WND/Rick Warren Forum: Should WND Criticize Pastor Rick Warren?

By Rick Pearcey

WorldNetDaily has recently published several articles (see below) highly critical of Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church. Some within evangelical circles might challenge the appropriateness of such criticism.

The Pearcey Report and Pro-Existence would like to open a WND/Rick Warren Forum on the following questions:

Should WND publish articles critical of Rick Warren? More generally, what role do the news media, including Christian-based media, have in holding well-known or lesser-known Christian figures accountable for what they say and do? Why? Why not?

Rick Warren responds to the criticism here. For additional background information on this question, you may want to read one or more of the following WND articles:

* Rick Warren: Is He or Isn't He?
* Rick Warren Says He's Sorry
* The Purpose-Driven Lie
* Calling Rick Warren!
* Rick Warren on Syria: "A Moderate Country"
* Megapastor Rick Warren's Damascus Road Experience
* Megapastor Rick Warren Blasts Iraq War, Praises Syria
* Rick Warren Shows Syria Video in Church
* Megapastor Warren Denies Praising Syria

What are your thoughts and comments on issues raised by WND's reporting and commentary on Rick Warren, occasioned by Warren's recent trip to Syria?


Related article
Rick Warren Debate Forum on Fire

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Rick Pearcey is editor and publisher of The Pearcey Report.

PBS: Jew-Hatred Caused by Jews, Israel, Christianity

Posted by Rick Pearcey

"It only took PBS one hour to uncover the causes of anti-Semitism, now in an alarming heyday," writes columnist Diana West. "In 'Anti-Semitism in the 21st Century: The Resurgence,' narrated by Judy Woodruff, PBS offered the answer: The reason for Jew-hatred, now widely promulgated among Muslim populations, is, well . . . Jews! Israel! Even Christianity! . . .

"The conventional wisdom, as expressed on PBS, does two things. It blames Christianity and the West for introducing Anti-Semitism to a practically Edenic Islamic world, and it minimizes Islam's non-original sin of partaking of it. . . .

"This same conventional wisdom suggests that Anti-Semitism is the natural, if unfortunate, response of 'unempowered' Muslims to contemporary political events beyond their control -- namely, the essentially Christian/Western-sponsored establishment of the modern state of Israel.

"If we bothered -- if we dared -- to examine Anti-Semitism in its historical Islamic context . . . , we would better understand Islam's hysterical rejection of Israel, which, in Islamic terms, is a state of 'dhimmi' inferiors restored to equality, if not economic and military superiority, its very existence a violation of traditional Islamic code.

"Failing to do this, the West overlooks and effectively absolves Islam of its animus against Jews, and, by modern extension, Israel. The West also consigns itself, and, weirdly enough, Israel also, to the role of guilty parties who must continually try to appease an aggrieved Islam. . . ."

Read the entire column here.

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Rick Pearcey is editor and publisher of The Pearcey Report.