Rick Warren, with plenty to say
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- April
- 8
“Purpose Driven” pastor Rick Warren has been quiet lately.
He’s declined interviews since President Obama chose him to give the benediction at the inauguration.
But he talked yesterday with Christianity Today’s Sarah Pulliam and covered a lot of ground: California’s Prop. 8; political involvement; Obama’s views; his new magazine; interfaith relations; and—get this—his recent baptism of 800 people in one day.
About the mega-baptism, he said: “I was in the water for over five hours. I had webbed feet. It had to be a record. You know, it says in Acts that at the day of Pentecost, 3,000 were baptized and added to the church that day. We had 2,400 added to the church that day. The world belongs to Saddleback. When we started Saddleback, it was a white suburban church. We speak 65 different languages. It’s the United Nations. I baptized an Egyptian General; I baptized probably 50 or 60 nationalities.”
Imagine, 2,400 people added to the church in one day. Around here, a lot of mainline churches would throw a party if they could add 24 new members in one year.
About the president, he said: “Barack Obama knows we disagree on a number of issues. I talked to him about it before he decided to run for President, and I told him that I think his views on abortion are wrong. You can like somebody without agreeing with all of their policies. Most people know that I was a friend of President Bush. I didn’t agree with everything President Bush did.”
About those who opposed his role in the inaugeration because he opposes same-sex marriage, Warren said: “The truth is, Proposition 8 was a two-year campaign in the state, and during those two years, I never said a word about it until the eight days before the election, and then I did make a video for my own people when they asked, “How should we vote on this?” It was a pastor talking to his own people. I’ve never said anything about it since. I don’t know how you take one video newsletter to your own church and turn that into, all of a sudden I’m the poster boy for anti-gay marriage.”
Photo: Associated Press
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on Wednesday, April 8th, 2009 at 11:49 am by Gary Stern.
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The world of religion, we don't have to tell you, is vast. The purpose of this blog is for Stern to note, flag and comment on some of the more interesting religious developments on the scene – weighty and quirky, somber and laughable, far away and just down the road. He won't interpret Scripture, take sides in conflicts or judge anyone. But he will take advantage of the journalist's license to observe.
