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At a all time low must have been the Christian Chambers of Megachurchdom when Tricky Ricky
better known as Pastor Rick Warren PURPOSEFULLY, in less than 100 days, recanted his words regarding homosexual marriage as not to offend the group of "sexual minority" and state that homosexuals are a class of people that he has no problems with in the least bit. This is all so reminiscent of the post I did called Parlor Tricks & Magic, that I felt a little research was in order so that we can see past this David Blaine impersonation that Tricky Ricky is trying to pull. Let's look at how the secular media and homosexuals considered Trick Ricky statements:
better known as Pastor Rick Warren PURPOSEFULLY, in less than 100 days, recanted his words regarding homosexual marriage as not to offend the group of "sexual minority" and state that homosexuals are a class of people that he has no problems with in the least bit. This is all so reminiscent of the post I did called Parlor Tricks & Magic, that I felt a little research was in order so that we can see past this David Blaine impersonation that Tricky Ricky is trying to pull. Let's look at how the secular media and homosexuals considered Trick Ricky statements: On 12/17/2008 POLITICO reported:
- "But it’s his {Warren's} support for the California constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage that drew the most heated criticism from Democrats Wednesday." (emphasis mine)
Then on 12/17/2008 The Washington Blade editor Kevin Naff said:
- "Warren, outspoken proponent of California’s Proposition 8, is James Dobson masquerading as a moderate.”
Even Tricky Ricky said this himself:
- “We support Proposition 8. And if you believe what the Bible says about marriage, you need to support Proposition 8. … I urge you to support Proposition 8, and pass that on. … Everybody knows what I believe about it.”
So everybody in the world, including Tricky Ricky himself, knew what he was saying, what he meant and where he stood regarding Prop 8 and homosexual marriage...That is until Pastor Ricky met Larry King again.
Well, according to POLITICO on 4/12/09 Tricky Ricky cancelled his most recent TV appearance on ABC due to contradictory statements made during that Larry King interview. Besides the failure to show any conviction on what is arguably the most heated moral issue in America today, this situation even made Pastor Ricky invoke the 10% Grace Public Statement Rule. That's right...The 10% Grace Public Statement Rule which probably hasn't been used since Former President "Slick Willy" Clinton invoked it before the discovery of the "stained dress" and these comments regarding Monica Lewinsky, "I DID..NOT...HAVE SEXUAL RELATIONS...with that woman, Miss. Lewinsky". In like fashion Tricky Ricky said the following:
- "I am not an anti-gay or anti-gay marriage activist. I never have been, never will be. During the whole Proposition 8 thing, I never once went to a meeting, never once issued a statement, never — never once even gave an endorsement in the two years Prop 8 was going. The week before the — the vote, somebody in my church said, Pastor Rick, what — what do you think about this? And I sent a note to my own members that said, I actually believe that marriage is — really should be defined, that that definition should be — say between a man and a woman. And then all of a sudden out of it, they made me, you know, something that I really wasn't. … I wrote to all my gay friends — the leaders that I knew — and actually apologized to them. That never got out. There were some things said that — you know, everybody should have 10 percent grace when they say public statements.”
So we understand that you're not an anti-gay activist or anti gay marriage activist, but are you a minister of the word of God??? And obviously unless that wuz your body double, that was YOU Ricky saying that you and every Christian should endorse Prop 8. Did anyone else see what I saw and hear what I heard??? Or was this just a grand illusion?
In addition to all this, Pastor Warren's publicist said that the Pastor couldn't do ABC (Yes, that's Television) because he was "sick with exhaustion". Further, Tricky Ricky wouldn't comment on the Iowa Supreme Court decision to legalize gay marriage because "it's not his agenda" Notice the wording...it wasn't that the issue was not ON his agenda, he says it is NOT his agenda.
OK
So now, what some have proclaimed as the number one preacher in America, won't comment on a moral issue effecting millions of Americans because it's NOT his agenda??? In other words It's Not His Purpose!
What Happened To This Word?
Isaiah 58:1~ "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of and the house of Jacob their sins"
But I guess in order to do that you have to have more than people power behind you, and really be full of the power of God and in the Spirit of the Lord like Micah states:
Micah 3:8 ~ "But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the Lord, and of judgement and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin."
I don't pastor a megachurch, so maybe I just simply don't understand the difficulties of being biblically consistent when those things could cost popularity, television appearances, political associations, and popular public opinion. So I guess because of that me and others like me who simply believe and uphold God's word no matter what doors close in our faces are just considered "haters" by the world. Then there's this word:
Rom. 8:6-8 ~ "6-For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7-Because the carnal mind is an enmity against god: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8-So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God."
Maybe the exegesis of scripture regarding standing against sin and immoral practices doesn't apply to the megachurch and popular pastor crowd. It certainly doesn't apply to the United Churches of Christ who now distribute condoms IN CHURCH to their members. So the church is no more than a social club and a place to self-promote popular personality. Maybe I just simply missed receiving the memo that being popular is more of what the Lord desires of his people than being saved, teaching and affirming biblical truth.
