`Purpose' (Driven Life) pastor has pulpit for Obama (Rick Warren Courts Dems)

Chicago Tribune ^ | 11/16/06

[Mr. Brightside]

WASHINGTON -- Like many fellow Democratic politicians, Sen. Barack Obama is no stranger to the pulpit.

But in December, Obama will go where few progressive Democrats usually venture--to a large, conservative evangelical church that boasts a Sunday attendance of more than 20,000 people.

Even more unusual is that he'll attend at the invitation of megachurch Pastor Rick Warren, evangelical icon and author of the popular Christian book "The Purpose-Driven Life."

Aides to Obama say he will appear at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., on Dec. 1, World AIDS Day.

"Sen. Obama has a deep respect for Mr. Warren's commitment to fighting AIDS and poverty," said Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor.

While he was working on his latest book, "The Audacity of Hope," Obama asked Warren to help by reading one of his draft chapters. Warren issued the invitation to Obama to speak at the church next month.

The messages that Friday will focus on AIDS and HIV, a key area of ministry for Saddleback Church. While many conservative Christians have shied away from AIDS because of their discomfort with its connections to premarital sex and homosexuality, Warren and his wife, church co-founder Kay Warren, have been vocal advocates for patients living with the disease.

Shortly before the release of his latest book, Obama issued a call to progressives to shed bias against religious people and to recognize "overlapping values."

[scripter]

I've defended Warren in issues of faith in the past.

As I have, too. And each time I do I ask for specifics from his detractors but those specifics are never provided.

However, I think he's wrong for siding with the global warming folks because the science is not yet there. (Although bible prophecy is with him on an eventual "warming."

I with you there, on both points. ;-)

[pollyannaish]

Fascinating. I completely agree that we should work together with those politically different from ourselves. I also believe politics and church don't mix well. I don't care for some of the hard right positions espoused by some here.

Yet there is no way I could support someone like Obama because of his support for government solutions/socialistic predisposition.

Do you believe yourself to be representative of the Evangelical movement as a whole?

[pby]

A follower of Christ should not be friendly to any concerns of the emergent church. Your posted statements relative to orthodoxy, and so forth, smack of complete emergent speak.

What they mean by "christianese" is the actual biblical definitions/meanings of salvation, atonement, sin, repentance, Word of God, prayer, holiness, kingdom of God and etc. They don't like the actual biblical definitions...so they are revising them (making another gospel).

I'm not aware of very many Emergents who are Magesterial Protestants

That is okay...I am not aware of many Emergents who are really Christians!

Any disciple/friend of Brian Mclaren, and the like, are an enemy of the church (or at least acting like one).

[Halls]

this is a conservative site, what are you doing here?

[nmh]

Rick Warren is a self serving humanist financed by YOUR ignorance of the Bible.

[jude24]

Do you believe yourself to be representative of the Evangelical movement as a whole?

Definitely not of the entire Evangelical movement, but there is a vocal minority which is starting to push back - and they may make up the majority of the twenty-something youth.

I don't care for some of the hard right positions espoused by some here.

Those hard-right positions took a Limbaugh Republican, and turned him into an Independent Moderate.

[pollyannaish]

Are you a twenty-something?

[reagan_fanatic]

While many conservative Christians have shied away from AIDS because of their discomfort with its connections to premarital sex and homosexuality...

MY conservative Christian church has not - as a matter of fact, we have an active AIDS ministry and do what we can to help those afflicted with this disease.

Yet another smear on Christians.

[SirLinksalot]

See here :

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1739649/posts

Rick Warren seems to be coddling up to the Syrian regime too.

[jude24]

What they mean by "christianese" is the actual biblical definitions/meanings of salvation, atonement, sin, repentance, Word of God, prayer, holiness, kingdom of God and etc. They don't like the actual biblical definitions...so they are revising them (making another gospel).

I'm not familiar enough with the Emergent movement to have a fully informed opinion. The only emergent church I am familiar enough with is as theologically conservative as any other church - and I know that they certainly do not redefine away "salvation," "atonement," etc.

That is okay...I am not aware of many Emergents who are really Christians!

There's tares in every church - including yours. Your point being?

Any disciple/friend of Brian Mclaren, and the like, are an enemy of the church

One can recognize that they have legitimate concerns without being a "friend or disciple" of theirs.

[jude24]

Yes.

[Mr. Brightside]

Your church is correct. Jesus never chose not to heal somebody on the basis that "sinners deserve what they get."

