Thursday, September 27, 2007

Calvary Chapel and Rick Warren -- "Parting Ways"

I was unaware that Calvary Chapel had recently stopped distributing Rick Warren's written materials through their churches, and Chuck Smith has recalled one of his books that cited Warren favorably in the past. You can read about it from the perspective of an "apologist" within the Calvary Chapel movement here:

http://www.understandthetimes.org/commentary/c48_pf.shtml

I find this disheartening. While I certainly don't agree with all that Warren has done in recent years, I don't believe ecclesiatical separation is warranted in this case. Who does Chuck Smith think he is. Bob Jones III? Is the Calvary Chapel movement becoming a fighting "Fundamentalist" fellowship?

Was there no way for Warren and Smith to meet together behind closed doors and iron out their differences or find a way to agree to disagree agreeably?

Or, is it the fact that Warren's Purpose Driven Life has outsold all of Chuck's books put together that is motivating this?

It's another sad -- and unnecessary -- fracture in the Body....

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