Rick Warren/Purpose Driven Life question

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I got permission to cull the “bad” books from our parish’s Free Books bookshelves. The Joyce Meyers books & a few others were no brainers, but I don’t know anything about the Purpose Driven Life series. And I’m not really wanting to read it. 🙂

One book is “The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth am I Here For?” and the other is “Daily Inspiration for the Purpose Driven Life,” which is all selected Scripture, no commentary. I’m thinking the latter is fine, but people might get the idea that anything by Rick Warren is OK.

Is Rick Warren “safe” for Catholics to read?
 
The Purpose Driven Life teaches many things not consistent with Catholic belief.

The big problem with PDL is the main subject of the book - your purpose in life. Catholics call this our vocation.

Every human has a primary vocation - to be holy. Holiness is a decrease in sin and an increase in virtue. The book makes no mention of our primary vocation to holiness but instead insists that “God loves you just the way you are” without any qualifiers. Yes, it is true that God loves every single one of us. God loves the worst drug addicted prostitute with his infinite love, but he also wishes that prostitute, and all of us, to be better.

***Say to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “You shall be holy; for I the LORD your God am holy.” **(Leviticus 19:2)

You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:48)*

Yes, there is a universal call to perfection. PDL makes no mention of our primary purpose in life which is in fact holiness. From the Catechism:

***2013 **“All Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of charity.” All are called to holiness: “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” *

Catholics also believe that there are four secondary vocations; 1) the priesthood, 2) the generous single life, 3) marriage and, 4) religious life. The book makes no mention of these secondary vocations and obviously does not mention the priesthood nor religious life at all.

There are many other errors in this book - that your choice of church is a choice of worship style, that there is no such thing as sacred and profane music, etc.

Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church label’s itself as Evangelical but it is mostly Baptist in theology and teaches many things inconsistent with Catholicsm. Rick Warren, Joyce Meyers, Joel Osteen - these have no place in the Catholic library.

-Tim-
 
Toss Warren’s Purpose Driven Life and add Fr. Groeschel’s Virtue Driven Life.
 
My former denomination (Protestant) went through a several-month sermon series on this book. I think my family went to another church for a while…😃

I tried to read it but did not get past the first few chapters because I noticed that Pastor Warren bent the scriptures to fit his own personal philosophy (as an example, he described what he saw as the ‘easy-going’ humor of God by referencing a scripture verse which states “God laughs at the wicked.” Yes…right before God casts them down.)
 
When I first encountered it in a Protestant church it was used to goad people into working for the church for free, under the banner of “serving God” of course.
 
I want to state that I don’t think that Rick Warren, Joyce Meyers or Joel Osteen are evil, or that they are bad people, or that their Churches are evil or bad. I believe they sincerely love God and do the best that they can.

I just think they teach some error, that’s all, and that their work ought not to be in a Catholic Church.

Our parish had a book sale and there were at least three copies of PDL. They were $0.50 each or a dollar or some trivial ammount. I was buying a few books anyway and so I gave the Columbiettes ten dollars as a donation and just took the copies of PDL and trashed them. You can find a copy of PDL at just about any garage sale and goodwill store. Hanging onto it in order to sell it isn’t going make your parish rich or produce enough funds for a complete Sacra Pagina commentary, that’s for sure.

Put it in the recycle bin and forget about it.

-Tim-
 
TimothyH said:
I just think they teach some error, that’s all, and that their work ought not to be in a Catholic Church.
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Agreed. My concern is that a young person or someone who doesn’t know the faith very well would pick up these books and think, “Because they are in the church, they must be OK to read.” I would hate to mislead anyone.
TimothyH said:
Put it in the recycle bin and forget about it. -Tim-
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And that’s where they are! 🙂
 
Bonnie said:
I got permission to cull the “bad” books from our parish’s Free Books bookshelves. The Joyce Meyers books & a few others were no brainers,
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Your parish needs you to clean up what people are reading. 😉
B:
but I don’t know anything about the Purpose Driven Life series. And I’m not really wanting to read it. 🙂

One book is “The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth am I Here For?” and the other is “Daily Inspiration for the Purpose Driven Life,” which is all selected Scripture, no commentary. I’m thinking the latter is fine, but people might get the idea that anything by Rick Warren is OK.

Is Rick Warren “safe” for Catholics to read?
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There is literally an avalanche of good Catholic materials. Be vigilent with those materials . The parish obviously needs you. :knight2::nunchuk:
 
Nobody should read Rick Warren, regardless of belief or denomination.
 
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