Imonk is right – the McCain – Obama Saddleback thing is going to be softball city. Obama will talk about AIDS in africa and Warren will turn into a puddle. McCain will talk about being a POW and finding “hope” and Warren will swoon. Love to see Warren say something like “If Jesus told us to turn the other cheek, and you are a Christian, how then do we justify war?” You don’t get a 15,000 member church by asking hard questions like that though.

Thanks for doing what you’re doing. I’m really enjoying your recordings.

I don’t remember now what voice I had heard in my head when I previously read your work, but your southern drawl sure did shock me. I couldn’t believe that this was the voice of The Internet Monk who I loved so much! It took me some time to come to terms with your accent.

Now it’s one of the most comforting and reassuring voices on my radar. “A voice of sanity”, for sure. You may (or may not) mean that in an ironic way, but it rings true to me.

Thanks, as always, for all your efforts to tell the truth and to honour Jesus.

I think he popped up in a video over at Onward, Forward, Toward a couple months ago. My introduction to the current crop of crazy preachers.

I think I commented on one of his videos; went something like this:

First impression: Dude is High.

One minute later: Dude’s not high, he’s CRAZY!

Two minutes in, after “Friar Tuck Bartender Angels” and way too many “YOING! YOING! YOING!”s:
This is getting too weird for this Hobbit (click off).

Personally, I like Rick Warren. I’ve read his books, and I like the fact that he’s putting his money where his mouth is. Does he speak for all evangelicals? — Big V

No more so than Fred Phelps. (Who for some reason, became THE Media Spokesman for ALL American Christians for several years. After Phelps, anybody would be an improvement.)

I think the Amish really showed up in the way they offered grace and forgiveness toward the man who murdered those little girls. Most American Christians have written the Amish off as irrelevant and a little crazy, but they floored us all with their response to a direct attack on their children. It was one of the most Jesus shaped things I’ve ever seen.

As far as the culture war goes, I’m not sure that we really want to fight it. We say we do, but that seems to generally consist of voting Republican and maybe putting a bumper sticker or two on our cars. Wars are led by people in high positions, but they are fought by soldiers on battlefields. At the risk of sounding entirely too individualistic, I think every member of God’s people needs to start wrestling with how we are going to exemplify Christ in public and private arenas. Of course, if I’m going to say that, I have to do it all myself.

While I do appreciate the content of your podcasts, I am certainly mighty charmed by your accent as well!

Didn’t mean to imply that you didn’t like Warren. I appreciate what you said about him in your podcast. I’m counting on him throwing “smoke” rather than change-ups! (I can hope, can’t I?)We’ll see…

Appreciate you, Bro.

P.S. I’m fixin’ to check out those other podcasts you mentioned.

But no, I don’t think he’s a good choice at all. It will be softball city. That’s why the candidates have consented to this. I want tough questions by a tough questioner.