|
"Take
Heed" Ministries
|
|
Cecil Andrews, 29 Edengrove Park, Ballynahinch, BT24 8AZ, Northern Ireland Telephone/Fax 028 9756 5511. E-MAIL - takeheed@aol.com WEBSITE - http://www.takeheed.net Quick Links - Home - Assorted Articles - Audio/Video - Ministry Newsletters - Words of Wisdom |
RICK WARREN – ‘not fit for purpose’
Back in May 2006, when
John Reid was the British Home Secretary, he made the now very famous statement
that, as the whereabouts of hundreds of foreign prisoners liable for
deportation was not actually known by his department, that the department was ‘not fit for purpose’ ( you can read
more on http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2006/may/24/prisonsandprobation.ukcrime)
Basically Mr Reid was
saying that his department were not up to doing the very job they had been
employed to do. Since making that statement the phrase ‘not fit for purpose’ has been used by a whole host of people to
describe other diverse situations where they feel people are ‘falling down on
the job’.
Rick Warren,
misguidedly viewed by many as a leading evangelical preacher and defender of
the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ has in the past 15 years built that
reputation upon his authorship of, in particular, 2 books called ‘The Purpose Driven Church’ [1995] and
‘The Purpose Driven Life’ [2002].
It will not be my purpose
in this article to analyse the contents of those books as many other gifted
apologists have written reports highlighting some of the many shortcomings
contained in Mr Warren’s books (see
reports for example on http://www.biblebb.com/files/PDLreview-SB.htm and
http://www.biblebb.com/files/PDCreview-SB.htm )
What I want to focus
upon is a recent supposed ‘Apologetics’
conference [11-12 December 2010] hosted by Mr Warren at his Saddleback Church. A very
helpful report highlighting some of those who spoke at this conference will be
included in this article but perhaps I can make a few comments of my own before
going to that report.
At the outset it is
important to understand precisely what the term ‘Apologetics’ means – drawing upon helpful comments in the
‘Dictionary of Theological Terms’ by Alan Cairns the word can be explained as
follows – ‘a defence of Christianity
against the various arguments that have been employed to attack it – The
Christian apologist is called upon to witness to the truth and so must witness
clearly against man’s sinful suppression of God’s truth’.
Today we are witnessing
concentrated attacks upon God’s (biblical) truth in a number of important areas
such as (1) The biblical view on homosexual behaviour (2) The biblically
identified non-Christian nature of Roman Catholicism (3) The questioning and in
some cases rejection of the biblically revealed ‘penal substitutionary’ nature
of Christ’s sacrificial death on the Cross and (4) The willingness of some
‘emerging church’ leaders to embrace unscriptural methods of claimed revelation
as in for instance mysticism or mantra-meditation.
Any faithful ‘Apologetics’ conference should only
include speakers who reject and are not a party to these present-day
‘concentrated attacks’. Bearing this important principle in mind how then did
the guest list of speakers at Mr Warren’s conference shape up? Well at this
point I want now to copy the report compiled by Lighthouse Trails Research’ on http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=5393
Dear Lighthouse
Trails Reader:
This is our last Special Report for 2010. It may be the most important article
we have written all year. It is long and detailed, but we hope you will take
the time to read it. Please consider distributing it to those in your own
mailing lists who may be interested in the welfare of the church today.
Rick Warren’s “Apologetics” Weekend
Should Apologize for Representing “Another Gospel”
Eight years after the release of The
Purpose Driven Life and numerous efforts by discerning Christian believers to
warn others of this movement, the Saddleback Apologetics Weekend unveils
more clearly than ever the spiritual direction toward which the
evangelical church is racing . . .
In September 2009, Rick Warren held his first Apologetics Weekend conference at Saddleback Church. The conference
featured some known apologists such as Norman Geisler and Gary Koukl.
