First, let me say that I am no fan or apologist for Rick Warren. I think his writings are quite shallow and much of his theology is just plain wrong. However, he is not a relativist, a pluralist, or an inclusivist, and the transcript you provided demonstrates this quite clearly:

Quote
KING: Why do you believe that God is a Christian God?

Why isn't he a Jimmy God (ph) or Muslim God or Jewish God or just God?

WARREN: Well, the question, the bottom line is this -- every religion is mutually exclusive. The problem today, Larry, is not unbelief. The problem is today everyone wants to believe everything. They want to believe it all. I want to believe in reincarnation and heaven. Those are mutually exclusive things. I want to believe in Elvis, and I want to believe in Jesus, those are mutually exclusive. And the truth is, it is all matter of faith. At some point you have to step.

And by the way, there's truth in every religion. Christians believe that there's truth in every religion. But we just believe that there's one savior. We believe we can learn truth -- I've learned a lot of truth from different religions. Because they all have a portion of the truth. I just believe there is one savior, Jesus Christ.


Not exactly how I would have put it (or Cornelius Van Til for that matter), but Warren is hardly saying that all religions are true or even that they say anything true about God.


Quote
CALLER: Yes, I would like to ask the reverend if he believes that non-Christians can get into heaven and be with God when they die.

WARREN: My question would be this, who gets to make the rules?

Does God have a right to decide who gets into his place?

And I would say, my opinion really doesn't matter. I would say this, and I would say this humbly. Jesus said this -- he said, I am the way and the truth and the life. And nobody comes to the father except through me. Now, you know what, that's a pretty radical statement when you think about it.

KING: A little pompous too.

WARREN: It is if it's not true. The bottom line is, I'm betting my life on that verse. See this, Larry, is the fundamental issue.

KING: So, what you're saying the jew is not going to heaven?

WARREN: I'm saying nobody's going to heaven, except people who go to heaven God's way. And I don't get to make the rules. I don't go to heaven, you don't go to heaven.

KING: What if John leads a perfect life. He adopts the golden rule all the days of his life. Except he doesn't accept Christ.

WARREN: First, I object to the premise. He can't lead a perfect life.

KING: He leads a 99 percent. Phil, he's a 30 percent life, except he believes in Christ.

WARREN: And I live a 10 percent life.

KING: Phil goes to heaven and John doesn't, under those rules? Bad rule then.

WARREN: The rule is grace. You have to do the almost impossible to go to hell. You have to reject the love of Jesus Christ.

And why would anybody reject that?


Again, this ain't exactly how John Frame would have responded, but it's not fundamentally wrong either (compare it to Joel Osteen's evasions of the same question). My concern is not so much that Warren is a "false teacher," but that there are so many better ones that a church or Christian could use. It's like drinking Milwaukee's Best instead of Guinness -- it's not only less filling, it doesn't even taste great. Here's to enjoying a robust English Stout like Spurgeon or a strong American California Ale like MacArthur instead <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/cheers2.gif" alt="" />

[Linked Image]