Megachurch pastor Rick Warren told ABC News that gay marriage would “weaken” the church if the church were to embrace it. Warren, who has drawn the ire of the LGBT community for his reported influence on Uganda’s Kill The Gays bill, told ABC’s Jake Taper Sunday, speaking on same-sex marriage, that “when the church accommodates culture, it weakens it.”
Pastor Warren, a 58-year old Evangelical Southern Baptist and founder of Saddleback Church, added, “And to me, the Bible is very clear that sex is for a man and a woman in marriage only.”
TAPPER: You oppose same sex marriage. ABC News in a recent poll found that 52 percent of the American people now support same sex marriage. That’s definitely the direction that public opinion is going. Do you think there will come a time when Saddleback Church needs to adjust its position on same sex marriage in the same way that churches have throughout the years adjusted their positions. For instance, on divorce. Divorce used to be, you know, if you got divorced, you were persona non grata.
WARREN: I think divorce is a much bigger problem. I do. I think it has caused far more families grief than other problems. But you know what, it’s funny, every interview I do I get asked this question as if a Christian pastor is going to change his mind. I serve a higher power, Jesus Christ. I make no apologies in saying that.
WARREN: And so I believe what Jesus says about the Bible – and he says the Bible is the word of God. Well, if the Bible is the word of God, then I don’t have the right to change it. Policies come and go over the years. And so if I’m unpopular for certain beliefs, well, then I’m unpopular for certain beliefs. And to me, the Bible is very clear that sex is for a man and a woman in marriage only.
WARREN: That makes me extremely unpopular. Why? Because I don’t believe in premarital sex. I believe sex is only for marriage, between a man and a woman, and it has a purpose there. Why? Because I believe the Bible. Why would anybody expect a Christian pastor to believe anything else?
TAPPER: I didn’t ask you if you’d change your mind. But certainly your church has members who have engaged in premarital sex.
WARREN: Oh, of course.
TAPPER: And I’m wondering if you think the church, in order to continue to thrive, might have to adjust its policy on same sex marriage?
WARREN: Actually, history shows that when the church accommodates culture, it weakens it. This is why there is a very weak church in Europe today. It’s almost non-existent in many areas.
TAPPER: When President Obama spoke here at Saddleback, he said that he opposed same sex marriage. He thought marriage was between one man and one woman. He has since said that he’s evolving on this issue. I think a lot of people in Washington think that President Obama after November will come out in favor of same sex marriage, whether he is a second-term president or an ex-president. Are you concerned at all about what his position might be in 2013 on this issue?
WARREN: I can’t control what other people believe. I just know what the Bible says.
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“when the church accommodates culture, it weakens it.” Bullpuckey. The church accommodated culture when it (finally) opposed slavery. The church accommodated culture when it recognized the equality of women. The church accommodated prevailing culture when it abandoned Kosher practices. The list goes on and on. The argument for marriage equality is no different — it is really an argument about keeping the status quo and has nothing at all to do with theology. Theology has ALWAYS been adjusted to accommodate the prevailing culture and will be again. Get over it Warren and speak with the part of your brain which thinks instead of the part which parrots speaking-points.
It is easy for corporate "Christian" executives to espouse their bold faced, homophobia and sexism, but they lack the intelligence to unpack their insult provoking product. "ABC News that gay marriage would “weaken” the church if the church were to embrace it." "… “And to me, the Bible is very clear that sex is for a man and a woman in marriage only.”" The "Christian" Rick Warren is homophobic. He is homophobic because he believes he is better than the gays because his religion tells him so, but also because he sexualized this conversation. He thinks of sex when discussing same-sex marriage, but not opposite-sex marriage.
Rick Warren's other "Christian" product being sold to his ignorant sheep is sexism. Rick Warren is sexist because he uses the sex of a couple as a qualifier or dis-qualifier for legal marriage equality. He genuinely believes a female should be barefoot and pregnant, but can't explain how a legally married same-sex couple will cause any harm to anyone.
Because Rick Warren's diatribe is the vapid, status-quo justification for banning legal marriage equality I genuinely believe this horse's ass of a man deserves financial devastation. At this level in the evolution of legal marriage equality, the defenders of heterosexual marriage are only interested in earning a living from selling homophobia and sexism. Big, bold middle finger to every pious sheep who contributes to the religion of "Christian" scumbag.
@Alex, just a reminder, the Southern Baptist church is the one that DIDN'T oppose slavery, hence the rift between the Northern and Southern factions.
It will weaken the church only in the sense that it will make them admit that their prior behavior was destructive and monstrous and unChristian.
warren has been lionized and idolized in the past. it's our own fault for allowing his popularity and public approval since we as a monolithic movement did nothing to educate the world on his insidious hate
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