Cecil’s comment - In the
talks I gave in London on 6 November 2010 I spoke
extensively about the ecumenical deception of Norman Geisler and those talks
can be listened to on this link http://www.takeheed.net/Take_Heed_2010/Current_Concerns/Dec_2010/Evangelicalism_and_Roman_Catholicism.htm
(It
also included contemplative teacher J.P. Moreland.) The conference was a surprise to some
who have followed with discernment the teachings and promotions of Rick Warren
over the last decade – it seemed out of place for someone who had promoted the
emerging church, contemplative prayer, and kingdom-on-earth-now beliefs to be
presenting an “apologetics” conference. No doubt, some assumed that Rick Warren
was changing his ways. Just a month prior, at the annual Harvest Crusade by Greg Laurie, Chuck Smith (founder of Calvary Chapel) stood in front of thousands and
introduced Rick Warren who was sitting on the platform as his “good
friend,” inviting him to lead the audience in prayer (see video). Just three years earlier, Chuck
Smith denounced the Purpose Driven
teachings as
incompatible with Calvary Chapel teachings and dropped Warren’s book from the
Calvary Chapel book distribution.
Between
the Harvest Crusade and the Apologetics Weekend at Saddleback, both in 2009,
it’s no wonder some people were thinking Rick Warren and the Purpose
Driven movement were now coming into alignment with traditional
evangelical thought. But no evidence showed that Warren’s focus or direction
had actually changed. And one year after the 2009 Saddleback Apologetics
Weekend, the 2nd Annual Apologetics Weekend took place and has provided the
proof (once again) that Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven movement is indeed going
down a path that is contemplative, emerging, and even on a ecumenical
road to “Rome.” The title of the 2010 “Apologetics” conference was “Who is
Jesus?” We believe that the “Jesus”
represented at this conference is another Jesus with another gospel, as we will
show in this article (2 Corinthians 11:4, Galatians 1:8).
Seeing
this year’s Apologetics Weekend speaker lineup was even a surprise for
Lighthouse Trails. Not because we thought Warren’s choice of speakers was
contrary to what he believes but because it seemed so blatant and obvious.
This
report will focus on three of the speakers at Saddleback’s 2010 Apologetics
Weekend conference: Philip Yancey, Peter
Kreeft, and Scot McKnight. By the time readers finish reading this
article, we think you may agree that Rick Warren’s Apologetics
conference should really be titled: ”Rick Warren’s Emerging
Contemplative Road to Rome Apologetics Weekend.”
Christianity Today editor-at-large, Philip Yancey, has been the subject of a number
of Lighthouse Trails articles for his strong propensity toward
contemplative prayer as well as his public statements regarding the
homosexual lifestyle. Last week we
posted an article about Yancey’s upcoming speaking engagement with the “Gay
Christian Network.”
Roger Oakland addresses some of Yancey’s views in Faith Undone (p. 215):
In
2004, Philip Yancey accepted an interview with Candace Chellew-Hodge for Whosoever, “an online
magazine for Gay, Lesbian, Bi-Sexual, and Transgendered Christians.” When
Chellew-Hodge asked Yancey about his views on gays and lesbians in the church,
Yancey answered:
‘When
it gets to particular matters of policy, like ordaining gay and lesbian ministers,
I’m confused, like a lot of people. There are a few—not many, but a
few—passages of Scripture that give me pause. Frankly, I don’t know the answer
to those questions’.
My
question to Yancey and other proclaiming Christian leaders is why don’t you
know the answer? The Bible is clear on this matter . . . part of being a
Christian is accepting God’s Word and trusting that it is truly just that.
Yancey may not be an emergent leader, but his beliefs certainly fit with
emerging spirituality.
Cecil’s comment – Back in 2004 I wrote an article identifying Mr
Yancey’s unscriptural views on this question of homosexuality and Christianity
and that article can be viewed on http://www.takeheed.net/Assorted_Articles/Contemporary/Yancey_lasciviousness.htm
The
following statement he [Yancey] makes shows he shares a similar disregard
for biblical doctrine:
‘Perhaps
our day calls for a new kind of ecumenical movement: not of doctrine, nor even
of religious unity, but one that builds on what Jews, Christians, and Muslims
hold in common. . . . Indeed, Jews, Christians, and Muslims have much in
common’. (source)
Yancey
is not just causing confusion over the sinfulness of practicing
homosexuality, but he is a strong advocate for contemplative mystical
spirituality as well. In his 2006 book (with a 2010 edition with the same basic
components), Prayer: Does it Make Any Difference, there is a who’s who
of mystical prayer and panentheist references some of which are Thomas
Merton, goddess worshipper Sue Monk Kidd, Henri Nouwen, Evelyn Underhill, Kenneth Leach, Meister Eckhart, Teresa of Avila, The Cloud of Unknowing, Francis de Sales, Richard
Rohr (referring to him as a “theologian – p. 205), and Anne Lamott–not to mention emerging innovators such
as Phyllis Tickle, Jurgen Moltmann, and Walter Brueggemann.
