Chicago, IL -
Rev. Rick Warren is being criticized for saying he has many gay friends.
The 58-year-old Warren is the founder and senior pastor of the Lake Forest, California-based megachurch Saddleback Church – the eighth-largest church in the United States – and the author of the best-selling book The Purpose Driven Life.
As part of a media tour to promote an updated edition of his book, Warren told The Huffington Post that he's not homophobic because "I have many, many gay friends."
The statement drew the ire of pastor Kevin Swanson and Dave Buehner, co-hosts of Generations Radio.
"I don't say, 'I have many, many gay friends,'" Swanson said. "It's almost like saying, 'I have many, many gay fornicators;' 'I have many, many gay liar friends;' it's just craziness. I just interviewed this guy who goes into maximum security prisons and he interviews serial killers and I appreciate this guy, he's actually had an opportunity to talk to a number of them and he says some twenty-five percent of them actually do repent he thinks, and it's wonderful to see their lives turn around. So I mean, you know, what does this guy say: 'I have many, many serial killer friends.' I don't think he says that, he doesn't say that. I think he says, 'it's a shameful thing to be a serial killer.' You wouldn't want to wear that on a t-shirt, you wouldn't want to say 'I have many, many friends who kill people.'"
"'I have many, many cannibal friends,'" Buehner said. "'I have many, many molester friends.' Just pick the abomination."
"You just don't want to wear that on a shirt," Swanson noted.
"'Many of my friends are wife beaters,'" Buehner added. "Would I say that?"
The 58-year-old Warren is the founder and senior pastor of the Lake Forest, California-based megachurch Saddleback Church – the eighth-largest church in the United States – and the author of the best-selling book The Purpose Driven Life.
As part of a media tour to promote an updated edition of his book, Warren told The Huffington Post that he's not homophobic because "I have many, many gay friends."
The statement drew the ire of pastor Kevin Swanson and Dave Buehner, co-hosts of Generations Radio.
"I don't say, 'I have many, many gay friends,'" Swanson said. "It's almost like saying, 'I have many, many gay fornicators;' 'I have many, many gay liar friends;' it's just craziness. I just interviewed this guy who goes into maximum security prisons and he interviews serial killers and I appreciate this guy, he's actually had an opportunity to talk to a number of them and he says some twenty-five percent of them actually do repent he thinks, and it's wonderful to see their lives turn around. So I mean, you know, what does this guy say: 'I have many, many serial killer friends.' I don't think he says that, he doesn't say that. I think he says, 'it's a shameful thing to be a serial killer.' You wouldn't want to wear that on a t-shirt, you wouldn't want to say 'I have many, many friends who kill people.'"
"'I have many, many cannibal friends,'" Buehner said. "'I have many, many molester friends.' Just pick the abomination."
"You just don't want to wear that on a shirt," Swanson noted.
"'Many of my friends are wife beaters,'" Buehner added. "Would I say that?"
Article provided in partnership with On Top Magazine