What do any of us "deserve"? His love extends to everybody.

[Halls]

Curious where Senator Obama stands on the issues?

http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/Barack_Obama.htm

If you don't want to read the listing here are a few:

promotes abortion

supports Roe v.s. Wade

supports EMBRYONIC stem cell research (not made clear on the link)

anti gun

healthcares is a right

promotes homosexuality (ah, doesn't discriminate against it as being wrong)

against capital punishment

[pollyannaish]

Ok thanks. I kind of thought so and just wanted to make sure.

First, please understand that the MAJORITY of us on the right are not what you see here with the hard right Buchanan/Tancredo contingent. They are much louder here, than in the movement as a whole. And guys like Micheal Savage are not for real. Here...or on the radio. They are unappeasable rabblerousers who play their parts to perfection, but never really have any significance in public life. My advice: Ignore them. They are not the party, nor are they representative of the right.

While I completely respect your right—and obligation—to look to all parties for solutions to the problems we face in our country and abroad, I am concerned you may be doing so without the context that history offers. Having never lived under solely democrat governance, I fear that you have no real idea what a Carteresque man Obama is. Carter and Obama sound very similar...from their commitment to God to their support of government solutions. Living during the Carter administration was a complete and utter nightmare, as was the administration of Johnson who I do not remember well, but have heard stories.

As a twenty-something, I was very much in your shoes. Heck, I voted for Dukakis (Hangs head in shame.) But as I grew older and began to understand the stakes I realized just how smart our side is...that common sense and understanding human nature always trumps great theories and pretty words. It comes down to this: Democrats sound much better on paper than they function in real life. Great in theory, stupid in every day life.

So why say this? Years ago, there were folks that warned me of what the left really stood for and I, in my youthful arrogance and idealism, ignored them. You may do the same...but I wanted to at least take the chance to say to you, what so many good and decent people took the time to say to me years ago.

It's stuck with me ever since and today I often remember just how right they were. I just didn't want to let this opportunity to offer you a small piece of that to you. Those folks ended up improving my own life because they took the time to plant the seed.

I wish you all the best in your search.

[NZerFromHK]

I kid you not: a lot of evangelical Christians would see no problem with half of Obama's platform you described: no death penalty, complete government-paid (i.e. taxpayers-paid) healthcare, and anti-gun. You can't use "results of studies show..." to form arguments: to Christians they are on the line of empricism and thus "humanist".

[Eva]

Barak Obama was educated in Islamic madrassas in both Hawaii and Indonesia, until high school. At that time, his mother was divorced from her second Muslim husband and took her son back to Hawaii, where she broke her promise to Obama's father to raise the boy as a Muslim, and enrolled him in Catholic high school. Any of you who watched the Glen Beck show last night, now know deep effect that early training in an Islamic madrassa has on the psyche of a young boy.

Barak Obama is a Muslim. Once a Muslim, always a Muslim. Never forget it.

[NZerFromHK]

I was in the same boat as you: indeed Christians in Asia lean politically left even when they are pro-life. They will be literally shocked to see the Left in the West are all post-modern secular humanists. I think many socialists may use prooftexts or misinterpretations of Bible teachings to sway many uninformed Christians to support a lot of political Left platforms.

Take social welfare as an example: hard surveys of effects of years of unlimited and unconditional social welfare has shown they don't help people. Yet Christians continue to support them contrary to survey results just because of some misapplications of a couple of verses of Scriptures. Where we go from here...I don't know.

[Eva]

I lived in Mission Viejo, when this church was first started, and you know something interesting about it? Many of the initials members were Presbyterians (from the Church of the Master) who left the church over the ordination women. It seems strange that they are now going to listen to a Muslim speak in their church.

[Eva]

I accidently sent this to myself, so I'm reposting. Sorry.

I lived in Mission Viejo, when this church was first started, and you know something interesting about it? Many of the initials members were Presbyterians (from the Church of the Master) who left the church over the ordination women. It seems strange that they are now going to listen to a Muslim speak in their church.

[Halls]

Well, let me tell you! CHeck out Irving Bible CHurch is Irving, Texas!

This is the evangelical church I was born and raised it. I am a strong conervative and don't buy into one liberal lie. My church has joined this emergent movemant it seems, buit has failed to let the congregation know about it! I'm not stupid though and can see right through it. Most of the people in my church are conservatives, but I think the pastor, music minister would both admit to being more liberal now than before. Most in the church don't know what is happening and it is sad. I hate seeing this happen to a good church.