Yancey
frequently references Thomas Merton in the book and recommends his readers turn
to Merton (p. 337) and David Steindl-Rast (p. 338) for spiritual guidance. Yancey
must have read these authors for he not only recommends them but also quotes
from their books. This is not guilt by association but rather guilt by
promotion. We could give you almost countless examples of what these authors
believe, but let us just briefly look at a few quotes.
In
Ray Yungen’s book, A Time of Departing, he discloses that: “David
Steindl-Rast once asked Thomas Merton what role Buddhism played in his going
deeper into the spiritual life. Merton replied quite frankly: “I think I
couldn’t understand Christian teaching the way I do if it were not in the light
of Buddhism” (The Dawn of the Mystical Age, Tuoti, p. 127, ATOD,
p. 140).
Even
more disturbing is Steindl-Rast’s view of the atonement of Christ:
‘Unfortunately,
over the course of the centuries, this [Christianity] has come to be presented
in almost legal language, as if it were some sort of transaction, a deal with
God; there was this gap between us and God, somebody had to make up for it—all
that business. We can drop that. The legal metaphor seems to have helped other
generations. Fine. Anything that helps is fine. But once it [the atonement]
gets in the way, as it does today, we should drop it’. (The Ground We Share,
p. 45)
And
lastly, we give you this quote by another Yancey author, Richard Rohr:
‘The
term “cosmic Christ” reminds us that everything and everyone belongs. . .
God’s hope for humanity is that one day we will all recognize that the
divine dwelling place is all of creation. Christ comes again whenever we see
that matter and spirit co-exist’. (source)
It’s
not just that these authors who Yancey resonates with are individually bad – it’s
their collective movement that is bad. This is the same movement that Yancey
clearly seems attracted to. This is the very reason Lighthouse Trails
exists, not to slam people but to warn them where the contemplative, emerging
movement will take them – ultimately away from the message of the Cross.
If
you are unfamiliar with some of these names we have mentioned in this article,
type them into the Lighthouse Trails search engine – what you find
will be another “gospel” that is universalistic, mystical, socialistic, and
interspiritual. Quoting one of Merton’s biographers, Yungen recounts a scenario
which reveals Merton’s view on the relationship between God and man:
During
a conference on contemplative prayer, the question was put to Thomas Merton:
“How can we best help people to attain union with God?” His answer was very
clear: We must tell them that they are already united with God. “Contemplative
prayer is nothing other than ‘coming into consciousness’ of what is already
there.” (from Brennan Manning’s book, The Signature of Jesus, p. 211)
Ray
Yungen explains: “Merton was referring here to his pure
glory-of-God-in-everybody worldview. He is not just speaking of Christians. His
universalism elsewhere repudiates that fact” (ATOD, p. 83).
For Rick Warren to feature
Philip Yancey at an “apologetics” conference gives another green
light to the panentheistic contemplative prayer movement and the emerging
theology that goes hand in hand. According to Webster’s dictionary, the word “apologetics” is “a
branch of theology devoted to the defense of the divine origin and authority of
Christianity” (i.e., a defense of the biblical Christian faith).
Scot
McKnight, one of the other speakers at Rick Warren’s conference, is also part
of the emerging spirituality. Roger Oakland speaks of McKnight in Faith
Undone. What Oakland shows here illustrates the “road to Rome” views
of those in the emerging/contemplative church:
McKnight,
another emerging church influencer, was professor of religious studies at North
Park University and on the Coordinating Group for Emergent Village. Of the
emerging church, he stated:
“As
a theologian, I have studied the movement and interacted with its key leaders
for years–even more, I happily consider myself part of this movement or
“conversation.”ť As an evangelical, I’ve had my concerns, but overall I think
what emerging Christians bring to the table is vital for the overall health of
the church.” …
In
referring to an Anglican service, McKnight speaks of the Eucharistic focus. He stated:
“[T]he
point of an Anglican gathering on a Sunday morning is not to hear a sermon but
to worship the Lord through the celebration of the Eucharist…. First some
scripture readings and then the sermon and then some announcements and then the
Eucharist liturgy with everyone coming forward to kneel and participate–publicly–in
the body and blood.”
