Then You Know That The Bigot Has Spoken

[_Nevo]

The article might be of particular interest to some here, considering Warren's feelings on Mormonism.

Warren's feelings on Mormonism? Obviously Hitchens's guilt-by-association tack worked. The article doesn't, in fact, tell us anything about what Warren thinks of Mormons--only what one of his so-called "leading allies and defenders" thinks about Mormons. I wonder if Hitchens would have us attribute to him any and all sentiments expressed by any of his friends (say, Martin Amis or Ian McEwan). Probably not.

Hitchens tarring Warren as an anti-Mormon is especially rich in light of the fact that Warren is regularly criticized by co-religionists for being too friendly with Mormons. Routinely cited is this 2003 article from USA Today.

Warren is part of the ultra-conservative Southern Baptist Convention, and all his senior staff sign on to the SBC's doctrines, such as the literal and infallible Bible and exclusion of women as senior pastors. Yet Warren's pastor-training programs welcome Catholics, Methodists, Mormons, Jews and ordained women.
(Source)

I like Hitchens, but this hatchet job on Warren is not one of his better efforts. "The bigot has spoken" indeed.

[_The Dude]

Warren is part of the ultra-conservative Southern Baptist Convention, and all his senior staff sign on to the SBC's doctrines, such as the literal and infallible Bible and exclusion of women as senior pastors. Yet Warren's pastor-training programs welcome Catholics, Methodists, Mormons, Jews and ordained women.
(Source)

Bzzzt!! BS detector!!

What does it mean to offer pastor-training to Catholics (don't have pastors), Mormons (don't have pastors) and Jews (don't have pastors). May as well offer it to atheists and Satanists as well.

[_Sethbag]

Okay, I agree with you Seth. Rick Warren is the best hypocritical bigot we could get - the best of the worst.

That's all I was trying to say.

Obviously every single Christian believer, faithful Jew, devout Muslim, paid-up Scientologist, etc. are either hucksters of snake oil, or eager consumers of it, but if we go around condemning them all because they don't happen to believe everything the way we do, we'll have to condemn 70-80% of our fellow Americans. Someone has to attend Obama's inauguration. And Obama himself is not an atheist humanist like we are, so we can't be too disappointed that he didn't pick Sam Harris to give his invocation, even though I'd pay damn good money to see that if he did.

ps: I'm with Nevo on this one, and meant to have posted something like what he posted earlier - the article in question only accuses Warren of having supporters with various beliefs, or of Warren's early mentor having certain beliefs, without any evidence that Warren himself shares those same beliefs and acts on them publicly.

[_bcspace]

I never could understand how people can sit there with a straight face and pretend like their version of Christianity is any less asinine and fictitious than a Mormon's.

It's all in how well your theology matches the scriptures.

[_Scottie]

It's all in how well your theology matches the scriptures.

You mean your interpretation of the scriptures.