Rick Warren almost made me fall off the elliptical!

December 4, 2008 · Filed Under Baum's Blog 

Oy. This morning at the gym I was flipping through the news stations and stumbled upon Rick Warren on the Today Show. He was talking about his new book – The Purpose of Christmas.

I was awfully shocked by a few things he said – and of course it’s awkward to react out loud when you are on the elliptical machine. And it’s hard to take notes during a cardio workout, but I jotted down some of his words on a paper towel when I was done. And, I just re-watched the clip on my computer. Ah, technology.

Before I attack Rick Warren, let me say that I challenge the Today Show to not only have fundamentalist Christians on their show, but to invite some others from the world of religion who, unlike Mr. Warren, are being inclusive, smart, and open-minded.

That said, now for Rick Warren.

Among his stupidest comments – He basically said that we all think Jesus Christ is important because we use the year 0 as a reference point and we all agree it’s currently 2008. I’m pretty sure it’s just a convention and we all go along with it because it would be inconvenient if I said the current year is 1955 and you said it was 2112. But, that was just a quick part of the conversation.

Warren went on to say that the bottom line of Christmas is that “You matter to God. God made you and loves you.” When Matt Lauer astutely asked the question (I’m paraphrasing closely)- what do you say to people facing foreclosure and unemployment, who can’t pay bills and can’t send their kids to school – when they wonder if I matter to God, why did He put me in this situation?

Warren’s totally unsatisfying answer is that “we live on a broken planet. Nothing works here…” But, no worries – “it’s done perfectly [in Heaven].” Personally, I’m a fan of focusing on making our world the best it can be – and not fantasizing about some world we do not know.

Among his stupidest comments, he also says “Most of the world would love to have our problems. They would love to be in debt. They don’t have debt. They don’t have money in their pocket.” I, on the other hand, really don’t think anyone aspires to debt.

And here’s the most upsetting part of the interview. Warren says that blues and stress increase during the holidays and suicide rates rise. He says “turn to God and turn to somebody less fortunate than yourself.” Unbelievable! While I think it can be valuable for people to turn to God and to turn to those less fortunate, those are secondary. What is primary is that the person needs to get real and substantial help – from family, friends, physicians, and mental health professionals.

According to a major study released yesterday, “counting substance abuse…nearly half of young people surveyed have some sort of psychiatric condition.” Common sense says that these people need professional help – not just to turn to God. But, Warren seems to lack that common sense.

If you want to watch the clip, check it out below. Just don’t do it while you’re on the elliptical machine. You might fall off.

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