Paul Proctor: Destructive, Delusional, Deceptive

It is difficult to know how to begin discussing Paul Proctor. He is a former country musician who, although completely untrained in apologetics (i.e., defending the faith), has sought to make a name for himself in this particular field of writing/ministry (Note: Proctor also has no training in either investigative research or investigative journalism).

Proctor bills himself as "a freelance writer and regular columnist for a variety of print and online publications" who is dedicated to "addressing important social issues from a distinctly biblical perspective." Significant, however, is the fact that Proctor has never had any books published by any major publishing houses, nor has he ever had any of his "articles" picked up by any mainstream periodicals such as Christianity Today, Charisma and Christian Life, or Moody Magazine. He writes exclusively for privately maintained websites and Internet tabloids.

Proctor's lack of journalistic training, professional apologetic experience, and understanding of many biblical issues is evident in the number and severity of errors that permeate his works:

1) use of shocking/sensationalistic language;

2) hasty generalizations;

3) inaccurate reporting;

4) out-of-context quoting;

5) prejudiced/biased assumption;

6) faulty conclusions; and

7) mean-spirited name-calling, mockery, and sarcasm.

This is most unfortunate, especially because Proctor appears to be rather fixated on attacking various Christian churches and high-profile personalities whom he feels are in doctrinal error. There is also substantial reason for accusing Proctor of not being grounded to any degree in the basic foundational aspects of an apologetic ministry:

1) love (1 Cor. 13; Eph. 4:15);

2) gentleness/respect (2 Tim. 2:24-26; 1 Peter 3;15); and

3) intellectual integrity and fairness (Proverbs 16:11-13, 18:17; Zechariah 8:16-17)

This is not to say that there exist no circumstances when firmness is needed in correcting others, apologetics, or defending the faith (my series on proctor is a good example of needing to be firm) But Proctor goes far being just being firm, unhesitatingly and carelessly moving deep into the realm of pure mean-spiritedness by resorting to offensive imagery, name-calling, and baseless insults (e.g., comparing Rick Warren to Satan himself, applying the label "pimps" to followers of Warren's purpose driven philosophy, describing members of Saddleback Church as alcoholics drinking spiritual whiskey being poured by their bartender). He also has shown a stunning lack of logic, balance, clear thinking. Ultimately, he offers his readers little more than wild speculations, undocumented/unverified accusations, and some rather bizarre misinterpretations of statements he has lifted from assorted places.

THE SEARCH ENGINE SCANDAL

Interestingly, when Proctor found out (in 2005) that I was beginning to post pro-Warren materials on the Internet (which included criticisms of Warren's critics), Proctor initiated an organized attempt to have my web pages removed from the most popular search engines. He encouraged a small cadre of anti-Warrenites (including Lighthouse Trails Research Project, Berit Kjos, Cutting Edge Ministries, James Sundquist, Steve Muse, and Southwest Radio Church) to complain to various search engines about my website. On what basis?

Apparently, Proctor did not like the fact that I had placed what is known as "invisible text" on my pages. (Such text, which can be read only by search engines, helps improve search engine rankings, but remains invisible to readers.) I had included this kind of text on my pages because I was told that it was often done by web builders. But I subsequently found out that such text is usually frowned upon by those who maintain search engines—so much so that any pages/websites using "invisible text" are often removed from search engine results.

Proctor, unlike me, had the accurate scoop on invisible text and sought to use his knowledge to have my website removed from the most popular search engines (which would have effectively kept my material undiscoverable by the entire cyber-community). I responded appropriately by making visible the previously "invisible" text. Eventually, I just removed the text entirely as I came to find out that such text is actually unnecessary for search engines to find web pages.

So what was the invisible text that inflamed Paul Proctor? Nothing more than a list of the names of Rick Warren's most vocal critics (and related words—e.g., "purpose driven" and "Saddleback church").

