But His Comments on Syria's 'Religious Freedom' Draw Criticism
Well-known Christian author Rick Warren says Syria offers more religious freedom than many other nations considered hostile to Christianity. His comments are included in an official statement he has released in connection with his controversial visit this week to that terrorist nation.
After Warren -- pastor of Saddleback Church and author of The Purpose Driven Life -- met with Syrian officials and top Muslim leaders there, he was quoted by the official state-controlled Syrian news agency as praising Syria for the peaceful relations between Christians and Muslims in the country.
"Pastor Warren hailed the religious coexistence, tolerance and stability that the Syrian society is enjoying due to the wise leadership of President al-Assad, asserting that he will convey the true image about Syria to the American people," reported the Syrian news agency. He was also reported to have conveyed to Syrian officials that "80 percent of Americans reject the U.S. administration's policies and actions in Iraq."
Shortly thereafter, in an e-mail to WorldNetDaily publisher Joseph Farah, the Southern California pastor denied making such statements and said he made the trip only as a favor to his Muslim next-door neighbor.
In his official statement released on Thursday afternoon (November 16), Warren says many Americans do not realize that both Christianity and Judaism are legal in Syria. Among other things, he says the Syrian government provides free electricity and water to all churches and allows Christians to create their own civil law instead of having to follow Muslim law.
The popular Christian author goes on to say that "the Syrian government has long had a bad reputation in America, but if one considers a positive action like welcoming in thousands of Christian refugees from Iraq, or the protection of freedom to worship for Christians and Jews in Syria, it should not be ignored." Warren says in fact, when it comes to religious freedom, Syria is far more tolerant than places like Cuba and Iraq and other nations identified in the U.S. Commission Report on International Religious Freedom.
Warren made it clear in a letter to his congregation about his trip that while he may have praise for Syria's handling of Christian refugees from Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries, in no way should that be interpreted as approval of everything the Syrian government does. "That's nonsense!," he is reported as telling his congregation. "Syria needs many reforms, but in terms of religious freedom, they are ahead of places like Burma, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, and many others."
In his press release, Warren makes no mention of Syria being on the official U.S. list of terrorist nations, nor of Syria's support of the Hezbollah terrorist group, one of Israel's most deadly enemies.
A spokesman with the Washington, DC-based Institute on Religion and Democracy (IRD) says Pastor Warren should think twice before he allows himself to be used by terrorist-sponsoring nations -- and that he should have known Syrian officials would misrepresent his comments.
"It's not very difficult for most dictatorships who are very adroit at their own propaganda work to exploit someone who does not have experience in that area," says IRD's Mark Tooley. "If you're meeting with the dictator of Syria and the foreign minister and the chief Islamic leader, you have to know that your visit is going to be used by that dictatorship in a certain way."
Tooley also advises that "if you want to prevent that from happening or preempt it, at the very least you put a statement on your own website outlining what your own views are."
Warren says he was advised by the U.S. State Department to expect Syria's state-controlled media to issue press releases about his visit. But he says he believes it is a mistake "not to talk to nations considered hostile." Isolation and silence, he says in his statement, has never solved conflict anywhere.
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