It also means, though, that his program might have a real impact. Of course, because of this morality-based approach, Warren has already been severely criticized in the secular press. Unlike so many other programs, Warren's seems to be focused on abstinence and monogamy rather than simple condom distribution. After he and his wife observed the poverty and AIDS epidemic ravaging that nation, they set up foundations to distribute 90 percent of the proceeds from Warren's book to alleviate poverty and combat AIDS in that country. Warren is also doing praiseworthy work in Rwanda. He accepts that Catholics are true believers, and he cites monks and nuns (including Mother Teresa) as Christian examples. That claim alone should put Catholics on guard about the "Purpose-Driven" approach to Christian faith. Warren's web site claims that he is starting a new Reformation.
Thousands of pastors from more than 100 countries have attended Warren's Purpose-Driven seminars and subscribe to his free weekly e-mail newsletter, Ministry Toolbox. Saddleback is associated with the Southern Baptist Convention, but Warren's teachings have spread widely. Sculpted into the landscape are settings for forty Bible reenactments, including a stream that can part like the Red Sea. Every weekend nearly 20,000 people attend services at one of nine "venues," including a 3,000-seat main sanctuary, a religious coffee bar, and a "beach hut" for high school students.
He is the pastor of Saddleback Church, which is situated on a 120-acre campus in southern California that was designed by theme park experts.
The book's author, Rick Warren, was labeled as "America's most influential pastor" by Christianity Today. The book's promise for those who follow its forty-day journey is that "you will know God's purpose for your life." The book is being promoted and studied in some Catholic parishes, especially as a Lenten exercise, so it is worth examining whether it can deliver on its exaggerated promise. "Purpose-Driven" is now a registered trademark, and "Purpose-Driven" programs have been offered everywhere from schools and prisons to corporate headquarters, including Coca Cola, Sparrow Records, NASCAR, the LPGA, and the Oakland Raiders. The Purpose-Driven Life has sold over 7 million copies and was named Christian "Book of the Year" in 2003.
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