Rick Warren is absolutely right. And since more people watched this year's superbowl than watched the Pope's Christmas Mass, we should just have Eli Manning serve as the Vicar of Christ as well.

Just a thought.

Rick Warren talks about reconciliation without offering a plan.

What is the difference between poverty and economic injustice? I do know that the mainline churches are more likely than evangelicals to view government redistributionist scams as a so-called fix to poverty. The mainliners need to read Hayek and Friedman.

And where did he get the idea that evangelicals haven't been fighting racism? Where has he been the last two generations? American society in general has been fighting racism, mostly through the gradual cultural changes that don't grab headlines.

It takes two sides to reconcile, and with the nasty tone within the United Methodist Church alone of irrational and often unsupported claims of heresy, particularly against those who are advocates of justice for gays and lesbians, reconciliation will have to be on the basis of personal reconciliation and agreement for cooperative ministries on matters that can be agreed on.

Further, in this particular article, Warren doesn't seem to acknowledge that evangelical churches have numbers, but not necessarily spiritual growth. For instance, Willow Creek pastor Hybels confessed that while they have grown numerically, he has to conclude that their programs for spiritual growth have been a failure.

For the mainline denominations and the evangelical churches to reconcile (I note that I object to Warren's implication that none of the mainline churches is evangelical), reconciliation would have to be modeled not only within mainline churches but within denominations such as the Southern Baptists, who have had an internal war since at least 1979, often with bitter, personal accusations tossed about by both sides. If Southern Baptists and United Methodists cannot reconcile within themselves by stopping the careless use of the word "heresy" then I don't see reconciliation happening on a wider basis.

Those throwing out the word "heresy" must also be clearer whether they are claiming "unbelief" or merely departure from their own understandings of Christian faith. Within the United Methodist Church alone, many longstanding personal friendships have disintegrated because the disputes have gone on for so long and the rhetoric so heated, on both sides.

The 2008 presidential campaign also offers evidence of the difficulty of reconciliation. The charges that Huckabee is a "big government" liberal" are not only exaggerated but some supporters of opposing candidates have almost seemed to use it as a veiled attack on the sincerity of his faith. On the Democratic side, there isn't much of a difference in the voting records of Clinton and Obama, but the nastiness in tone of their campaign is very discouraging. When people who agree on so much can get so personal, it is evidence of what a challenge it is for "sides" with greatly differing perspectives on the identity and purposes of Christ to enter shalom.

Reconciliation can happen eventually, though, for that is a the promise and hope of Christ.

I agree that any use of the word "heresy" - or charges of Huckabee's big-government liberalism - should be followed with specific examples. Haven't followed the arguments closely, so I can't really say anything more on that issue.

Huck's accusers can find much ammo from this Club for Growth article.

I was discussing this with a friend the other day and he replied that reconciliation would be easy. Catholics call it "RCIA". hehehe.

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