As someone who attends Saddleback services in Irvine, Pastor Warren is far more tolerant of church members who are divorced or facing divorce when even the Bible has a great deal to say about the negative impact of divorce. But he is less tolerant of same-sex marriage.

Pastor Warren seems to spend considerable time amending statements madein TV interviews, even on programs that lob softball questions like the Larry King Program. Perhaps he needs better media training?

But to suggest that Pastor Warren was only acting as a Pastor in the Prop 8 debate and not as an activist in response top church members is, excuse me for saying this, a load of bull. Pastors are activists and Pastor Warren’s statements on Prop 8 amounted to providing Saddleback members with biblical guidance on how they should vote on Prop 8. As a Pastor, Pastor Warren has every right to decide who is eligible for marriage in Saddleback Church. But on the issue of Civil Marriage performed by a justice of the peace or court official, he has no authority.

Your reference to the Biblical worldview of a 5,000 year history of marriage is inaccurate. In ancient Israel, both polygamy and monogamy were legitimate forms of marriage. Scripture never states that marriage is “one man for one woman,” but it is equally clear that marriage is only between men and women, and forbade homosexuality.

There are gay-friendly passages in the Bible. For example, Ruth 1:16-17 and 2:10-11 describe a close friendship with Naomi. Perhaps the best known passage from this book is Ruth 1:16-17 which is often read out during opposite-sex and same-sex marriage and union ceremonies:

“Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.” (NIV)

Ruth 1:14, referring to the relationship between Ruth and Naomi, mentions that “Ruth clave onto her.” (KJV) The Hebrew word translated here as “clave” is identical to that used in the description of a heterosexual marriage in Genesis 2:24: ” Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” (KJV)

Then there was Saul and David: 1 Samuel 20:41
“After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with is face to the ground. Then they kissed each other and wept together – but David wept the most.” (NIV)

And God does seem to sanction polygamy by giving King David multiple wives in 2 Samuel 12:7-8.

Does Pastor Warren have a position on Levirate Marriages in the Bible?

Throughout his pastoral ministry spanning nearly 30 years, Dr. Warren has remained committed to the biblical definition of marriage as between one man and one woman, for life — a position held by most fellow Evangelical pastors. He has further stressed that for 5,000 years, EVERY culture and EVERY religion has maintained this worldview.

When Dr. Warren told Larry King that he never campaigned for California’s Proposition 8, he was referring to not participating in the official two-year organized advocacy effort specific to the ballot initiative in that state, based on his focus and leadership on other compassion issues. Because he’s a pastor, not an activist, in response to inquiries from church members, he issued an email and video message to his congregation days before the election confirming where he and Saddleback Church stood on this issue.

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.

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Kristin U. Cole

a. larry ross communications

(p) 615.289.6701

(f) 615.825.9152

I don’t care what Pastor Warren and his flock believe.

What is is position?

Publically

Privately

This is 2009. we’re allowed to have different sets of opinions, even while you sell MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF BOOKS expousing different views.

Just come out and say it YES I support GAY MARRIAGE or NO I DON’T SUPPORT GAY MARRIAGE.

This guy is waiting for the next pooll.

It has little to do with God and more to do with Random House!

“Not a single criticism came from any gay leader that knows me and knows that for years we’ve been working together on Aids issues.” ‘

I’d really like to know who that gay leader is! Why hasn’t any gay leader come forward to defend him???

And we can always count on Larry the King of Softballs not to challenge anyone, no matter how ridiculous the statement. If Warren said the sun sets in the north, King would take his word for it. Rick Warren and Larry King – a match made in heaven.