HEATED EMAILS

That Proctor would seek to have my website removed from search engines because of a list of names/words is bad enough, but even more troubling were his responses to the private emails that I had sent to him. I tried to keep it all carefree and kind. For example, after I had removed the invisible text (also known as "hidden text," see above section), I sent Proctor a light-hearted joke of an email to give him a heads-up that the text was no longer invisible/hidden. I wrote the following brief email as a way of trying to build a bridge of communication through humor:

"hidden text???? why Paul, what hidden text???? i see no hidden text! hidden text??? where? i see no hidden text. i suggest that you hit your refresh button."

But Proctor failed to grasp my humor and actually read it seriously—i.e., as if I had deceptively made the text visible, then was foolish enough to claim that there had never been any invisible text to begin with.

Proctor responded by sending an email to his small cadre of anti-Warrenites informing them of my actions, and expressing to them that I was not admitting that the text had been there! And that I was trying to hide something. To this email of his, I replied quite politely (see my first reply).

Proctor, in turn, responded to me, saying that in my email to him I had clearly pretended that no invisible text ever existed (he was still missing the joke). He dismissed as irrelevant the references to American freedoms that I had made in my reply (see my first reply). He further noted his lack of concern for my expressed disappointment in him and others. Then, he told me that tolerance was not what I would receive from him because tolerance was not taught in the Bible. I had to be exposed, he declared—and I had to repent. Proctor additionally remarked that if I did not wish to repent, then I should not even bother responding to him!

But I did respond, seeking even more deliberately to connect with Proctor and find some common ground for discussion (see my second reply).

Proctor emailed me back, this time concerned about whether or not I had placed any materials up on my website about him. He also accused me of being deceitful and taking an ends justifies the means approach—going so far as to question my Christianity by calling me brother, but putting the word brother in quotes.

In my final email to him (see my third/final reply) I addressed each of these points and closed with asking him if indeed he was saying that I was not a Christian. Proctor never responded back to me.

The following materials/articles represent the responses that I told Paul Proctor he could expect to see. Because Proctor has produced such a large volume of material against Warren, it would be impossible to address everything he has said via the Internet. Consequently, some of his articles are cited quite sparingly—i.e., just enough to show the tone and inaccuracy of his work.

OPENING THE FLOODGATES

PROCTOR: "I usually direct those in pursuit of perpetual positivism and its narcissistic nonsense to the web sites of Rick Warren, Bill Hybels or their ecumenical mentor, Robert Schuller, where sin and repentance are passionately avoided for the sake of self-esteem, numerical growth and global unity; the new age 'gospel'" (Treasure in Sinland)
RESPONSE: Proctor's references to "perpetual positivism" and "narcissistic [self-love] nonsense" have nothing to do with Warren (or Saddleback Church)—especially in view of Proctor's given proof, which Proctor cites as being the contents of Rick Warren's web site (i.e., saddleback.com; purposedriven.com; or pastors.com).

At each of this web sites, according to Proctor, there should be a passionate avoidance of both sin and repentance. So, in order to check Proctor's accuracy, all one needs to do is go to these web sites and see if the subjects are indeed "passionately avoided." Consider the following:

SADDLEBACK.COM—"Although man has tremendous potential for good, he is marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called 'sin.' This attitude separates man from God. Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a; Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:1, 2). . . . Man was created to exist forever. He will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or in union with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally in union with Him is eternal life. Heaven and Hell are places of eternal existence.John 3:16; John 2:25; John 5:11-13; Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:15; 1 John 5:11-12; Matthew 25:31-46. About Jesus Christ. . . . Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all men by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. . . . About Salvation. . . Man can never make up for his sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God´s offer of forgiveness can man be saved from sin's penalty" (What We Believe).

