{"id":2437,"date":"2007-05-21T11:21:21","date_gmt":"2007-05-21T17:21:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.casadeblundell.com\/jonathan\/?p=2437"},"modified":"2012-05-15T16:41:56","modified_gmt":"2012-05-15T22:41:56","slug":"falwell-vs-warren","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/casadeblundell.com\/jonathan\/falwell-vs-warren\/","title":{"rendered":"Falwell vs. Warren"},"content":{"rendered":"

The NY Times<\/a> has an interesting piece today comparing the late Rev. Jerry Falwell with Rev. Rick Warren.<\/p>\n

The evangelical Christian movement, which has been pivotal in reshaping the country\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s political landscape since the 1980s, has shifted in potentially momentous ways in recent years, broadening its agenda and exposing new fissures.
\nThe death of the Rev. Jerry Falwell last week highlighted the fact that many of the movement\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s fiery old guard who helped lead conservative Christians into the embrace of the Republican Party are aging and slowly receding from the scene. In their stead, a new generation of leaders who have mostly avoided the openly partisan and confrontational approach of their forebears have become increasingly influential….
\nGabe Lyons, 32, is emblematic of the transformation among many younger evangelicals. He grew up in Lynchburg, Va., attending Mr. Falwell\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s church. But he has shied away from politics. Instead, he heads the Fermi Project, a loose \u00e2\u20ac\u0153collective\u00e2\u20ac\u009d dedicated to teaching evangelicals to shape culture through other means, including media and the arts.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I believe politics just isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t as important to younger evangelicals as it has been for the older generations because we recognize from experience that politics does not shape the morality of a culture,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It simply reflects what the larger culture wants.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And here’s an interesting article I found by Rick Warren on his personal website…<\/p>\n

The Church \u00e2\u20ac\u201c the greatest force on Earth<\/strong>
\nThe Church is everywhere in the world.
\nThere are villages that have little else,
\nbut they do have a church.
\nRick Warren
\nThe Church is the most magnificent concept ever created. It has survived persistent abuse, horrifying persecution, and widespread neglect. Yet despite its faults (due to our sinfulness), it is still God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s chosen instrument of blessing and has been for 2,000 years.
\nThe Church will last for eternity, and because it is God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s instrument for ministry here on Earth, it is truly the greatest force on the face of the Earth. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s why I believe tackling the world\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s biggest problems \u00e2\u20ac\u201c the giants of spiritual lostness, egocentric leadership, poverty, disease, and ignorance \u00e2\u20ac\u201c can only be done through the Church.
\nThe Church has eight distinct advantages over the efforts of business and government:<\/p>\n