Lightbearer Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Warren Most of you have probally heard of Rick Warren he is the author of the best selling book The Purpose Driven Life now I knew about this guy and his success but I didn't know how deep it went until I saw a special about him on Fox News tonight. Something about this special bothered me to core... You see basically he, Rick Warren, made millions already and gives 90% of his income away. But look at his book alone, it sold 25 million copies! At roughly 20 dollars a copy that would put the profit at about 500 million! What's 10% of 500 mil? It's still alot of money, which he claims if for his living expenses. I for one live off of much cheaper and most people do... ... Especially the people he is devoting all his time to helping. As Wikipedia shows he is working deeply with Rwanda with there new president who helped stop the genocide of 1994. There president is a pretty smart guy, because he immedialty inacted some free market reforms and the country is better off today. But he got a copy of the book and has had Rick Warren come down to Rwanda and help him fight Mr. Warrens "Global Goliaths" which he says are -- 1. spiritual emptiness 2. egocentric leadership 3. extreme poverty 4. pandemic disease 5. illiteracy/poor education Okay, well nothing new here, Mr. Warren admited that in his interview on Fox. But how is he supposed to fight these Goliaths? Throwing a stone at thier heads like are boy David? Heres what is said on the website. Dr. Rick Warren is passionate about attacking what he calls the five “Global Goliaths” – spiritual emptiness, egocentric leadership, extreme poverty, pandemic disease, and illiteracy/poor education. His goal is a second Reformation by restoring responsibility in people, credibility in churches, and civility in culture. He is a pastor, global strategist, theologian, and philanthropist. He’s been often named " America's most influential spiritual leader" and “ America’s Pastor.” It continues with hailing of his success... As a pastor, he founded Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., in 1980 with one family. Today, it is an evangelical congregation averaging 22,000 weekly attendees, a 120-acre campus, and has more than 300 community ministries to groups such as prisoners, CEOs, addicts, single parents, and those with HIV/AIDS. Recently, the church fed 42,000 homeless people – three meals a day – for 40 days. He also leads the Purpose Driven Network of churches, a global coalition of congregations in 162 countries. More than 400,000 ministers and priests have been trained worldwide, and almost 157,000 church leaders subscribe to Ministry Toolbox, his weekly newsletter. His previous book, The Purpose Driven Church is listed in “100 Christian Books That Changed the 20 th Century.” Forbes magazine called it, “The best book on entrepreneurship, management, and leadership in print.” As a global strategist , Dr. Warren advises leaders in the public, private, and faith sectors on leadership development, poverty, health, education, and faith in culture. He has been invited to speak at the United Nations, the World Economic Forum in Davos, the African Union, the Council on Foreign Relations, Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, TIME’s Global Health Summit, and numerous congresses around the world. TIME magazine named him one of “15 World Leaders Who Mattered Most in 2004” and in 2005 one of the “100 Most Influential People in the World.” Also, in 2005 U.S. News & World Report named him one of “ America’s 25 Best Leaders”. As a theologian, Dr. Warren has lectured at Oxford, Cambridge, the University of Judaism, the Evangelical Theological Society, and numerous seminaries and universities. His six books are known for explaining theology in understandable ways and have been translated into more than 50 languages. Dr. Warren says he teaches theology without using theological terms and telling people it is theology. His latest book, The Purpose Driven Life, has sold 25 million copies and is the best-selling hardback book in American history, according to Publisher’s Weekly. As philanthropists, Rick and Kay Warren give away 90 percent of their income through three foundations: Acts of Mercy, which serves those infected and affected by AIDS; Equipping the Church, which trains church leaders in developing countries; and The Global PEACE Fund, which fights poverty, disease, and illiteracy. Then with the media quotes MEDIA QUOTES The Weekly Standard - “… clearly among the two or three most influential Americans working from the west coast.” The Economist - “Rick Warren is arguably the most influential pastor in America.” The Times ( London) - “ Business and political leaders across America are turning to Rick Warren for guidance.” Forbes - “Were it a business, Saddleback Church would be compared with Dell, Google or Starbucks.” ABC News - “ The Purpose Driven Life is the epicenter of a spiritual shockwave taking root across America in unlikely places like offices and university campuses. It has become a movement.” TIME - “Movie stars and political leaders aren't the only ones turning to Rick Warren for spiritual guidance. Millions of people – from NFL and LPGA players to corporate executives to high school students to prison inmates – meet regularly to discuss The Purpose Driven Life.” Here is one the daily devotionals on the website. August 18, 2006 Loving the other By John Fischer There is one thing, among many, that we share as human beings. We are all selfish. It’s built into our DNA. Not that this is all bad. In fact the one commandment that Jesus said that summed up everything God expects of us relies on our being this way. Jesus said we were to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. So self-love is assumed. It’s interesting to me that Jesus doesn’t tell us to stop being selfish; he tells us how to turn our preoccupation with self into something that will take us beyond ourselves. We all care for ourselves and look after our own needs. We’re all number one in our own book. Jesus was counting on this when he told us how to love. He said to love others the way you love yourself. Look after someone else’s needs the way you look after your own. If you want to find out how to love someone, observe how you treat yourself, and then do that for someone else. This shouldn’t be too hard to figure out. If you want people to listen to you, listen to them. If