PURPOSEDRIVEN.COM—"Father in heaven, Thank you for loving the world so greatly that you gave your only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins, so that we could be reconciled to you. . . . We acknowledge that we have sinned and that our world is gripped by the power of sin. . . . God of mercy, please pour out Your grace and forgive us for our sins" (A Prayer for the World). "Lost and sinful people must be regenerated by the Holy Spirit to be saved. "What does Pastor Rick teach about sin, the need for regeneration, and the necessity of repentance? . . . The purpose driven message is that our hope lies in Christ, who died for our sins and rose again, breaking the bonds of death forever—and that all who believe in his name shall have eternal life. (Who We Are: Frequently Asked Questions). "After traveling to Africa and visiting with AIDS patients, Warren confessed she needed to repent of her sin of prejudice" (Repentance, acceptance enable loving ministry, Kay Warren says). It ended up being a powerful moment where I was able to go deeper into the song about surrender and repentance, but it really is true that you can't lead someone where you haven't been" (Interview: Terence Scott Cooper). "In worship we express the following attitudes: adoration, gratitude, repentance, neediness, submission, and commitment. The elements of worship are the means by which these attitudes are expressed. For example adoration is expressed in praise; gratitude is expressed in thanksgiving; repentance is expressed in confession" (Defining PD Worship). "Hebrews 6:1-Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God" (11 VALUES OF A GOOD YOUTH WORKER). "Confidentiality does not mean keeping silent while your brother or sister sins" (Cultivating Community Within Your Church). These five global giants ravage the lives of billions of people worldwide and all work together to constrain them and cut them off from knowing the saving grace of a loving God who sent his son, Jesus Christ, to die for their sins allowing them eternal hope and security" (What is the PEACE Plan?). "As she began to tell him about Jesus, about why God sent him, and why Jesus had to die on the Cross for his sins so that he might have eternal life, the other guys came around to the table and sat down but this time they just ignored her and kept quiet. . . . She learned. . . . Our sins separate us form God. Sins alone can not be removed by good deeds. Paying the price for sins, Christ died and rose again" (Have An Evangelism Strategy).

PASTORS.COM—"Through his blood, we gain our freedom, the forgiveness of our sins" (Ministry Toolbox, Issue #221 , 8/24/2005). "Minister finds freedom from lifelong struggle with sexual sins. . . . I hope that others who are trapped in sexual sin might be given courage to face their struggle in spite of the darkness and isolation that they feel. I have struggled with sexual sin since I was about 13 years old. . . . Everyday I make it my goal to "untrain" the habits of sexual sin I have developed over the years and to train myself in habits of godliness and spiritual discipline" (Ministry Toolbox, Issue #236, 12/7/2005). "The biblical term for 'changing your mind' is 'repentance'—What do most people think of when I say the word 'repent'? . . . They think of some kook. But the word 'repentance' is a wonderful word—metanoia—which means in Greek 'to change your mind.' Repentance is just changing the way we think about something by accepting the way God thinks about it. That's all repentance is. . . . Changing the way I act is the fruit of repentance. Technically, repentance is not behavioral change. Behavior change is the result of repentance. Repentance does not mean forsaking your sin. Repentance simply means to change your mind. John the Baptist said in Matthew 3:8 (NIV), 'Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.' In other words, 'OK, you've changed your mind about God, about life, about sin, about yourself—now let's see some fruit as a result of it.' The deepest kind of preaching is preaching for repentance. Because life change happens only after you change somebody's thinking, then preaching for repentance is preaching for life change. It is the deepest kind of preaching you can preach. Every week I try to communicate God's Word in such a way that it changes the way people think. The word 'repentance' has taken on such a negative image, that I rarely use the word. But I preach it every single week. Repentance is the central message of the New Testament. What did the New Testament preachers preach on? John the Baptist: 'Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.' (Matt. 3:2 NIV) Jesus: 'Repent and believe in the Gospel.' (Mark 1:15 NIV) What did Jesus tell his disciples to preach? "So they went off and preached repentance.' (Mark 6:12 NAB) What did Peter preach at Pentecost? 'Repent and be baptized everyone of you.' (Acts 2:38 NAB) What did John preach in Revelation? Repent. (Ministry Toolbox, Issue #246, 2/15/2006). "When they sinned, their good bodies were invaded by a sinful nature. . . . His crucifixion frees you from sin's bondage, and his resurrection gives you life through the Spirit. "We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin." (Romans 6:6, NIV). Because your old self is crucified with Christ, you are no longer a slave to the body of sin. Close the door of the flesh to Satan by confessing your sins and claiming Christ's crucifixion of the flesh. . . . Your body is not evil in itself, only the flesh, or your sinful nature, is evil." (Ministry Toolbox, Issue #201, 4/6/2005). "I will never forget the day I discovered that our 6-month-old son was a rebellious sinner. . . . My perfect little boy was a rebellious sinner - just like his mother! . . . The Apostle Paul struggled with sin just like we do today. . . . It sometimes seems as if I am the only woman in ministry still engaged in major battles with sin. . . .The reality is that as long as we live in this broken and fallen world, our sinful nature and our God nature will constantly be at war. . . . While the old nature is fed by the world and encouraged to enjoy the sin it so freely offers, God lovingly urges us to strengthen the new nature he has given us by reading, studying, and applying the Bible, by praying and spending time with other believers and by serving him. . . . Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the sin in your life that you have refused to face" (Ministry Toolbox, Issue #265 , 6/28/2006). "The Bible clearly states 'all have sinned.' It is my nature to sin, and it is yours too. None of us is untainted. Because of sin, we've all hurt ourselves, we've all hurt other people, and others have hurt us. This means each of us needs repentance and recovery in order to live our lives the way God intended" (Ministry Toolbox, Issue #212, 6/22/2005). "Repentance—To repent is to change course, to reverse direction. Once confession has been made (and forgiveness received), repentance must be demonstrated. An unequivocal commitment to turn away from the offending behavior must be made. As with confession, the commitment to repent is most effective when made before other members representing the church" (Ministry Toolbox, Issue #209, 6/1/2005).

