http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Warren
Richard D. "Rick" Warren (born January 28, 1954) is the founder and senior pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, the fourth largest church in the United States. He is also the author of many Christian books and an influential Evangelical minister. During the summer of 2008, he hosted the Civil Forum on The Presidency featuring both John McCain and Barack Obama at his church. He holds both socially conservative and economically liberal views.<1>
...Warren's books have come under criticism from some Christians who question the practices promoted in these books, claiming that they distort the gospel and employ questionable tactics.<11> Particularly, some fear his books invite his readers into a 40-day streamlined program, rather than a living, transforming faith in God. Others express concern over what is described as the divisive nature of Warren's techniques. Wall Street Journal writer Suzanne Sataline cites examples of congregations who have split over purpose-driven growth strategies and congregations who have expelled members who fought purpose driven changes.<11> In an effort to defend Warren, Richard Abanes, a Christian author, journalist and apologist has written a book and extensive articles researching many of these criticisms.<12>
http://www.saddleback.com/aboutsaddleback/whatwebelieve/index.html
WHAT WE BELIEVE
ABOUT THE BIBLE
The Bible is God’s word to all men. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. Because it is inspired by God, it is truth without any mixture of error.
YOU WERE PLANNED FOR GOD'S PLEASURE
You are alive today because God chose you to be here. You exist for his benefit, his glory, his purpose, and his delight. Bring enjoyment to God, living for his pleasure, is the first purpose of your life.
http://blog.beliefnet.com/godometer/2008/08/rick-warren-to-godometer-obama.htmlABORTION
"I'm a pastor, I'm not a prophet, so I would not predict how evangelicals are going to vote. I will tell you they're not monolith. That's a big myth. They're going to make up their minds based on the hierarchy of their values. For many evangelicals, of course, if they believe that life begins at conception, that's a deal breaker for a lot of people. If they think that life begins at conception, then that means that there are 40 million Americans who are not here that could have voted. They would call that a holocaust and for them it would like if I'm Jewish and a Holocaust denier is running for office. I don't care how right he is on everything else, it's a deal breaker for me. I'm not going to vote for a Holocaust denier..."
If an evangelical really believes that the Bible is literal--in other word in Psalm 139 God says 'I formed you in your mother's womb and before you were born I planned every day of your life,' if they believe that's literally true, then they can't just walk away from that. They can add other issues, but they can't walk away from the belief that at conception God planned that child and to abort it would be to short circuit the purpose....
PROP 8
http://www.beliefnet.com/News/2008/12/Rick-Warren-Transcript.aspx?p=7
"No American should ever be discriminated against because of their beliefs. Period. But a civil union is not a civil right. Nowhere in the constitution can you find the “right” to claim that any loving relationship identical to marriage. It’s just not there...
"For 5,000 years, marriage has been defined by every single culture and every single religion – this is not a Christian issue. Buddhist, Muslims, Jews – historically, marriage is a man and a woman. And the reason I supported Proposition 8, is really a free speech issue. Because first the court overrode the will of the people, but second there were all kinds of threats that if that did not pass then any pastor could be considered doing hate speech if he shared his views that he didn’t think homosexuality was the most natural way for relationships, and that would be hate speech. We should have freedom of speech, ok? And you should be able to have freedom of speech to make your position and I should be able to have freedom of speech to make my position, and can’t we do this in a civil way...
"Much of this debate is not really about civil rights, but a desire for approval. The fact that 70% of blacks supported Prop 8 shows they don’t believe it is a civil rights issue. Gays in California already have their rights. What they desire is approval and validation from those who disagree with them, and they are willing to force it by law if necessary. Any disapproval is quickly labeled “hate speech. Imagine if we held that standard in every other disagreement Americans have? There would be no free speech. That’s why, on the traditional marriage side, many saw Prop 8 as a free speech issue: Don’t force me to validate a lifestyle I disagree with. It is not the same as marriage.” And many saw the Teacher’s Union contribution of $3 million against Prop 8, as a effort to insure that children would be taught to approve what most parents disapprove of.]"
(Cleary Rick ignores many other cultures in which polygamy was marriage, including the polygamous Abraham, Isaac and Jacob from the Old Testament. Not that this is a good thing, just that Rick's American experience has not necessarily been the way of the rest of the world,)
http://www.prospect.org/csnc/blogs/tapped_archive?month=12&year=2008&base_name=rick_warren_doth_protest_too_m
Warren dodged Waldman's question about whether he supported civil unions or domestic partnerships, answering instead, "I support full equal rights for everyone in America," adding that he only opposes a "redefinition" of marriage. He went on to say he's opposed to gay marriage the same way he is opposed to a brother and sister marrying (that would be incest), a man marrying a child (that would be statutory rape), or someone having multiple spouses (that would be polygamy). Pressed by Waldman, Warren said he considered those crimes equivalent to gay marriage.
Warren claimed he supported Proposition 8 because of a free-speech issue -- asserting that "any pastor could be considered doing hate speech . . . if he shared his views that homosexuality wasn't the most natural way for relationships." That's a standard religious right canard: turning pluralism into "discrimination" against Christians. (Or, claiming that saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" is a "war" that demeans Christianity.) Not only is it a silly argument logically, it's completely fabricated when it comes to Proposition 8: had it not passed, the free speech rights of pastors in California would have remained intact.