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Clinton Gets Praise From Rick Warren for Showing up to Church

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November 29, 2007 7:19 PM

ABC News' Eloise Harper Reports: Sen. Hillary Clinton showed up to Pastor Rick Warren's Saddleback Church in California on Wednesday for a conference on AIDS. Warren offered praise to Clinton before the crowd of more than 500 people for showing up. "Most of you know that we invited all of the leading candidates, presidential candidates, to come to Saddleback Church to share about their view on AIDS." Warren said to the crowd. "Four of the candidates said they would send a video, but one of the candidates said ‘I’ll come.’" Warren went on "she was the one that showed up" clearly a boost to Clinton over her rival candidates.

Warren, the author of the best selling book The Purpose Driven Life, which has sold 30 million copies, created the Saddleback Community. He has created a global alliance of more than 400,000 pastors representing 163 countries and hundreds of denominations and has been influential in the evangelical community.

Warren, asked Clinton "Why'd you show?" Clinton responded "well first you asked me, and second in a burst of enthusiasm I said I would and I have been looking forward to this."

Five other presidential candidates spoke by video - Huckabee, Edwards, McCain, Obama Romney. The video speeches given by other candidates did not elicit nearly the applause or attention that Clinton received. The democratic frontrunner spoke of her travels abroad – speaking powerfully about one visit to Bangkok and meeting to a 12 year old girl who had contracted AIDS from a brothel. Clinton also spoke about the unjust way that men in the 1980’s were treated when they were too ashamed to tell their loved ones that they were sick with the disease. "We are taught to heal the sick to love them as our own but 25 years ago too many of them died alone."

Clinton gave a sermon of sorts and praised the church in which she spoke for their work. "If you read those moments when Jesus is presented with someone who is ill it becomes abundantly clear that Christ had a choice he could have been too busy he could have thought this is not the message of the day, I don’t need to do this, I’ve already done this," Clinton said. "But he made the choice – he never asked why someone was sick – he just healed and ministered to those in need. That is what Saddleback has chosen to do."

Clinton, wearing a small cross pin on her lapel, spoke about religion in her life. "My faith journey is approaching a half a century and I know how far I still have to go. I have been blessed in my life both starting in my family and in the church of my childhood to be guided every step of the way. A mother who taught Sunday school and made sure that my brothers and I be there the moment the church doors opened. A father who kneeled by the side of his bed every night of his life to say his prayers."

Senator Clinton went on to discuss how prayer got her through her marital difficulties. "I am often asked if I am a praying person and I have always responded that I was fortunate enough to be raised to understand the power and purpose in prayer, but had I not been -probably one week in the White House would have turned me into one."

The forum here was one to discuss AIDS and was a global summit whose attendees included the First Ladies from both Zambia and Rwanda. Clinton announced that she would, as president, ask for $50 billion dollars over five years to combat AIDS. She also said she would ask for money to combat malaria. Clinton said she would build on the leadership that the "president and Mrs. Bush have shown," giving a rare nod to the president she often criticizes multiple times in an average campaign swing.

Clinton wrapped up her remarks in a little over thirty minutes to this faith-based audience. She heads back to Washington DC to attend a DNC meeting in Virginia Friday.

November 29, 2007 in Bush, George W. | Permalink | User Comments (18)

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I think Rick Warren deserves credit for an excellent use of resources to address an important world issue.
Attendance by Sen. Clinton shows that we don't have to be divided on every issue. Faith can join us together in spite of politics.

Posted by: Sherry | Nov 29, 2007 8:17:52 PM

Hey Kool Aide Drinkers. I didn't see any mention of Bubba Clinton telling voters he never supported the Iraq War while numerous videos show Clinton saying he supports it, The LIAR even wrote an article for The Guardian in support! Did I mention the official policy of Clinton/Gore for Iraq was regime change! Like stains on the dress the videos show what garbage the Clintons are!

Posted by: Bob | Nov 29, 2007 8:55:24 PM

If national elections were held yearly the democrats would become regulars at church. As for now they only get religion every four years.

Posted by: Scrapiron | Nov 29, 2007 10:02:46 PM

The difference between Republican candidates for President and Democrat candidates for President regarding religion is the Republicans speak of their faith and beliefs, and the Democrats use churches as political tools to get votes(a clear violation of the separation of church and state
doctrine)!

Posted by: reaganfan | Nov 29, 2007 11:48:40 PM

No, the difference between Democrats and Republicans when it comes to religions is that Republicans think that they are the only righteous ones and they flaunt their "spirituality" like pharisees. Such hypocrites! Please see Matthew 6:5-8, it does talk about the difference.

Posted by: swissdiver | Nov 30, 2007 1:39:15 AM

Clinton / Kennedy 2008!

Posted by: Rick Craig | Nov 30, 2007 4:02:16 AM

Lawyer Clinton is just another politician who has no integrity and is dishonest. Like Chinese diswasher contributing $2300 and others you cannot be located. How many times does she have to violate the FEC laws before someone puts her in jail?