McKnight
said that “the Eucharist profoundly enables the grace of God to be received
with all its glories and blessings” (Turning to Jesus, p. 7). No
doubt, McKnight has had an impact on those in the emerging church movement, and
his views on the Eucharist will rub off. (Faith Undone, pp. 136-137)
In
McKnight’s books Embracing Grace: A Gospel for All of Us (with an
endorsement by Brian McLaren on the front cover and McLaren references within)
and in his book A Community Called Atonement, McKnight doesn’t
necessarily reject penal substitutionary atonement (as does McLaren) but says
there are many ways of viewing atonement, likening it to golf
clubs–using different ones for different purposes
(Prologue). Worth noting, McKnight’s Atonement book
was published by the emerging publishing partnership of Abingdon Press and Emergent
Village. McKnight is seen by the emerging church as someone who represents
it. And McKnight’s website and his books confirm this with
numerous favorable references on these issues.
In
his book Jesus Creed, he recommends a variety of books by
contemplative advocates including Gary Thomas’ book, Sacred Pathways,
where he instructs readers to repeat a word for twenty minutes (which is
mantric like meditation) and several other authors of whom we have already
mentioned in this article. One of the books McKnight recommends is Eternal
Wisdom from the Desert: Writings from the Desert Fathers. St. Anthony is
one of the desert fathers featured in that book. Contemplative
teacher, Willigis Jager disclosed the following:
‘Christian
literature makes reference to many episodes that parallel the experiences of
those going a yogic way. Saint Anthony, one of the first desert mystics,
frequently encountered strange and sometimes terrifying psychophysical forces
while at prayer’. (Jager, Contemplation: A Christian Path, p. 72)
What
is being described here is the Kundalini experience that can happen during
mantric-like episodes. While McKnight does not come right out in his books and
recommend practicing this, he recommends those who do. What we consider
McKnight to be is a “bridger,” someone who claims orthodoxy
but is actually being used as a bridge between orthodoxy and a dangerous
mystical practice.
Lastly,
this article will focus on Peter Kreeft, one of the other
“apologetic” teachers at Saddleback this past fall. Kreeft was a
Dutch Reformed Protestant who converted to Catholicism. He is
considered by many to be a leading apologist of the Catholic faith. Kreeft
embraces wholeheartedly the doctrinal elements that have traditionally split
Catholics and Protestants such as the validity of the devotion to Mary and the
validity of the Catholic sacraments. In his book, Ecumenical Jihad, he
states the following:
‘Now I see that God prefers to work
through intermediaries–Mary and the saints . . . He wants us to pray through
Mary and not only directly’. (p. 154)
‘[Mary] may bring the churches
together again and heal the tears in her Son’s visible body on earth, she, the
very one who seems to divide Catholics from Protestants. The most distinctive
Catholic doctrines, especially those concerning the Eucharist and Mary, may
prove to be the most unifying and attracting ones’. (p. 158)
‘Consecrate your life to the
Immaculate Heart of Mary. She is the one who will win this war. She is the one
(as the Bible says) who triumphs over Satan’. (p. 169 – parenthesis in
original)
Cecil’s comments – A short concise and
helpful review of ‘Ecumenical Jihad’ by Gary Gilley can be viewed on http://www.svchapel.org/resources/book-reviews/12-doctrine-and-theology/279-ecumenical-jihad-by-peter-kreeft
In my June 1999 newsletter on http://www.takeheed.net/News_From_The_Front/news10.htm when commenting upon the ecumenical
credentials of Charles Colson I cited the following as one example – ‘Wrote a favourable endorsement for the book ‘Ecumenical Jihad’ by Peter Kreeft who is a practising
Roman Catholic [Mr Kreeft wrote in the book ‘The power that will reunite the Church and win the world is
Eucharisitic adoration’ i.e. worshipping a piece of bread as
God’]
In Faith Undone, Roger
Oakland explains Kreeft’s predictions of the plans of the Catholic
church to bring in a eucharistic, mystical ”Christ” whom the world will
worship. Oakland states:
‘What
if the Eucharistic Jesus that Catholics worship and adore miraculously started
healing those who adored his presence? Wouldn’t this be a strong draw to those
yet outside the Catholic Church? And as Boston College professor and meditation
proponent Peter Kreeft predicted in his book Ecumenical Jihad,
Eucharistic adoration will have a powerful ecumenical, interspiritual effect.
