Rick Warren knows all about the criticism coming from fellow conservative Christian leaders. You know…he’s too soft on liberals or he ditches the abortion and marriage discussion in favor of causes near and dear to the hearts of progressives. Here’s how he responded to me during our one on one interview at Saddleback Church.

The most surprising thing to me is that some leaders that I think are spiritually mature leaders value political loyalty over family loyalty. We are members of the body of Christ. Christ shed his blood for us. We’re going to live in Heaven together. And yet if you don’t hold the party line, all of a sudden for these people politics trumps faith.

Now the Bible says don’t judge another man’s servant, he will report to God on that and over and over the Bible tells us that we are to encourage one another 58 one anothers in the New Testament. I have seen a lot of people they use their politics as an adjective. I am not a Republican Christian. I am not a Democratic Christian. I think they’re both wrong. I think Christian is what you are. I am neither religious left. I’m not a religious left because I don’t believe in big government for one thing. I’m not secular left. I’m not religious right, and I’m not secular right. I happen to be in the kingdom of God. My kingdom is not of this world. And sometimes when people don’t understand that they want you to be on their political bandwagon.

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