenge the mischaracterizations and stereotypes in the media about each other’s faith; to restore civility in America by showing that people can “disagree without being disagreeable;” and to promote peace and freedom, particularly freedom of speech and religion, together.
“Let me just say this to those of you who have been in America for many generations now,” Warren said, noting that they were gathered on the Fourth of July, America’s Independence Day. “Part of your responsibility is to help the newcomers learn what it means to be Americans.
“America is a country not built on race, not built on a creed, but built on an idea – liberty and justice for all and freedom for all,” Warren said as he called for citizen education.
He also gave a practical example of how Muslims and Christians can work together by pointing to his PEACE plan, a massive effort to mobilize one billion Christians to combat the five biggest problems in the world – spiritual emptiness, corrupt leadership, extreme poverty, pandemic diseases, and illiteracy and lack of education.
In a western province in Rwanda, the PEACE plan has been implemented where imams and pastors are invited to attend healthcare training sessions. Those religious leader in turn help mobilize their congregants to also receive healthcare training. By the end of this year, Warren said, a province where there was only one doctor for 750,000 people will have over 1,500 trained healthcare workers.
The acronym PEACE stands for promote reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.
Warren acknowledged that it will not be easy to work together because of the criticism from conservatives from both religions, but he urged both groups to work together for the common good.
“You know what I discovered is when you walk down the middle of the road you get hit coming and going,” the evangelical pastor said. “Actually, it is easier to be an extremist of any kind because then you only have one group of people mad at you. But if you actually try to build relationships, like invite an evangelical pastor to your gathering, you’ll get criticize for it, so will I. But that is not what matters,” he said.
JUST PLAIN AWFUL!!!!