Rick Warren on "Give God a 60 Day Trial"

[DMcFadden]

Tonight Rick Warren was on Hannity and Colmes. As Colmes tried to pin him down on the issue of exclusivity, Warren opined that Christmas is the time for people to "give God a chance." "Give him a 60 trial and see if he doesn't change your life." He even added (humorously?) that he would add a "money back guarantee." Hmmmm.

For the one or two people who do not realize how much marketing has impacted the church, watching Warren was a self-evident case study.

 

[Jon Lake]

Tonight Rick Warren was on Hannity and Colmes. As Colmes tried to pin him down on the issue of exclusivity, Warren opined that Christmas is the time for people to "give God a chance." "Give him a 60 trial and see if he doesn't change your life." He even added (humorously?) that he would add a "money back guarantee." Hmmmm.

Hmmmm indeed, I think Warren has hit a low in the blasphemy department, 60 day trial indeed! Is He a used car!

 

[Herald]

Revelation 3:16 16 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.'

I know it's not the context of the passage, but that's what I think about when I hear stuff like this (tripe).

 

[Ivan]

60 day trial...that makes me nauseous.

 

[calgal]

Even if that was supposed to be a joke, what a blasphemous horrible witness!

 

[MrMerlin777]

What an idiot!!!

 

[jd.morrison]

What an idiot!!!

 

[Ivan]

I know he's a fellow Southern Baptist, but I wish he would just go away.

 

[nicnap]

60 day trial...that makes me nauseous.

Make that to all the preceding.

 

[Theoretical]

Tonight Rick Warren was on Hannity and Colmes. As Colmes tried to pin him down on the issue of exclusivity, Warren opined that Christmas is the time for people to "give God a chance." "Give him a 60 trial and see if he doesn't change your life." He even added (humorously?) that he would add a "money back guarantee." Hmmmm.

Hmmmm indeed, I think Warren has hit a low in the blasphemy department, 60 day trial indeed! Is He a used car!

That's too generous. No one would give a 60 day trial for a car.

Try an infomercial gadget like a fancy blender or home gym.

If you want to further alienate my generation, this ridiculous marketing call is a pretty good way to do it. Not to mention that minor, insignificant little blasphemy problem.

Who needs "evil" college professors and bad company to de-Christianize them? Poison like this has made and will continue to make many an atheist outside the camp and non-believers within it. With friends like these, the Church hardly needs enemies.

 

[Jon Lake]

The TRULY sad part about Warren is this, I do not think he believes he has done anything wrong, he would wonder about my calling a 60 day God "trial" blasphemy....

 

[Backwoods Presbyterian]

Rick Warren makes me ill...

 

[BJClark]

If He is a Southern Baptist, why aren't other SB pastors calling him out on this garbage??

 

[ReformedWretch]

This was on as I was leaving for work tonight. He made this comment as I was saying good night to my wife when she suddenly paused, looked away from me to the TV (that she had not been paying attention to) and said "What is wrong with that guy, is he an idiot?"

lol!

 

[ReformedChapin]

Tonight Rick Warren was on Hannity and Colmes. As Colmes tried to pin him down on the issue of exclusivity, Warren opined that Christmas is the time for people to "give God a chance." "Give him a 60 trial and see if he doesn't change your life." He even added (humorously?) that he would add a "money back guarantee." Hmmmm.

For the one or two people who do not realize how much marketing has impacted the church, watching Warren was a self-evident case study.

That's really upsetting. I hope that some of the people in his Church are waking up to the reality that he is a poor bible expositor and even worse seems to give God a time frame for prosperity results with a money back guarantee.

 

[toddpedlar]

If He is a Southern Baptist, why aren't other SB pastors calling him out on this garbage??

Why haven't the RCA thrown the heretic Schuller out of his pulpit? Same reason. Apathy.

 

[Quickened]

stuff like this makes me cringe!

 

[LawrenceU]

Doesn't surprise me in the least, regrettably.

 

[kvanlaan]

If you want to further alienate my generation, this ridiculous marketing call is a pretty good way to do it.

Unfortunately, it seems like it is leading many in your generation down the path to perdition. Alienation would be a blessing. At least then they'd have a chance to hear the solid gospel truth.

 

[Notthemama1984]

He said similar things in his Purpose Driven Church. It was all about setting up a friendly environment for the unchurched (calling them lost is a no-no) and then asking them to stop by and give the church a test run. Just come see if you like it and then make an informed decision.


So while the OP is sad, it is not new from him.

 

[the particular baptist]

If He is a Southern Baptist, why aren't other SB pastors calling him out on this garbage??

We shouldnt hold our breath. Watching some of the big guns of the SBC condone gross mis-interpretation of calvinism and reformed theology in general at the John 3:16 Conference, makes me wonder if the SBC as a whole will ever come around. Thank God for Mohler, Moore, and Southern, pray God will greatly increase their influence.

OT alert

[video=youtube;1QGJsGw36Hk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUVeorKy0HM"]1[/url], 2, [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QGJsGw36Hk[/video]

 

[Notthemama1984]

One of the problems with the SBC is that the seminaries (at least awhile back) taught the idea that as long as someone is preaching the basics (Jesus died for your sins etc. etc.) then we should love them and support them.

So, Warren will say that Jesus died for your sins, so alot of people do not see problems with him.

 

[govols]

Could it be he is making props for a new book?

