RICK WARREN JOINS TONY BLAIR’S NEW AGE INTERFAITH EFFORT ,(www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, -) Southern Baptist pastor Rick Warren is on the advisory council of Tony Blair’s Faith Foundation, an organization that seeks interfaith dialogue and cooperation (“Blair Courts Controversial US Pastor,” The Observer, March 14, 2010). Warren will help Blair launch “a faith offensive across the United States over the next year, after building up relationships with a network of influential religious leaders and faith organisations.” Blair, who converted to the Roman Catholic Church in 2007, is following his own humanistic dream rather than the infallible Word of God. In a 1993 interview with Third Way Magazine, Blair described his Christian faith in terms of social consciousness as opposed to “some sort of special one-to-one relationship with a remote Being on high.” He and his wife have participated in a variety of New Age practices, including a “rebirthing ceremony” in Mexico. Blair’s vision is a New Age one of building world peace through interfaith harmony.
The Faith Foundation’s web site currently features a quote from Buddhist Zen master Joan Halifax who praises Blair’s objective and says, “At this time, it is an imperative that we nurture the best in each other, so that our children can meet a world that is sane and healthy.” In this context, the greatest “evil” is religious dogmatism and intolerance, because it hinders “world peace.” At the launch of the Faith Foundation in May 2008 at the headquarters of the mainstream media group Time Warner, Blair said that one of the organization’s goals is to “counter extremism in all six leading religious.” A dogmatic stand on the Bible as the sole authority and on Jesus Christ as the only Lord and Saviour is considered “extreme” and disruptive to human progress. Why, you say, would a Southern Baptist pastor sign on to this vision? The reason, of course, is that he shares it. Rick Warren has repeatedly lashed out at biblical fundamentalism. In 2006 he said that Christian fundamentalism will be “one of the big enemies of the 21st century” and lumped it in with “Muslim fundamentalism” and “secular fundamentalism” (“The Purpose-Driven Pastor,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, Jan. 8, 2006). Thus the Christian fundamentalist who loves the Lord Jesus Christ and merely seeks to take God’s Word seriously and to live it and to preach it faithfully before his Heavenly Master is said to be as dangerous as a Muslim terrorist or a rabid atheist. Warren said that Christian fundamentalism is motivated by fear,
Such a statement only demonstrates Warren’s ignorance. The Bible often speaks of fear in a positive manner. In fact, it says the fear of the Lord is the very beginning of wisdom (Prov. 9:10). Noah was commended because he feared God’s warning (Heb. 11:7). We are to pass this earthly sojourn with fear (1 Pet. 1:17) and to save some by fear (Jude 23). Paul feared that the devil would deceive the believers through false gospels, false christs, and false spirits (2 Cor. 11:1-4). We should follow the apostle’s example and fear spiritual deception, both for ourselves and for others. The Bible says pastors who sin should be rebuked before all “that others also may fear” (1 Tim. 5:20). Would that the Southern Baptist Convention would take that verse seriously and rebuke Rick Warren publicly! Where are the “staunch conservative” or “nearly fundamentalist” Southern Baptist leaders who are exposing Rick Warren’s errors? They deride men like me for warning about errors within the Southern Baptist Convention, pretending that it is none of our business, but they don’t lift a voice of their own. Well, I think I will just keep on warning! How we need contenders of the Faith!
BIBLE VERSE: ” It was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. —Jude 3
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Are you a contender or a pretender