One thing I do know, is that when he comes, as my friends from Commissioned said some years ago, "There 'll be no time to get it right, when the Lord cracks the sky...Will you be ready when Jesus comes???"
Rev. 22: 10-15 ~ "10-And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. 11- He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, ;et him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. 12-And behold I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. 13- I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. 14- Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 15- For without are dogs and sourcers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie."
Well said Pastor Burnett, WELL SAID!
ReplyDeleteSister Pat
Thank you sister, It gets kinda frustrating to say it, see it and all but thank God for the ability to see it clearly.
ReplyDeleteI hope the Pastor turns this around and get this right...it's a mess right now.
Pastor Burnette, although I agree that our ministers must "cry loud and spare not", I'm not sure Pastor Warren can "turn this around and get this right..." to the satisfaction of either side of this argument regarding gay marriage and Prop8. I think there have been too many personal interpretations of what he's said, too many fumbled attempts by him to clarify, and too many snippets and ...'s (dot dot dots) to parts of his conversations on Larry King Live and places for there to be any real objective evaluation of his position- outside of his own words (all of them-not snippets).
ReplyDeleteIn many instances, I fear our Christian writers and pundits are becoming much like the secular media, and I'm concerned about this. I don't bite my tongue one bit about my opposition to gay marriage or about homosexuality - PERIOD! I am opposed to what God is opposed to. But I am also not a media figure where every word that comes out of my mouth is evaluated. We give our COGIC ministers (and others) the benefit of the doubt in so many things they say that's a little murky because we know what we've heard them loudly proclaim about their positions that was CLEAR! So, we tend to go with their CLEAR statements, and attribute the clumsy ones to our human inability to communicate perfectly. I believe that Pastor Warrens clear statement (on more than one occasion) that he opposes gay marriage should be accepted as that.
Pastor, I’m one of your biggest fans, and I admire your strong biblical position on moral issues. However, I don’t think your slant on Pastor Warren’s comments was quite fair. Specifically, where you wrote the following:
“And then all of a sudden out of it, they made me, you know, something that I really wasn't. … I wrote to all my gay friends — the leaders that I knew — and actually apologized to them.”
The statement, as you posted it, does make Pastor Warren seem compromising and weak, and, to some degree that may be true. However, since that is a key statement that points to what we perceive as his position on the subject of gay marriage, it should not carry (…) in the middle of it. What exactly did he apologize for? Was it his opposition to gay marriage that he was apologizing for (that’s what’s implied), or was it something else, for example (Christianity Today):
"During the King interview, Dr. Warren also referenced a letter of apology that he sent to gay leaders whom he knew personally. However, that mea culpa was not with respect to his statements or position on Proposition 8 nor the biblical worldview on marriage. Rather, he apologized for his comments in an earlier Beliefnet interview expressing his concern about expanding or redefining the definition of marriage beyond a husband-wife relationship, during which he unintentionally and regrettably gave the impression that consensual adult same sex relationships were equivalent to incest or pedophilia.”
I am certainly not defending Pastor Warren. I would think that he would know that ANY apology to the gay community about something he said in that setting would be seen as “waffling” and used to support their agenda! But, as one Christian to another, I am encouraging “caution” when adding paint to a portrait of another pastor whose strategy for approaching controversy may differ from ours. I, too, don’t think it serves our ministers well to be portrayed as any ONE specific kind of “activist” because it sometimes pigeon-holes their message and reduces it to only that ONE message (anti-gay marriage, for instance), when our message should be the “whole counsel of God”. However, considering the proliferation of homosexuality in our society today, I’m not sure how ministers who speak out publically in any way can avoid this image. God bless you, Pastor.
Concerned Saint,
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting on this and as always I appreciate your insights and I know the audience does too.
First of all this isn't the kind of post I like to do. The humor in it, even the title, "Tricky Ricky" is designed to evoke humor instead of the horrible gut feeling that I and many experienced when this was brought to us.
I want to clarify something though. You said that I said or produced a slant on this:
"And then all of a sudden out of it, they made me, you know, something that I really wasn't. … I wrote to all my gay friends — the leaders that I knew — and actually apologized to them."Now, I didn't slant that at all. The statement stands for itself because those are HIS words and not mine. I think when reviewed critically you see exactly what I saw...a big problem.
Now that doesn't exclude the fact that he could have been talking about the pedophile statements etc, but he could and still can clear that up the context definitively at any point.
In short, he opened a can of worms because he wasn't directed to say anything other than the truth and he tried to placate the masses for popularity and he got caught in the trap of what I call menpleasing. That's the problem, preachers balancing the message of truth to please men.
You make some good and valid points though...I appreciate additional commentary and research on this.