Clearly, Proctor is wrong. Sin and repentance are not avoided at Warren's web sites. In fact, Proctor is so glaringly wrong that it seems he has never even bothered to visit Warren's web sites before making his accusation.

But what about the issues of "self-esteem," "numerical growth," and "global unity"? What does Warren teach about these things? Does he really preach a Schuller-esk view of self-esteem? Is "numerical growth" really Warren's main goal? Has Warren really sold out the gospel for some kind of New Age gospel in order to promote global unity? Again, let us simply pay a visit to Rick Warren's web sites:

SELF-ESTEEM—"The gospel of Jesus Christ needs to point sinners to the intrinsic majesty and glory of God and away from the self-esteem of man, John Piper said at a meeting of the International Church Planters recently. . . . 'The gospel in America is the gospel of self-esteem,' Piper said, describing a gospel 'that defines love as 'making much of me. If you want to love me, make much of me.' That's the definition of love in America.' . . . A critical error that typifies this faulty gospel is seen most clearly in its unbiblical definition of love, Piper said. In his high priestly prayer, Christ defined love by placing himself as the supreme object of all affections, even those of God the Father. Instead of seeking satisfaction in loving Christ as the greatest and highest of all beings, much of what passes for the gospel in contemporary Christianity defines loving another person as exalting them so that they feel good, not about God, but themselves, Piper said. It is a man-centeredness that reaps deadly eternal repercussions, he said" (pastors.com, John Piper Contrasts God's Love From Contemporary, Biblical Views).

NUMERICAL GROWTH—"I believe the key issue for churches in the twenty-first Century will be church health, not church growth. That's what this book is really about. Focusing on growth alone misses the point. When congregations are healthy, they grow the way God intends. Healthy churches don't need gimmicks to grow—they grow naturally" (Warren, The Purpose Driven Church, p. 17). [For more information on Warren's views of church growth, see What is the Purpose Driven Church?]

