Monday, June 05, 2006

A Model of Faith

That's what this USA Today op-ed piece calls Rick Warren for his efforts against poverty and AIDS and his being "a uniter not a divider." I found the following noteworthy:
Warren is no liberal. He backed President Bush in the 2004 election and opposes abortion and stem cell research.
But in a refreshing change from today's unhealthy norm, Warren is spending his time and clout not on the divisive issues that have come to define the Christian right--abortion, stem cell research, a supposedly anti-God judiciary and so on--but on a campaign that can bring people together and save many lives in the process.
I find it interesting that Mr. Krattenmaker on one hand lauds Warren's application of Jesus' teaching when it comes to fighting poverty yet portrays those who expend time and energy opposing abortion and embryonic stem cell research in a negative light. Both Warren and the pro-life activist are motivated by the desire to protect and secure the welfare of human beings. Are only those acts of love that are inoffensive to the masses praiseworthy? If so, Jesus is not our example.

1 comment:

Neil said...

I suppose that the author didn't catch the irony in the second sentence, where he lauds Warren for trying to "save many lives" while bashing pro-lifers. I thought we were trying to save lives, too!