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Yes I agree that we must be thoughtful about the implications of any association...shun even the appearance of evil....my though is that having H.Clinton speak at a non worship time about a common concern might send exactly the right message...something like this "we are the Church of Jesus Christ, and we believe Jesus is the one and only way of eternal salvation, and we love and care about others just as He does." Yet also one must imagine that associating with sinners might lead some to think you are endorsing them....but isn't that exactly what Jesus said not to worry about....isn't that the very thing that made the Jewish leaders so angry...."he eats with sinners, he goes to their house"

Let me ask again if Warren had only invited Fred Thompson would that have been o.k.?

Invited Fred for what and as what?

In what way does that event send the message "we believe Jesus is the one and only way of eternal salvation"?

I don't object to Christians participating in good works that help people. If it is a church mission then the church should be mindful of the doctrine and beliefs of participants (as opposed to recipients). If it is secular, fine. But don't try to have it both ways and call it "the Church of Jesus Christ" when one of the invited speakers is a Mormon (along with other inappropriate speakers). You are way beyond eating with and are instead being led by the unbelievers.

I don't go as far as some others go. I don't have a particular problem with Warren and his wife embracing a particular secular charity and making it their own. I am bothered by how Warren seems to think he is ambassador to the world. I don't think he is qualified just because he sells a lot of fairly simplistic books.

I do not know Warren's heart. I can tell you that the praise he receives for his efforts is his reward. If he wanted to truly please God -- if his focus were solely on honoring God and not himself -- I can't help but think he would serve people without alerting the media and inviting all the famous and important set to make a big production of it. All that money for travel -- air, meals, hotels, etc -- and that big production could buy quite a few AIDS cocktails for poor orphans in Africa. Of course who would be there to make Rick Warren and his wife feel important?

This is how the Christian is supposed to practice charity:

Matthew 6:1-4
1. Beware of practicing your righteousness before men, to be noticed by them, otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. 2. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4. so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.