People like Warren view the erosion of culture that Pastor Young alluded to as being connected with the rise in acceptance of same sex marriage and would describe both as part of a war being waged on God or religion.
“In today's world where there are permissive values that basically says anything goes, and an entertainment organization obsessed with sex, and sex is used to sale everything from cars to bananas and there are more women in the work place, and there is birth control and constant bombardment by the media, you don't stand much of a change of remaining pure unless you establish some guidelines for your life.”
I can’t remember the last time that I saw a commercial for a banana. But, when considering the fact that sex sells, I can only imagine what a commercial for bananas might be like. Perhaps, Rick Warren was scarred as a child when he saw the Sophia Loren Chiquita commercial while watching “Father Knows Best.”
The bottom line for Rick Warren is:
God thought up sex. It's His idea. In marriage it is wonderful and fantastic and a beautiful expression of Christ's love for the church, the bible says. But used improperly it destroys marriages, damages families and lives, damages self esteem, creates misery and guilt, shame and regret, depression, not to mention all the kinds of communicable diseases that are out there today. God says I've established these rules for your benefit. You don't play by the rules, you get hurt. Nothing is more devastating than to feel you were used by somebody the dumped and rejected. God's way is the best way and you can get back on tract. You open your life to Jesus Christ and say, "Jesus Christ, come in and be the manager of my life and help me manage this sex drive that You gave me in the first place." You ask for forgiveness for past mistakes and sins and receive that forgiveness and then you can forgive yourself. Then you make a commitment to be morally pure the rest of your life forward. That means you're going to have sex only to the person you're married to.
Who wouldn’t have wanted to be at Saddleback church when members of Warren’s megachurch began to randomly declare to Jesus Christ, “Come in and be my manager of my life and help me manage this sex drive!” One can only imagine orgasmic sounds emanating from the crowd as they cleansed their souls of lust and let God penetrate them so their sexual behavior could be controlled.” You would have to feel sorry for the little teenage boys present for this who may have experienced their first erection and wondered if this was the work of the devil or God taking control.
If any of you have seen Jesus Camp, you would know that something like this probably took place. The congregation probably rose up out of the pews to connect with God.
“God says I've given you a drive called sex. Properly controlled and expressed within a marriage it's beautiful and fantastic. But outside of marriage it is destructive and detrimental to your health as a human being --emotionally, spiritually, in every way.”
Warren’s “wisdom” on life makes it so that gay and lesbian lifestyle will always be viewed as destructive and detrimental.
If you can’t marry, according to Pastor Warren, you can never fully appreciate the sex drive God gave you and know it as something that is beautiful and fantastic.
“Regardless of your past, regardless of your failures say today, [you must] make a commitment to maintain God's standards. That means you agree with God about what He says about sex. God's standards have never, never changed. The Bible says that sex is for marriage only -- not before marriage, not outside of marriage.”
The religious or evangelical community that Pastor Warren is a part of recognizes the GLBT community by their passion and openness for sex. They know it will lead to pedophilia, incest, polygamy, and “man on dog” sex. And because these are outside of God’s standards for “marriage”, the fight against homosexuality must never let up or else “God’s kingdom” can never truly be created.
Phrases like the following are not uttered by people who will give in to gays and lesbians fighting for equal rights, and these phrases are not ones that supporters of them will condone without being wholly supportive of their darkest intentions.
"Not only is homosexuality a sin, but anyone who supports fags is just as guilty as they are. You are both worthy of death." – Fred Phelps
“"AIDS is not just God's punishment for homosexuals; it is God's punishment for the society that tolerates homosexuals." – Jerry Falwell
"Homosexuals are weak, morally sick wretches." – Jesse Helms