you want people to applaud you, applaud them. If you want to be recognized, recognize someone. If you want people to take you seriously, take them seriously. If you’re getting hungry, then you can assume that others around you are probably hungry too. How else did Jesus know to take care of feeding the crowd he had been speaking to all day except that he was hungry himself?You could go as far as to say that this is precisely why we have needs, so we can understand and deal with the needs of those around us. Noticing others by all the attention we pay ourselves is a way of using our natural born instincts for something better. This is one of the great things about fellowship. If everyone is concerned about everyone else, everyone gets taken care of without having to focus on ourselves. We all take care of each other, taking extra care to make sure no one is left out. Think about this as you go through this day – that your own needs are more than likely an indication of the needs of those around you, and try satisfying your need by meeting theirs. So it's okay to be selfish as long as you are selfless at the same time? :shock: So we have a big mega-star pastor running around preaching that he is fighting the good fight against the wrongs of the world. What better place to do that then in Africa? It's filled to the brim with disease ridden poor people, the lepers that Christ would love to lay his healing hands on right? This is staunchly unoriginal... yet, it's just as fasinacting as the first 100 times it happend. I am looking at the video of this nice plump well-dressed pastor who looks clean and nice on the outside like he protrays himself to be on the inside by giving all the leaders of the country big nice hugs. The picture is sharply contrasted by the dying, scaurony, disease ridden, agony filled people around him who look like the only water they can get needs to go to keeping them alive and not simple luxuries like bathing and their clothes are hand me down ripped and torn to shreds, worn out. Seeing jolly Pastor-Claus next random, nameless, meaningless, yet purposeful African AIDS victim was just to gross for me. And what does he and his emirassaries of peace, love, and purpose do for the nameless dying African man sharing a bed with another person because the crappy run down hospital he is in can't afford to give him is own treatment? They all hold hands and pray above him. Wow! That really should relieve his constant state of suffering. Why doesn't Warren tell everyone in this hospital there real purpose in life is? To suffer and die so he can make himself a fortune and become the most influential pastor in America? He is all about changing lives? Ever heard of medicine Mr.Warren? It's been proven to work alot better then simply wishing the disease would go away, you know. But history has shown us these religion-peddling altruists love to realish in suffering. Mother Teresea called it beautiful, Mel Gibson slaughtered Christ in front of movie audiences around the world, Reverand Sharpton apparently helps the poor and suffering, Kayne West raps about the poor starving kids in africa but is one of the wealthiest black-men in the country, and thousands of others have always come to Africa, or the Ghettos which ever is more convienant, to eliminate poverty and disease in God's name. When this doesn't happen they claim God didn't want it too at the moment and run back to there peaceful luxurious homes in affulient surburbia. Just like Jesus would have done right? And how does Mr. Warren go about fighing the Goliaths? He starts churches! He says that all the billions of Christians in the world can defeat this problem. They have the most people and resources and the best message. Apparently, since he is spiritual guiding some of the wealthiest and powerful people in the world. Even President Bush, leader of the free world, has read his book and praised him. You think with all the attention he is pandering all the starving kids in Africa would be rich rap stars by now. They said in the Fox Special that schools and hospitals are scarce and won't come to Rwanda. But churches sure as hell would. Churchs handed Tutsis over to get slaughtered by the Hutis in the 94 genocide. Churchs today are filled with the bones of the people they let get slaughtered. Talk about spiritual emptiness! And even on the special it showed Warren flying away in his helicopter and he blew the tin roof of the only school in the area injuring two kids. I had to laugh at this because with all his awesome purpose driving promies he actually hurt the one thing that could help this country. At the scene his wife was praying with the school officials that the evil one would live this land. I don't know about the evil one leaving but the fat one in the helicopter leaving might be a good start for getting things done. Talk about illegitimacy/poor education! With all there money and attention they could just build schools and hospitals. But they preach at people who give them faces for a cause that they never fix. They just smile and pray and fly around on helicopters and meet people and shake hand and go back to the states to talk to a banquent with the richest people in the country while the poorest people in the world they just left die. He gets his name plastered all over the news stands and award nominees just like the other hundred thousand people who crusade in Africa. No wonder one of this guys fans is Fidel Castro, who ordered a signed copy of the book. Talk about egocentric leadership! Meanwhile the purposeful 25 million followers all read about how to stay healthy for God, wealthy for God, and educated for God. They read Mr. Oslteens work and live their best life for now for God. So all the spiritual full selfless people have money and food while they lament over the poor spiritual empty people in Africa who suffer at the hands of egocentric leadership in some places. Talk about extreme poverty and pandemic diseases! But the never-ending crusade to Africa carries on. The One campaign with it's celebrity leaders preach to us about the suffering of this poor continent as much Rick Warren and his purpose driven campaign. With all the most powerful and wealthy people in the world focusing on this place you'd think between all of them something really meaningful could get done. But no, no you see refugees in Sudan still getting slaughtered and raped today as the Tutsis in Rwanda 12 years ago. You still see