Rick Warren given an opportunity to show his pro-life stance is not just “words written on a page.”

Wichita, KS — Pastor Rick Warren, author of the best-selling book “The Purpose Driven Live” has been invited to attend the national pro-life event sponsored by Operation Rescue in Wichita, Kansas, on January 19-22, 2007, after receiving heavy criticism from pro-life leaders over a lack of sensitivity to the matter of abortion.
The invitation comes from Rev. Patrick Mahoney of the Christian Defense Coalition, who issued an open letter to Warren after Warren created a media uproar when he dismissed concerns from a number of pro-life leaders who had asked him to uninvite pro-abortion Sen. Barack Obama to an HIV/AIDS conference that Warren’s Saddleback Community Church recently hosted.
The pro-life leaders expressed that it was inappropriate for one who supports the killing of innocent children to speak on life issues in a religious setting because it showed a lack of regard for the lives of over 126,000 innocent children that die from abortion each day world-wide.
Rev. Mahoney is an invited speaker at the Wichita event. The press release from the Christian Coalition announcing the invitation is reprinted below.
Click here for information about Wichita ’07 – A Cry For Justice national witness against abortion.
Many in the Faith Community Concerned About Pastor Rick Warren’s Lack of Commitment Toward Addressing the Issue of Abortion
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2 /Christian Newswire/ — In an open letter sent to Rick Warren, the Christian Defense Coalition asks Pastor Warren to exhibit a more public witness with respect toward social justice and helping end the violence against women and children through abortion.
The entire letter is available online.
The group has asked Rick Warren to join with the faith community in prayer during a national pro-life witness at the abortion clinic of George Tiller in Wichita, Kansas this January. They have also asked to partner with Saddleback Church in putting together an international summit on “Abortion and the Church.”
Pastor Warren created a national uproar in the evangelical community by inviting, pro-abortion Senator Barak Obama, to speak at Saddleback Church during an AIDS summit.
The following are excerpts from the letter:

“Evangelicals are not upset that you are reaching out to people with different views, opinions or political alignment. The command of Christ is that we extend His gospel to all groups, ideologies and nations. We are upset that you have invited a man to speak at your church that promotes policies which kill children and degrade women and stands in stark contrast to the teachings of historic Christianity.”
“…I am sure you would never have a racist or Nazi speak at your church. Or, it is doubtful hate-monger Fred Phelps would ever address any kind of gathering at Saddleback. All we are asking is that you treat those who support abortion with the same moral outrage that you would treat racists and bigots.”
“Instead of reaching out to the most vulnerable of our society with mercy and justice, Senator Obama leaves them defenseless and open to violence and barbarism. Rick, how can you hold a summit at a Christian event and feature a speaker who so openly disdains and violates the second greatest commandment of the Christian faith?”
“…I have seen you on television say on several occasions that you do not like to publicly talk about abortion or politicize it. Yet in your public statement on Senator Obama, you talk about the purpose of the AIDS Summit is “to marshal the policy of the government.” Again, we wonder why the engagement of politics and public policy on AIDS and the abandonment of it on abortion?”

For more information or interviews please contact Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney at 202.547.1735, Cell: 540.538.4741