GLOBAL UNITY—"God is a global God. He has always cared about the entire world. 'God so loved the world. . .' From the beginning he has wanted family members from every nation he created. The Bible says, 'From one person God made all nations who live on earth, and he decided when and where every nation would be. God has done all this, so that we will look for him and reach out and find him.' . . . The first way to start thinking globally is to begin praying for specific countries. World-class Christians pray for the world. Get a globe or map and pray for nations by name. The Bible says, 'If you ask me, I will give you the nations; all the people on earth will be yours.' Prayer is the most important tool for your mission in the world. . . . What should you pray for? The Bible tells us to pray for opportunities to witness, for courage to speak up, for those who will believe, for the rapid spread of the message, and for more workers. Prayer can do what God can do, and it makes you a partner with others around the world. . . . Another way to develop global thinking is to read and watch the news with "Great Commission Eyes." Wherever there is change or conflict, you can be sure that God will use it to bring people to him. . . . The best way to switch to global thinking is to just get up and go on a short-term mission project to another country! There's simply no substitute for hands-on, real life experience in another culture. Quit studying and discussing your mission and just do it!" (Warren, Ministry Toolbox, Issue #74, 10/30/2002).

Once more, we see that Paul Proctor has failed in an extraordinarily dismal manner to accurately represent the position of Warren, Saddleback, and Purpose Driven. At the same time, however, a word must be interjected here about Rick Warren and "self-love." It is undeniable that on occasion he has indeed used language that appears to reflect a kind of self-love that is at odds with the Bible. This has led some critics to jump to the conclusion that Warren is advocating as Robert Schuller-esk kind of self-love (for information on Schuller, see this article by Joseph P. Gudel, and this profile by the Christian Research Institute).

A prime example of where Warren has used such language would be in his March 2005 Ladies Home Journal article titled "Learn to Love Yourself." The article seemed to indicate to many of Warren's critics that he condoned the type of self-love that denies/ignores sin and exalts human nature to an unbiblical place of importance.

But a careful look at what Warren actually stated in the article, when considered in light of his overall teachings/messages, shows that Warren was referring to nothing more than the biblical concept of understanding our preciousness in the eyes of God because we are his creations, created in his image. (For a chart comparing how critics interpreted Warren's article and how Warren should have been interpreted, see my article on Gary Gilley, under Gilley #13 response).

As for Warren being mentored by the heretic-liberal Schuller, this Urban Legend was debunked years ago (see Warren and Schuller: Debunking An Urban Legend).

ADDITIONAL ACCUSATIONS

For more information on exactly what Warren teaches about church growth in relation to his Purpose Driven Church philosophy of church health, see my article What is the Purpose Driven Church?

For more information on exactly what Warren teaches about reaching out globally to the world through his P.E.A.C.E. Plan, see my article What is the P.E.A.C.E. Plan?

Finally, we have Proctor's accusation that Rick Warren teaches/preaches a New Age Gospel! Is this true?

A NEW AGE GOSPEL PEDDLER?

One of the most bizarre, yet popular, accusations being made against Rick Warren is that he is a New Ager who is spreading New Age doctrines/ideas/views via his influential platform. This, according to his most vehement critics, is a sign of the end-times and the coming apostasy—i.e., the "great falling away" where many will be deceived by the forces of darkness!

The widespread popularity of this assumption with regard to Warren seems to be the result of a book titled Deceived on Purpose by Warren Smith, an ex-New Ager who sees the New Age Movement under virtually every rock and around every bush (see my article Warren Smith: Self-Deceived On Purpose).

The only problem, of course, is that Rick Warren has consistently and boldly denounced the New Age movement and everything connected to it, including its skewed view of "God" (i.e., pantheism and/or panentheism). But to clear up any remaining questions about whether or not Warren is in any way seeking to spread pantheism, we need only look at what he himself has stated on the subject. Warren, in fact, has spoken out very harshly against the New Age on many occasions.

Consider these remarks from 1989: "One of the most amazing things to me is the popularity of the New Age Movement. It takes more faith to believe in that than it does to believe in Christianity. It is the most illogical, irrational thing" (Rick Warren, October 8, 1989, "God's Purpose for Your Life").