He says “the power that will reunite the [Catholic] Church and win the world is
Eucharistic adoration’. (FA, pp. 141-142)
For
readers who do not understand the significance of the papacy’s efforts to win
back the lost brethren (Protestants) to the Mother of all churches
(Rome) through the Eucharistic “Christ” and the new evangelization plan,
please read Roger Oakland’s powerful expose, Another Jesus (we have several excerpts free
on our site).
In
addition to Kreeft’s absolute commitment to the Catholic Church’s Eucharistic
“Christ” and the role of Mary, he is a proponent of contemplative
spirituality as well. Kreeft was one of the speakers in the Be Still DVD, the infomercial for contemplative prayer,
with Beth Moore and Richard Foster. As with most, if
not all, long-term contemplative proponents, Kreeft’s interspiritual
propensities are illustrated in his writings.
In
Ecumenical Jihad, he says that it is “very likely” that within the
Hindu and Muslim faiths there is a “hidden Christ” (p. 156). Quoting the late
panentheist and interspiritualist Raymond Pannikar (“the apostle of inter-faith
dialogue”), Kreeft gives credence to Pannikar’s cosmic christ
that Pannikar believed exists in all people. Kreeft believes that if
all the religions of the world can come together in unity (and in adoration of
the Immaculate [without sin] Mary), then the ills of the world can be
healed. Remembering something Rick Warren said about four years ago
in referring to a ”second reformation in the church” helps one
to understand why Warren resonates with Kreeft enough to invite him as an
apologist:
“The
man of peace is open and influential … and here’s the other thing, the man of
peace does not have to be a Christian believer, could be Muslim, could be
Jewish.” (Interview with Charlie Rose - 29:00 min. mark)
Yancey, McKnight, and Kreeft –
apologetics for the biblical Christian faith? Based on what we have just shown
here, how would you answer that question? Apparently, these
are not important issues to Rick Warren though. Rick Warren told Larry
King once that his goal in life is to bring about a new reformation. But the
reformation Warren has defined over and over is ecumenical, contemplative,
and emerging. Obviously, he considers Yancey, McKnight, and Kreeft fellow
defenders of the faith. But we must ask
ourselves, what faith is Rick Warren defending?
In
a SoJourner’s magazine article (see *below) Philip Yancey once
stated that he was surprised at how much he had gotten away with in the
evangelical church. We wonder if Rick Warren may be saying the same
thing these days. We beseech
Christian leaders who have helped further the Purpose Driven movement
through their public adherence to step up to the plate and say, “I Was Wrong. I
was wrong to promote him. I was wrong to be silent when I did finally realize
the truth.” Is it really that difficult for Christian leaders to see
the direction that Rick Warren has been going all along? Leaders, pastors,
teachers, are you going to continue linking arms with “America’s Pastor” who is
clearly drawing closer and closer to a spirituality that the likes of
David Steindl-Rast would embrace? Or will you choose to hold fast to
the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Will you please men or will you be the servant
of Christ?
“I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him
that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not
another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of
Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto
you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said
before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than
that ye have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God?
or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the
servant of Christ”. Galatians 1:6-10
Notes:
* Philip Yancey: “I myself have been surprised at what I can get away with.
When I sent off the manuscript of What’s So Amazing About Grace? I
said to my wife, Janet, “That’s probably the last book I’m going to write for
the evangelical market.” It’s got a whole chapter on Mel White, who’s now a gay
activist, and it’s got a whole chapter on Bill Clinton, who’s not the most
favored president of evangelicals.” Sojourner Magazine “Sex, Lies and Living on the
Evangelical Edge“
Cecil’s comments – for a fairly in-depth review of this book you can
go to http://www.banneroftruth.org/pages/articles/article_detail.php?13
My sincere prayer for
2011 is simply an echo of what Lighthouse Trails wrote in their report –
We beseech Christian leaders, who
have helped further the Purpose Driven movement through their public
adherence, to step up to the plate and say, “I was wrong. I was wrong to
promote him. I was wrong to be silent when I did finally realize the truth.”
Let’s pray, for the
sake of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, that many with influence will come
to realise that ‘Rick Warren is not fit
for purpose’.
Cecil
Andrews – Take Heed’ Ministries – 4 January 2011