Like megachurch pastor Rick Warren's prior controversies, his latest controversy seems to be about, at best, articulating what he means and, at worst, diliberately lying. However, it seems just like an outright lie though. He seems to want to want to project a modern-sounding, progressive, and inclusive view to the public (via Larry King), while still maintaining the fringe, fundamentalist, and exclusive theology for his conservative Christian supporters (via, apparently, a less public video).
I suspect many conservative Christians struggle just as much as Warren. This is probably an unfair characterization, but I think many conservative Christians truly want to sound progressive, inclusive and friendly toward gays and lesbians, but privately seek the security of their exclusive fundamentalist faith. And conservative Christian churches (especially megachurches) strive to project a slick, glossy and modern image, but at the end of the day their doctrines are still ultimately about archiac theology and damning outsiders to hell. In essence, it seems Warren and others attempt the impossible: inclusive, but exclusive; tolerant, but intolerant; open-minded, but close-minded.
At least with the late Jerry Falwell, there was no confusion about what Falwell's politics and position were.
Let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes,' and your 'No' mean 'No.' Anything more is from the evil one.
- Matthew 5:37 (NAB)