Rick Warren is not to blame for any church split.  We live in a “blame someone else” society.  The splits happen for many different reasons but not Rick Warren.

Let me get this. When we blame RW for problems, we are the bad guy for blaming. However Rick can say: “And when asked if he blames them, he replied, “I do blame them,” he’s right and the good guy?
fishon

Fishon - did you watch the interview with Bashir?  It was pretty clear to me that Bashir was asking “do you blame them for their problems, or is PDL the cause of conflict?” To which RW replied “I blame them [for their own problems]”

Which was my point in my original post.  Conflict in a church is birthed in that church.  Even when Paul was upset with the Galatians for listening to the Judizers (and he certainly did have some pretty harsh criticism toward them ), he blamed the Galatians for their own problems.  He didn’t write the the Galatia Gazzette, he wrote to the church.

RW wasn’t blaming these churches for HIS problems, he said they (not PDL) are to blame for THEIR OWN problems.

BTW - the Judizers were heretics because they presented another gospel, and RW has done nothing of the sort, despite the attempts of his critics to claim he has.

Wendi

From Chris Rosebrough from CRN http://christianresearchnetwork.com/

I’ve had the opportunity to dialogue with many defenders of Rick Warren and his Purpose-Driven methods over the internet.

A common ‘tactic’ that these people employ is the ‘Body of Christ isn’t edified when we debate these things in public’ defense.

They claim that these types of debates should happen privately. But because Rick Warren never answers his critics. They never happen at all.

But, last night on Nightline, Rick Warren literally lashed out at his fellow Christian believers in a VERY public way and accused them of ‘living for themselves’ and blamed them for the church splits that have occurred in churches that have tried to become purpose-driven.

Warren said that if some churches may suffer as a result of applying some of those principles, then “that’s the price.” “Every church has to make the decision. … Is it going to live for itself, or is it going to live for the world that Jesus died for?”

When asked if he thinks that some of these splits are actually because Christians themselves are indulgent and refusing to change, Warren said, “Oh, without a doubt.” And when asked if he blames them, he replied, “I do blame them.”

Doesn’t this seem VERY hypocritical to you? Those of us who disagree with Warren are not supposed to critique Warren in public. But, it is okay for him to accuse us of living for ourselves and imply that we are self-indulgent because we oppose HIS recommended changes to the church.

Since when are Rick Warren’s ideas infallible and beyond criticism? Better yet, based on what Biblical passages can Rick Warren make the claim that Christians who want to be fed the word of God on Sunday instead of a ’seeker sensitive’ ’self-help’ sermon are ‘living for themselves’ or ’self indulgent’?

I really would like the answer to these questions from those of you who defend Warren. Please send me your responses through the ‘Contact Us’ button on this page.

Kent – I think you and I were watching two different Nightline shows.

Let’s see . . . the most terrible thing RW says is that the churches having conflict are “living for themselves” and blamed them for their own problems (without naming anyone personally or any church directly).

On the other hand, the RW critics have called him (personally) a false teacher, heretic, apostate and much much worse.

Wonder who is blasting who?

I believe when he said “that’s the price” he was referring to the personal price he has paid because of the conflict swirling around his work.  He said:

“You know, I wouldn’t intentionally want to cause pain to any person or to anyone,” Warren said. “Am I willing to put up with pain so the people [that] Jesus Christ died for can come to know him? Absolutely.”

And when speaking of churches . . .

“Every church has to make the decision. … Is it going to live for itself, or is it going to live for the world that Jesus died for?”

We each personally make the same decision every day.  I don’t think spending my days trying to bring down another Christian would help me live for the world Jesus died for.

IMO Warren doesn’t respond because to do so would be to lower himself to Jr. High, name calling tactics that are divisive.  Responding simply perpetuates the childish arguments and would get him off mission – helping people Jesus died for come to know Him . . . a much better use of his time.

Kent, you accuse RW of “not answering his critics” but when he does you accuse him of “lashing out”.

This is the heart of the issue.  Many Christians see RW as target practice.  And isn’t it sad that this interview was done by a non Christian news organization, addressing the criticism RW is receiving from Christians?  What a great witness to the world!

This was my favoritie RW quote from the interview (I read all 4 sections)
“It’s easy to be relevant if you don’t care about being biblical. I happen to want to be both.”

I think that says it all.