Christians hate Jesus
During an appearance on Hannity & Colmes, pastor Rick Warren agreed that the United States should assassinate Iran’s head of government, Mahmoud Ahmadenijad. He explained that this would be the biblical course of action for a Christian America “because Paul in Romans says God put government on earth to punish evildoers”.
If Christians were simply to say, We may do whatever we wish, I would not be outraged at them. If they were to say, George Washington or Martin Luther tells us to do what we do, I would not be indignant. But when they misuse the words of my Lord and his Envoys and even turn them right backward, as this man did, then I must be wroth with them for His sake, from love of Him.
For by doing so they may seem to perform a selfish coy trick, but in truth by doing so they obscure the Logos from others and (were it possible) purge Him from humankind’s memory.
Exoristos
Porter Doran
Iannes
Epiktetos
Anonymous
I think Warren’s political involvement is driven by an overwhelming desire to be on TV. I am skeptical that he has any actual opinions.
His statement is consonant with statements I’ve heard continually from Evangelicalists: statements that accord to foreign governments no respect or “biblical” warrant.
And this exegesis of his opposes their own usual use of the famous Pauline passage — which usually they are screaming at me means no one has a right to freedom of conscience and promising that they’ll do away with the supposed right in America soon as they can.
In their first statement, Christians can destroy government, in their second statement, government can destroy conscience. Perhaps only to me these statements seem opposite — but anyone should admit that their coexisting in a single Pauline passage is curious.
“Curious” is kind for “specious”. Simply: to the Christian, anything is biblical.
As I have said, We will do whatever we wish, would be their honest motto and would not require them to be sacrilegious.
Yet his statements are consistent with beliefs held by other Christian Reconstructionists, and here the mask begins to slip, exposing the lust for power motivating the movement. Warren is simply repeating what he has heard–there is nothing original about his statements. He may either be an ignorant follower of the movement or he may be actively involved.
Regardless, there is a certain irony since both Warren and his assumed enemy, Ahmadenijad, wield the same rhetorical weapons. The religion is merely a coat of paint on the cold steel to distinguish the red team from the blue team.
The Iranian republican revolution is fascinating to study. It really was supported by the people overwhelmingly, and it really was brought off entirely be a preacher (so to speak) with a consistent and enthralling plan for the country, and it really is as free and well-organized as any such religious rule could be. Christians can hope to do half so well once they conquer America.
He has got to be a very rich man, I’m thinking — I’ve known everyone from Mennonites to agnostics who bought his book. Does anyone (who sees this) like the book? How much and why?
I am sure he is, although he has given the vast majority of it away, if we may take his word for it.
I have heard mostly good things about the book, but nothing yet that would convince me to take time to read it.
Have you read it? What did you think?
No. I was given it, along with things called a Purpose-Driven Life Workbook and a Purpose-Driven Life Journal, for Christmas long ago. I opened the book toward the back, for purposes of beginning carefully to break it in, as one ought a hardbound, when I caught a glimpse of the chapter title “What It Is All For” followed by, in so many words, “Now go to church and feed the offering plates, sillies.” The book entered a wastebasket unbroken, at least in the proper way. Thus my prejudices deprived me of America’s Favorite Pastor.
I read it in the period of time in my life where I was sucking up things from books and trying to gain from them the way to live. I wrote a review of it on my blog but I’m not sure where it is. It would be interesting to me now to go and find it. I cringe to think of it, though I know I did not make a positive review.
I am sure it is a very helpful book. My mother thought so, and she is usually very critical of non-Mennonite books. If you find your review, please link it here!
http://bonniemacdonald.blogspot.com/search?q=warren
(2004)
I do believe if I read my old posts at other people’s blogs I might not recognize them. It’s interesting to have a blog and to look back.
Thank you, Bonnie.
Well I think you made some quite wise observations. And were you merely seventeen?
You’re welcome. Hm. If it was December, yeah, I was seventeen.
Perhaps he, in the same way many pastors do, confused God-bestowed success, true fruit, with the superficial and transient “success” gained by telling people what they want to hear. Politicians go straight to this approach without wasting time on any intermediate steps.