The previous year, Warren had declared: "[God] can be in many, many places all at the same time. He's everywhere. That does not mean that God is everything. That's pantheism. Don't confuse the creator with His creation. He's not everything but He is everywhere" (Warren, "Where Is God When You Need Him?," 1988).

Then, during a 1997 sermon, Warren made the following condemnation of the New Age, paying particular attention to the false New Age notion that God is everything, everything is God, and we are God (i.e., pantheism):

"[A]nother really popular image or idol of God today is 'God is the Force.' 'May the Force be with you.' . . . A lot of people buy into that. It's real popular today. God is an energy force. This energy force flows around us and in us. . . . God flows through everybody and everything. Everything is in God and God is in everything. In fact, God's in me, so I'm god! That's exactly what Shirley MacLaine and a bunch of other people teach. You're god! . . . You're not God and you know it. You're just kidding yourself. God is not in everything. You hear this all the time. Everything is in God and God's in everything. That's a bunch of baloney! God is not in everything. God created everything. No doubt about that. But God is not in everything and everything is not God. That is called pantheism" (Warren, "Developing Trust," part 3, April 20, 1997).

Warren echoed these same sentiments in his book, The Purpose Driven Life, by denouncing today's "[m]any religions and New Age philosophies" that teach what Warren calls Satan's oldest lie that "we are divine or can become gods." He also notes in his book, "Let me be absolutely clear: You will never become God, or even a god." Then Warren adds, "God doesn't want you to become a god; he wants you to become godly" (Warren, p. 172).

And in a 2002 joint article with his wife, Kay, Rick Warren made yet another proclamation against the new Age movement

"[F]or other people peace means trying new age gimmicks, like gazing at crystals, or using aromatherapy, or sitting in a lotus position and contemplating lint in their navel and going, 'Ommmmm.' But that's not peace of mind either. Let me tell you what real peace of mind is. Real peace of mind is having a relationship with Jesus Christ, God's Son, and becoming friends with God" (Ministry ToolBox, issue #80, 12/11/2002)

Clearly, Warren is not a New Ager. Far from it. In fact, there are a number of articles by various authors at pastors.com and representatives of Warren at purposedriven.com that have repeatedly criticized the New Age movement, its beliefs, its agenda, and its proponents. Consider the following examples:

"About one mile from our church is a 'New Age' farm that regularly holds meetings and training sessions. Their content includes topics as diverse as fire walking, root charms, and a host of inner conscience earth/spirit activities. . . . As post-modern thinking emerges, there is a new openness to spirituality, but it is not a spirituality that seeks absolute truth. It is a spirituality that looks for solutions that work in real life. Whatever works, whatever is best, that will be the spirituality that is considered truth, and people are looking for it everywhere. The spiritual showdown that takes place within hearts today is like the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal (Dennis Baril, Ministry Toolbox, Issue #42, 3/6/2002).

"Craig explained how the scientific principle of Ockham's razor shaves away the multiple gods of polytheism, leaving us with a single Creator. In addition, the personal nature of the Creator argues against the impersonal divine force that's at the center of some New Age religions" (Lee Strobel, Ministry Toolbox, Issue #153, 5/5/2004).

"Has Purpose Driven been influenced by New Age 'theology'? Not at all. Purpose Driven is founded on the same beliefs that disciples of Jesus Christ have held for the last 2,000 years. . . . In contrast, 'New Age' is a catch-all label for a hodgepodge of primitive religious beliefs accepted by some people who are looking for salvation in something other than Christ. Many New Agers believe in pantheism—the idea that everything is God and God is everything. Notions of karma and reincarnation are fashionable in those circles. Some New Age groups teach that each person is a potential god, others that all religions are equally valid paths to one universal Ultimate Reality. 'But we know that there is only one God, the Father, who created everything, and we exist for him. And there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom God made everything and through whom we have been given life'" ("Who We Are; FAQ").

