You said — “All churches have a mix of Christians and Churchians. It’s just the way it is. The people I’ve met from Saddleback, love the Lord and their walk matches their talk. Warren aside, Saddleback members have a good witness.”
You know, there are a lot of differences of opinion here about Rick Warren and where he’s coming from — and that is okay. But, I think the real big issue is the “Emergent Church” issue and how it’s trying to address the “post-modern culture” (of our society today — as they *specifically* say they are trying to address that) — and how, instead, they are actually becoming part of that same post-modern culture and gradually losing their Christian basis for being.
And so, I think a lot of this argument, which is going on about Rick Warren is more along the lines of “How far down the road of the Emergent Church is he?” Some would say not too far and it doesn’t make too much difference. Others would say he’s gone quite a distance down that road.
Instead, one ought to be taking a look at what the Emergent Church is doing to the Evangelical Christian Church across the board and what it has done in the last five years.
In fact, one ought to read Dave Hunt’s book “The Seduction of Christianity” from back in the 1980s to get a perspective of what was considering shocking and outrageous, back then, but yet — today — is “ho hum” —what’s new? So, the “slide”into apostasy has begun — actually more than begun and we’re losing churches, wholesale, across the board...
Be sure to check out Jason Carlson’s materials on the Emergent Church, because of him having been in it and part of it, knowing Brian McLaren and knowing it all from the ground-up.
A starting place for some materials from Jason Carlson is at — http://www.jude3.com/ . However, there are many other Evangelical Christian websites with Jason Carlson’s articles and/or mp3 files (from his talks) and so on.
By the way, Brian McLaren (who might be considered the “prophet” of the Emergent Church) has a book out with the title —
“A Generous Orthodoxy: Why I Am a Missional, Evangelical, Post/Protestant, Liberal/Conservative, Mystical/Poetic, Biblical, Charismatic/Contemplative, Fundamentalist/Calvinist, Anabaptist/Anglican, Methodist, Catholic, Green, Incarnational, Depressed-yet-Hopeful, Emergent, Unfinished CHRISTIAN”
Does that give you an idea of what he believes — just from the title? I just about don’t have to read his book to know not to go any further into that subject...
Regards,
Star Traveler
A Generous Orthodoxy = A religion of blender heads.
I remember Dave Hunt’s book and Hank Hannegraf’s book
exposing the faith movement. God’s people have lost
their way and it is because we do not know God’s Word.
I am a fundamentalist and will remain that until the
Lord returns.
The Emergent Church is expected in the last days and
predicted in Revelation. The Pope will try to amalgamate
a world church. Perhaps this is the beginning. It’s
grievous. I cannot contend with Warren, because I have
not read his book, nor have I heard him teach. If he
embraces a form of godliness without God’s Word, he will
have to account for this at the Bema Seat of Christ.
For now, I wield the Sword of the Spirit which is the
Word of God - keeping it bloody. “Cursed be the one
who does the LORD’S work negligently, And cursed be the
one who restrains his sword from blood. —Jeremiah 48:10—
Thank you for standing in the gap.