Truth or Lies? Rick Warren’s Moral Facade

Truth or Lies?

Rick Warren’s Moral Facade

By Berit Kjos – April 9, 2009

Emphasis added

“‘Hear this now, O foolish
people, without understanding,

who have eyes and see not, and who have ears and
hear not:

Do you not fear Me? says the Lord. Will you not tremble at My presence…?’
But this people has a defiant and rebellious heart;

They have revolted and departed.
They do not say in their heart, ‘let us now
fear the Lord our God,

Who gives rain… in its season…'” Jeremiah
5:21-24

In an article titled “Rick
Warren disavows support for Prop. 8,” Jim Brown writes,

“California mega-church pastor and author of
The
Purpose Driven Life Rick Warren says he apologized to his homosexual friends
for making comments in support of California’s Proposition 8, and now claims
he ‘never once even gave an endorsement’ of the marriage amendment.”

[1]

During a recent
CNN interview on Larry King Live,
Warren assured his host that-

“During the whole Proposition 8 thing, I
never once went to a meeting, never once issued a statement, never —
never once even gave an endorsement in the two years Prop. 8 was
going.”

[2]

But he was lying! According to Brown, Pastor
Warren had “issued a clear endorsement of the marriage amendment while
speaking to church members.” Ponder Warren’s
stated position two weeks
before the Prop. 8 vote on November 4:

“The election’s coming just in a couple of
weeks, and I hope you’re praying about your vote….

“Now let me say this really clearly: we support Proposition 8
— and if you
believe what the Bible says about marriage, you need to support Proposition
8. I never support a candidate, but on moral issues I come out very clear.

“This is one thing, friends, that all politicians tend to agree on. Both
Barack Obama and John McCain, I flat-out asked both of them: what is your
definition of marriage? And they both said the same thing — it is the
traditional, historic, universal definition of marriage: one man and one
woman, for life. And every culture for 5,000 years, and every religion for
5,000 years, has said the definition of marriage is between one man and a
woman.

“Now here’s an interesting thing. There are about two percent of Americans
[who] are homosexual or gay/lesbian people. We should not let two percent of
the population determine to change a definition of marriage…. So I urge you to support Proposition 8, and pass that word on. I’m going to
be sending out a note to pastors on what I believe about this.”

[3]

So where does Pastor Warren actually stand on
this issue? What is the source of his moral cues? God’s Word — or forceful
leaders who have traded His unchanging Truth for today’s evolving moral
pragmatism?

His recent statements suggest a total moral
U-turn. According to Brown, Warren regrets his earlier position. “There were a number of things that
were put out. I wrote to all my gay friends — the leaders that I knew —
and actually apologized to them. That never got out,” he admitted.

Those “gay friends” may serve him well in today’s global battlefield for
fame and power. As America follows Europe into a moral freefall, Warren’s
spiritual leadership fits right in. So did his attempt to offer a
non-offensive interfaith prayer at
Obama’s inauguration:

“Help us to share, to serve and to seek
the common good of all.

May
all people of goodwill today join together to work for a more just, a more
healthy and a more prosperous nation and a peaceful planet. And may we never
forget that one day all nations and all people will stand accountable before
you….”

I wonder what kind of accountability Warren
referred to. It surely wasn’t Biblical. Yes, God will hold us accountable —
but to His standard, not to the shifting standards of Warren or Obama, who
approve immorality and despise God’s Truth. Look at what God says:

“‘Woe to the rebellious
children,’ says the Lord,
‘Who take counsel, but not of Me,
And who devise plans, but not of My Spirit,'”

Isaiah 30:1

“…the wrath of God
is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in
unrighteousness…. Professing to be wise, they became fools….
Therefore God also gave them
up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their
bodies among themselves…. God gave them up to vile
passions. … And even as
they did not like
to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased
[depraved] mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being
filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness,
covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife,
deceit, evil-mindedness.”
Romans 1:18-32

“Were
they ashamed when they had committed abomination?

No!
They were not at all ashamed; nor did they know how to blush.

Therefore they shall fall among those
who fall;

At the time I punish them,
they shall be cast down,’ says the Lord.”
Jeremiah
6:15

As American sovereignty fades under the
darkening shadows of an anti-Christian world government, few are prepared to
stand firm against the forces that are eroding
America’s Christian foundations. Instead, the vast majority — whether
they identify with Christianity or not — have dismissed God’s Word and
warnings. Making His view of sin irrelevant, they have distorted the
true gospel of Christ: the “good news” of redemption from
the legal
judgment that we (sinners) deserve. Apart from that
Biblical gospel, the cross and the
resurrection become meaningless.

We can’t manipulate Truth without facing
consequences. We can’t justify sin without blinding ourselves and confusing
others. And we can’t receive new life in Jesus Christ (regeneration)
without–

His merciful (undeserved)
grace
Spirit-given
conviction of our sins and
our continuing enslavement to sin
His substitutionary and
atoning death on
the cross — taking the punishment of our sin

In the light of that transformational Truth,
we see the cross and the resurrection as the center of history. Everything
the Old Testament promised pointed forward to the cross. And all the New Testament
promises are based on the cross — and point us to the resurrection and
eternal life in Jesus Christ. As He told us,

“I am the way, the
truth, and the
life. No one comes
to the Father except through Me.'”

John 14:6

“Enter by
the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the
way that leads to destruction, and there are many who
go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and
difficult is the way
which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

Matthew
7:13-14

Yet, countless “Christians” have claimed to follow Him
— even as they scorn that narrow gate:

“…he who does not enter the sheepfold by the
door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a
robber. But he who enters by the door is the
shepherd of
the sheep.”

John 10:1-5

“…certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were
marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the
grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God
and our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Jude 4

“Therefore take heed to
yourselves and to all the flock… to shepherd the church of God
which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this,
that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you,
not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will
rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples
after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for
three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with
tears.”

Acts 20:28-31

No wonder Paul’s warnings were accompanied by tears. Many
in his beloved churches were caught up in sensual sins and unholy distractions.
Distorting the cross and despising “the narrow road,” they ignored the call
to die to self
and
share Christ’s suffering.

“The wide road” is well traveled in our times. Popular,
amoral, and tolerant of everything but God’s Word and way, it is paved with nice-sounding
intentions and a feel-good “common ground.” But it actually leads to
arrogance, hostility, division and destruction. After all, “the whole world
lies under sway of the wicked one.”

John 5:19

What then will we choose? The world’s compromising highway
and delightful illusions — for this season of time? Or the narrow way that leads to eternal life
with our wonderful Lord for all eternity?

“…many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now
tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the
cross of Christ;
whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is
in their shame — who set their mind on earthly things.

“…our
citizenship is in heaven from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be
conformed to His glorious body….”

Philippians 3:18-21

See

Warren’s P.E.A.C.E. Plan and UN Goals
|

Creating
Community

Spirit-Led
or Purpose-Driven
(six parts) |

Purpose-Driven Deception