 

[Notthemama1984]

He did come out with his Purpose of Christmas. I have not even bothered to open it when I see it in stores.

 

[Wannabee]

This was on as I was leaving for work tonight. He made this comment as I was saying good night to my wife when she suddenly paused, looked away from me to the TV (that she had not been paying attention to) and said "What is wrong with that guy, is he an idiot?"

lol!

Praise God for a wife with discernment.

As for the SBC, he fits in well, so don't expect anything. He's a poster child for the conference in many regards.

 

[Ivan]

If He is a Southern Baptist, why aren't other SB pastors calling him out on this garbage??

Why haven't the RCA thrown the heretic Schuller out of his pulpit? Same reason. Apathy.

I don't know about the RCA but in the SBC there isn't a meaningful way to discipline a pastor, but of course anyone knows that here, we've discussed it to no end. I think the problems lies in the fact that in general denominations aren't going to bother with a pastor who is "successful".

I suppose Warren is a poster boy in the SBC. I really don't hear much about him where I am. I think he's made the rounds in the SBC and he's becoming old news. I can remember churches in the St. Louis area doing the "40 Days of Purpose" in the late 80's/early 90's. I had a deacon asks in those days if we were going to do the program at our church. Even as a young pastor in my first church I decided against it after checking it out.

Who in the SBC is going to do anything about Warren? Well, I've said my piece and that's all I can do. Those in power (well, they think they are in power) do what they do. In the end, Warren will stand before the LORD and will be dealt with, as all of us will stand before Him.

I believe a greater problem in the SBC is the gathering witch hunt against Calvinism. Those who are misrepresenting Calvinism are the Old Guard in the SBC, the ones who lead the way to stem the tide of liberalism in the SBC. For that I am grateful. However, these individuals seem to lack purpose in life if they aren't attacking a supposed enemy. Again, what am I to do? I can only say what I believe and leave it at that. I wish they would focus on the dating of the rapture, and I'm sure some of them have.

The SBC is a huge cumbersome entity that is difficult to lead. We rally around evangelism and missions. That is the glue that holds us together. I fear that will not be enough in the future. There will either be a small remnant of Calvinistic (or Founders-friendly at least) churches that stay in the SBC. Or there will be a number of churches that will leave and join like-minded denominations or start a new one. My guess is that it will be a little bit of all of the above.

 

[Notthemama1984]

I agree with you Ivan. I know some here still have hopes for the SBC, but I sure don't.

 

[Jon Lake]

If He is a Southern Baptist, why aren't other SB pastors calling him out on this garbage??

Why haven't the RCA thrown the heretic Schuller out of his pulpit? Same reason. Apathy.

I don't know about the RCA but in the SBC there isn't a meaningful way to discipline a pastor, but of course anyone knows that here, we've discussed it to no end. I think the problems lies in the fact that in general denominations aren't going to bother with a pastor who is "successful".

I suppose Warren is a poster boy in the SBC. I really don't hear much about him where I am. I think he's made the rounds in the SBC and he's becoming old news. I can remember churches in the St. Louis area doing the "40 Days of Purpose" in the late 80's/early 90's. I had a deacon asks in those days if we were going to do the program at our church. Even as a young pastor in my first church I decided against it after checking it out.

Who in the SBC is going to do anything about Warren? Well, I've said my piece and that's all I can do. Those in power (well, they think they are in power) do what they do. In the end, Warren will stand before the LORD and will be dealt with, as all of us will stand before Him.

I believe a greater problem in the SBC is the gathering witch hunt against Calvinism. Those who are misrepresenting Calvinism are the Old Guard in the SBC, the ones who lead the way to stem the tide of liberalism in the SBC. For that I am grateful. However, these individuals seem to lack purpose in life if they aren't attacking a supposed enemy. Again, what am I to do? I can only say what I believe and leave it at that. I wish they would focus on the dating of the rapture, and I'm sure some of them have.

The SBC is a huge cumbersome entity that is difficult to lead. We rally around evangelism and missions. That is the glue that holds us together. I fear that will not be enough in the future. There will either be a small remnant of Calvinistic (or Founders-friendly at least) churches that stay in the SBC. Or there will be a number of churches that will leave and join like-minded denominations or start a new one. My guess is that it will be a little bit of all of the above.

I would like to add to what Ivan has said, as he noted it is not easy to discipline a Pastor in the SBC (sometimes this is bad sometimes it works well, but another thread perhaps for that) the PROBLEM is Warren is sometimes orthodox,, it is true read some of his early stuff, when he is "bad" it is in a weird sub-orthodox sort of way, there lies the problem, he is not an out and out FLAMING heretic....this is why it would be hard to discipline him.

 

[Ivan]

I can remember churches in the St. Louis area doing the "40 Days of Purpose" in the late 80's/early 90's.

How? He hadn't even written the book yet?

The program was in place in a different form. There was a kit that one could purchase to do the program.

-----Added 12/4/2008 at 11:27:58 EST-----

I agree with you Ivan. I know some here still have hopes for the SBC, but I sure don't.

Unless God performs a miracle and a great revival comes to the SBC, it will never become even remotely reformed.

 

[Classical Presbyterian]

Sounds like Osteen and Warren have finally decided to coordinate their theologies and public statements! Now let's look for Readers' Digest to have Osteen tell us how Christmas is about God wanting to give us blessing but God can't because we are not asking enough or feeling good enough about our self image!