in every country south of the Sahara starving kids who mothers died of AIDs who healthy evangecials pick them up and say "For 3 dollars a day you can support this kid." You still mass amounts of relief and AID going to "help" these people which gets pocketed by the hands of the tribal warlord governments who turn around and slaughter their people, with the alms some well-intentioned person to make themselves feel like they funded Gods purposeful plan to fuck over Africa again and again and again. You still see socialists claiming this as the fault of the Western capitalists and the "free-market" Christians claiming this is the fault of Satan and uncaring Western free nations for not giving away more of their money. Even though the nations of Africa are already in debt with all the money that's been given to them. When is this going to end exactly? When well someone actually step up and offer a solution? I have one -- it's called capitalism, individual rights, and reason. Capitalism is the only thing that will ever help the plight of Africa from the blight they are engulfed in. Just like the AIDs that infects the raped women in the hospitals, another pandemic disease spreads through Africa called false hope -- when they got raped by Christianity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amanda Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 And what does he and his emirassaries of peace, love, and purpose do for the nameless dying African man sharing a bed with another person because the crappy run down hospital he is in can't afford to give him is own treatment? They all hold hands and pray above him. Wow! That really should relieve his constant state of suffering. Why doesn't Warren tell everyone in this hospital there real purpose in life is? To suffer and die so he can make himself a fortune and become the most influential pastor in America? He is all about changing lives? Ever heard of medicine Mr.Warren? It's been proven to work alot better then simply wishing the disease would go away, you know. Lightbearer, do you know what they are doing with all that money he is donating? Is there some kind of posted budget he is doing with that donated money? It seems that surely monies have been put aside for updating hospital fascilities and medical interventions. How about enhanced protection from those intent on their gencide? Surely he is using all that money for something other than praying!? It seems that he would not be getting any recognition unless he was accomplishing something! :ohmy: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightbearer Posted August 22, 2006 Author Share Posted August 22, 2006 Yeah but you I can't ever find this budget at all. You know the concert that Bono gives everyonce in awhile to raise money for Africa? It all is basically giving to the people intent on genocide. I don't really think it's making an impact, more like a publicilty impact. Like I said in most, Africa is harldy better off 10 or 20 years ago then it is today, even with all the money and attention given to it. Even in Rwanda the country is better off but it's mainly due to the free market reforms that their President enacted, but he is not praised over that, he is praised over being a fan of a Christian authors best selling book. So far I have not seen any medical facility or decent school in Africa, maybe besides South Africa but that's only in the more civilized area. The small tribal kingdom in the middle of South Africa is still heavily improverished. In fact, that's what started me on my path of disdain for people like this, there was a Wall Street Journal article about how this pastor raised all this money to help the people in South Africa buy making them their very own state of the art town type facility and was making all these demands to get it done and when it didn't happen he basically said "God didn't want me here" and left, leaving the people he promised to help completely empty handed. The article interviewed some of the tribal villagers who say they and alot of the African people in general distrust these pastors now because this was not the first time it happened, it happens over and over again. I think his "P.E.A.C.E" plan has a posted budget but you have to register with your local sponsoring church before you even have access to the site. I bet you have to buy tons of stuff before that too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amanda Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 In fact, that's what started me on my path of disdain for people like this, there was a Wall Street Journal article about how this pastor raised all this money to help the people in South Africa buy making them their very own state of the art town type facility and was making all these demands to get it done and when it didn't happen he basically said "God didn't want me here" and left, leaving the people he promised to help completely empty handed. The article interviewed some of the tribal villagers who say they and alot of the African people in general distrust these pastors now because this was not the first time it happened, it happens over and over again. Lightbearer, IMO, to change generational thinking is a very difficult process. It can not be done by a revelation in the 'rescuer's' vision, but there has to be a revelation in the rescuee's vision. Ultimately, we can only help people help themselves. Without this enlightenment, it seems to me there will only be frustration in any efforts to help these people. Change involves going into the unknown, and these African people, as are most everyone, would rather stay where they are than face the unknown. Helping people is to help them by self empowerment. Yet, offering decent medical care to those brave enough to venture inside for help, may offer positive results to these others that lend courage for change. I think his "P.E.A.C.E" plan has a posted budget but you have to register with your local sponsoring church before you even have access to the site. I bet you have to buy tons of stuff before that too. Hmmmmmm... it kinda makes one wonder what they are hiding? Does someone have to be in a potiential position to buy into their spin? Why not allow the world to see, and be ready to accept constuctive criticism to make their financial efforts more profitable... for the African people that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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