Posted by: Greg | Nov 30, 2007 5:00:10 AM

THIS IS EXACTLY THE KIND OF UNHOLY PRIDE AND ARROGANCE THAT COMES FROM JUDGING OTHERS, AND WHICH JESUS WARNED HIS FOLLOWERS AGAINST:

"The difference between Republican candidates for President and Democrat candidates for President regarding religion is the Republicans speak of their faith and beliefs, and the Democrats use churches as political tools to get votes..."

Christians posting moral judgements against fellow Christians is probably about as unChristian as it can possibly get.

You're a Christian and Clinton isn't a Christian???
Who IN HELL told you that kind of judgement is a part of your service to God???
Maybe you should consider that judging other people (except yourself and your own short-comings) DOES NOT serve God. (And, therefore, who does it serve?)

Posted by: Jan | Nov 30, 2007 8:03:09 AM

just someone ask hillary if she is there because she wants to be there, or if she is there in order to score political points. you know that all of the lying and pretention has to be taking its toll even on a clinton. someday i expect she will break down in honesty and tell everyone in the country to just give her their money and go to hell.

Posted by: geo | Nov 30, 2007 9:27:28 AM

oh, btw, i know another difference between republicans and democrats, so that make 2, republicans resign in disgrace while democrats dont resign, and that is a true disgrace.

Posted by: geo | Nov 30, 2007 9:30:46 AM

I don't think that anyone can or should say that Hilary Clinton is or is not a Christian. That is not for us to decide and only she and Jesus know her heart. However, her support of homosexual marriage and abortion makes her a candidate that I or anyone who believes in God's word should NOT vote for. When voting we need to choose a person whose morals and values most closely match our own.

Posted by: wkonicky | Nov 30, 2007 9:45:21 AM

I wonder how many people go to church every Sunday that make comments about Hillary Clinton. And church is not the place to discuss Bill Clinton. That's not what she was invited to do. And what about the other candidates? Did they refuse because it was a black church? I think so! That's the rivals for you and yet they want the black vote. I wouldn't give them the vote or the right time of day. If I were Rick Warren I would advise the congretation to vote for Hillary and also he should vote for Hillary. I believe there's a racial problem here with the rivals.

Posted by: Mariann Pepitone | Nov 30, 2007 10:24:45 AM

geo: All candidate's want to score political points. Where have you been? Haven't you heard about Obama meeting with Republican Bloomberg in New York. Were they discussing how to cut Clinton's throat. Did Obama want Bloomberg to endorse him and have the people of New York vote for him? That means that Bloomberg and Obama can not be trusted in their own party. I read that Hillary Clinton received another endorsement outside of Babs. There is not doubt that she will win the nomination regardless of Oprah campaigning for Obama. He is so desperate he has to contact a Republican to help him and it has also been known that he is good friends with them. Is he really a Republican in Democrats clothing?

Posted by: Mariann Pepitone | Nov 30, 2007 10:36:39 AM

Jan: posting a criticism of Hillary Clinton and her fellow Democrats is not a moral judgement, it is my opinion and also factual!
Actually We Don't Know what religion
Hillary belongs to since she stated during Bill Clinton's re-election
campaign in 1996 that she was "Part Jewish"! Nuff Said!

Posted by: reaganfan | Nov 30, 2007 10:58:13 AM

The media maybe prasing clinton, but the American christan public have very little prase for the immoral stand the clintons have taken on oral sex, it my not be sex to them but, the American christan population do not exceptable their immoral beliefs.

Posted by: William Ellison | Nov 30, 2007 11:53:43 AM

no religious test for politicians. It was a smart move by the others to not attend. Hills needs the press. $50B would be better focused on a finding a cure. It is a horrible thing how AIDS is still so prolific around the globe but there is truly nothing to be done, beyond managing the deaths of millions unless we focus on a cure or suppressor of the virus.

Posted by: Louis | Nov 30, 2007 12:05:26 PM

Let's think about this: In the CNN debate, the candidates were asked "What would Jesus do?" At Rick Warren's church Hillary was asked to speak on what SHE would do. I personally do not seek to worship a person who has a Purpose Driven Life.

Posted by: Virginia | Nov 30, 2007 2:52:50 PM

“However, her support of homosexual marriage and abortion makes her a candidate that I or anyone who believes in God's word should NOT vote for. When voting we need to choose a person whose morals and values most closely match our own.”

You did and he is trying to destroy the world. He is privatizing the military, enriching his rich friends while burying our country in debt by refusing to pay for his war. Anyone that supports this war and yet refuses to pay for it is stealing from our future generations. It displays exactly what your moral beliefs are which more likely resemble a racist thief than a Christian. I wonder just who gives you the authority to judge others in their marital choices or the control of their own bodies?

Is there anyone on here that thinks their choice for President has higher moral fiber that the others running? We all know what a dirty process politics is and it takes someone with the hide of a Rino to survive. I mean how does homosexual marriage and abortion equal the moral depravity of starting a war based on lies causing the deaths and mutilation of hundreds of thousands of innocent people and the displacement of millions more. Anyone who wants to enable the continuing policy of these traitors running our country must share their guilt…

Posted by: Frank | Dec 1, 2007 2:20:49 AM

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