October 19th, 2005 at 5:12 pm
USA Today reports that Rick Warren has contributed a quote for Starbuck Coffee’s controversial “The Way I See It” cups.
A discussion from Free Republic, Starbucks stirs things up with a God quote on cups, contained my objections and some Purpose Driven Lifers. I’m CanisMajor2002 in the discussion:
| Posted by CanisMajor2002 to linkinpunk On News/Activism 10/19/2005·59 of 99 Sidebar in the article: “You are not an accident. Your parents may not have planned you, but God did. He wanted you alive and created you for a purpose. Focusing on yourself will never reveal your real purpose. You were made by God and for God, and until you understand that, life will never make sense. Only in God do we discover our origin, our identity, our meaning, our purpose, our significance and our destiny.” - The Rev. Rick Warren for Starbucks A seriously missed opportunity to spread the Gospel. Instead we are to hope for a life that makes sense. To: CanisMajor2002 I seriously canot understand why any Christian would have a problem with that quote. It is Scriptural and factual. 62 posted on 10/19/2005 by Skooz To: Skooz A Christian pastor with the opportunity to spread a message to Starbucks coffee drinkers comes up with a statement that could be said by any teacher of any monotheistic religion? He could have done way better. 68 posted on 10/19/2005 by CanisMajor2002 To: CanisMajor2002 OK. Do better yourself. Your criticising his quote does no good. Again, the quote is 100% factual and 100% scriptual. All Gospel messages do not have to have the word “repent” in them to be a Christian message. 72 posted on 10/19/2005 by Skooz To: Skooz Surely you jest! For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. —John 3:16 Can’t get more factual and scriptural than this. To: CanisMajor2002 Uh huh. And the chances that Starbucks would put that on their cups are ……….. ? 76 posted on 10/19/2005 by Skooz To: Skooz You’d have to ask them. If they are intent upon offending everyone and challenging their worldviews, the statement is sufficient, isn’t it? The Gospel is not about what we do, but what Christ has done for us. If Rev. Warren’s goal, as should be the goal of all Christian pastors, was to preach the Gospel, he failed. What he likely did do in his repeated mention of his buzzword “purpose” was to peddle his book. 82 posted on 10/19/2005 by CanisMajor2002 To: CanisMajor2002 Have you submitted your idea for a quote to Starbucks? If you have done something noteworthy with your life, as Rick Warren has, maybe they will use your quote. 86 posted on 10/19/2005 by linkinpunk To: CanisMajor2002 Well, that’s for God to decide. I have always looked at such words those in his quote) as comfort to hurting Christians rather than an outreach to sinners. Both have their place. And there is not one thing wrong with finding God’s purpose in our lives. 88 posted on 10/19/2005 by Skooz |
The discussion then combined with another thread about Purpose-Driven Life. My point made, I stopped.
Is it worth doing “something noteworthy…as Rick Warren has”, making money turning Gospel into Law and throwing people into doubt about their salvation because they didn’t believe enough? Some people make that calculation and answer in the affirmative.
If there is no Christ, there is no “comfort to hurting Christians”. God then is a mean and vicious omnipotent who demands we perfectly keep His commandments, knowing full well we cannot. It will be an sad tally in the end, the number of people who, rightly convicted and convinced of their inability to stop sinning, leave the holy church because they deduce from their self-examination that they were never in it to begin with.