On a very personal level, I can say (and prove) that Rick Warren stands diametrically opposed to the New Age based on his endorsements of two of my own books, both of which include lengthy and detailed refutations of: 1) the New Age movement as a whole; and 2) various doctrines promoted by the New Age. These two books are: Defending the Faith: A Beginner's Guide to Cults and New Religions; and its companion volume Cults, New Religious Movements and Your Family (see reviews from Answers In Action).

The first book (Defending the Faith) refutes several New Age concepts/teachings such as pantheism, Jesus as just an "Ascended Master," the impersonal nature of the Holy Spirit, the "illusion" of sin (i.e., there is neither true right, nor true wrong; no actual good, and no actual evil), and the non-literal resurrection of Jesus. Regarding this volume, Warren stated: "Richard Abanes has done a brilliant job of describing complex theological truths in an easy-to-understand style. I enthusiastically recommend this book."

The second book (Cults, New Religious Movements and Your Family) features an entire chapter—the very first chapter, in fact—that is dedicated to refuting the New Age movement and its many disparate teachings. It is titled "Behind the New Age Craze" and includes: 1) a testimony from a former New Ager who became a Christian; 2) a history of the New Age movement's origins/spread; 3) a comparison of N Age teachings to the Bible; 4) an explanation of why/how so many people are drawn into the New Age movement; and 5) a lengthy list of recommended reading sources for people to learn more about the dangers of the New Age movement. Concerning this volume, Warren said: "If you are interested in cult-proofing your family, this is the book to read."

It doesn't sound like Warren is very much of a New Ager! The fact is that Rick Warren preaches/teachers standard, Southern Baptist, Bible based doctrines on every essential of the Christian faith, including those relating to God, the Bible, the cross, sin, hell, and repentance (see my two articles The Doctrinal Essentials of Christianity—and Rick Warren) and Saddleback Church: The Cross, Sin, and Hell).

And yet Paul Proctor continues to make the ludicrous charge: "Rick Warren, the revered leader and latest figurehead of today's new age Christianity" (Confessions of a Facilitator).

NEW AGE; NEW AGE; NEW AGE

Despite the clarity of the evidence, many critics (such as Paul Proctor) have continued to assert that Warren is most definitely a New Ager because he has occasionally quoted, cited, or referred to various individuals who could indeed be connected to the New Age.

But this does not make Warren a New Ager any more than his quoting of the atheist Bertrand Russell (1872–1970)—"Unless you assume God, the question of life's purpose is meaningless"—ties him to atheism.

Warren feels, and do I, that a person does not have to be a Christian in order to make an astute observation, or say something that is true. All "truth"—wherever it may be found—is God's truth. A true observation about the way people think or feel is a true observation, no matter who says it. So if I quote something that is true in order to make a point, then it really does not matter who said it, whether it was a Buddhist, an atheist, or a space alien!

On my own website, for instance, I have quoted Oscar Wilde, who said: "Music is the art which is most nigh to tears and memory." Does this link me in any way to homosexuality? Hardly.

Christians as far back as the first century were quoting pagans in hopes of communicating the truths of the Gospel. They saw that unbelievers, including the Greek philosophers, had made astute observations about God and possessed some truths consistent with Christianity. In the Gospel of John, for instance, we find the Greek word logos ("Word") being used to describe Jesus. Logos was a Greek philosophical term that represented "reason" as a sort of bridge between the unreachable God and earthly matter. Hence, Jesus, as the eternal logos, is the bridge between God and man.

Like John, Paul the apostle also quoted various pagans in his attempts to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the unbelieving world. The following is excerpted from my book Rick Warren and the Purpose that Drives Him.

Are we now going to say that John and Paul can (or should be) tied to Greek paganism? I don't think so.

• INTRO ARTICLE - Paul Proctor: Destructive, Delusional, Deceptive

• Paul Proctor: Accuser of the Brethren

• Paul Proctor: Hate-Talk and Heresy Hunting

• Paul Proctor: No P.E.A.C.E. For You

• Paul Proctor: Words to Wound By