Aug 4, 2008
Rick Warren Creates Room for Dialogue
NPR interviewed Evangelical pastor Rick Warren about his upcoming event with both John McCain and Barack Obama. Warren was a bit vague about what he hoped to accomplish with this event, but I liked the way he answered this question:
NPR: Do you see any sort of split or division between older evangelical voters and the younger generation coming up in the issues that are of concern to them?
Warren: I don’t see a split. I see an evolution. I’m spending almost all my time with the next generation of evangelicals. What I’ve seen is that they are broadening the agenda. But they’re not dropping the agenda. That is the biggest myth and wish that some people would like to see happen, but it isn’t happening.
In some quarters there is a reversal in thinking, but I like the way Warren is maintaining a sense of continuity with the Evangelical past, even if he wouldn’t align himself with it today. This is most evident in his statement, “I’m still pro-life, but I don’t call myself pro-life anymore. What I do is call myself “whole-life.” I’m not just in favor of the unborn baby. I’m in favor of her when she’s born. Is she a crack baby? Is she an AIDS baby? Is she a baby living in poverty? Is she going to get an education? It’s not just concern for protection of the unborn but for protection of the born, too.”
What I find most appealing about Warren’s approach is the way he’s trying to move the conversation beyond the price of oil, which is important, but a relatively soft issue for candidates to bat around. He could very easily jump behind McCain, as I’m sure the Evangelical establishment is generally thinking, but instead he’s letting his congregation decide for themselves after they’ve heard out the candidates. He seems to understand that each candidate has strengths and weaknesses and is willing to simply let them make their own arguments.
I think I’ll stop reading the news now while I’m still slightly encouraged…
