Descriptive words like "unprecedented," "life-changing," and "thought leaders who will become your thought partners" were used to promote this RETHINK meeting held on  the 150 million dollar property of the Crystal Cathedral.

Co-hosts were Dr. Robert H Schuller, founding pastor, and Rev. Erwin McManus of the Mosiac Church in Los Angeles. RETHINK connected the 2,500 who attended, with tens of thousands of others who watched the simulcast programs beamed across North America in 44 major cities.

More than 30 speakers, identified by Schuller as being "Cultural Icons in media, politics, science, business and faith," were given their "30 minutes of fame" as they instructed everyone to become "Top Thinkers and Innovators."

These included Former President George H.W. Bush; Chuck Colson of Prison Fellowship; Larry King, the broadcaster; Rupert Murdoch, a Global Media Executive; H. B. London, vice president of Focus on the Family; Nancy Ortberg, former teaching pastor at Willow Creek Community Church; Emerging Church Leader Dan Kimball; George Forman, world heavyweight boxer; Kay Warren, wife of Rick Warren of Saddleback Church, along with three members of the Schuller family.

Dr. Robert A. Schuller, who succeeded his father as Senior Pastor, offered these suggestions: 1. Don't go to work and do a job - go to your destiny and fulfill your calling; 2. If you have the faith, God has the power; 3. Success is not a destination, it is a journey. The journey itself is the success.

Lou Holtz, famous football coach, gave three rules. They were: 1. Do right; 2. Do everything to your ability; 3. Just show them you can. Holtz concluded his remarks by saying, "Yes, I believe in Jesus, but I sure do not go around preaching about Him!"

Donna Schuller, wife of the Senior Pastor at the Crystal Cathedral, who is also identified as the Guest Pastor in that church, began by asking everyone to stand and then turn to everyone around them and tell them, "YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD!" She then advised her listeners to: 1. Reframe yourself; 2. Reframe others; 3. Reframe God - and she added, "Before you know God you must know yourself."

Larry King was interviewed by Dr. Schuller via live hookup. Larry said he had been born into a Jewish home in 1933. As the interview drew to a close, Dr. Schuller asked him to tell everyone something they could remember that he said at this meeting. Larry said he would like to tell a joke and he did - but it was an off color joke! (No one from the platform apologized for letting such an offensive "joke" to be a part of this RETHINK Conference.)

Rupert Murdoch, the media giant, said absolutely nothing that was even close to spiritual truth. He promoted free trade and the need to help people who are depressed. His final statement was "Always promote inter-faith dialogue."

Observations by this reporter:

1. RETHINK was a mishmash of liberalism, New Age teaching, self esteem philosophy with a lot of psycho-babble thrown into the mix.
   

2. It was the exception and not the rule when God's Word was referred to in any way. A few speakers mentioned the need of receiving Jesus Christ, but very few. The subject of "sin" and "Hell" apparently were off limits.
   
3. Co-host Erwin McManus declared, "For too long we have focused on making sure people believe the right things and have left their concerns alone. I know it may sound like heresy, but it is more important to change what people care about than what they believe."
   
   What this "emerging church" leader failed to understand or communicate is that what we believe will affect the way we behave. McManus put the proverbial cart before the horse. II Corinthians 5:17 and Ephesians 2:8-10 give the proper order.
   
4. Another speaker and a leader of the emerging church movement, Miles McPherson, was identified as a "transformation evangelist." His Rock Church grew from a handful to 10,000 in seven years. McPherson related that the women in his church go on a regular basis into the strip clubs "to minister to the women there." As he concluded his address, he sought to answer the question of why you will go to heaven. His answer was "You have finished your life's purpose or God thinks you never will do it."
   
5. George Forman, the world heavyweight boxer champion, ended his speech by telling how after he had lost a fight and while lying there in his dressing room, he heard a voice but no one else was in the room. George said it was Jesus, and George offered Jesus some money. However, the voice said, "I do not want your money, I want you." George said that he was "out of this life and I learned that the world needs for me to show that I love them. I learned from Jesus not to punch anyone out of anger!"
   
6. Dan Kimball, pastor of the Vintage Faith Church in California, promoted his book The Emerging Church. Kimball recommends that churches use chanting, arts and dancing. By this way the church leaders emphasize the sense of smell, touch, taste, hearing and sight. He minimized preaching but encouraged dialogue. He even told of a time when he permitted a man, who was an agnostic, to stand up during a Sunday morning worship service and to tell everyone why he was not a Christian! 
   
7. Exhibitors at RETHINK were Fuller Theological Seminary, The Barna Group, California Graduate School of Theology, American Association of Christian Counselors, Prison Fellowship Ministries along with others.
   
8. A phrase often heard was "People tell us they love Jesus but they hate Christians." Another favorite was "We are moving into a post-Christian culture, so it is time to rethink how we ‘do church.'" "Evangelism is more dialogue than preaching." "You cannot effectively evangelize by your preaching."
   
9. At no time was it emphasized what I Corinthians 1:18 teaches - "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God" - nor what Paul wrote in II Timothy 4:2 - "Preach the word..." Instead the way to do God's work, according to these "religious icons," is with candles, incense, chanting, dancing, and "open time" where everybody is free to share what is important to them. 
   
10. The old erroneous teaching that "humanized God and deified man" was plainly seen in the flippant practices and methods of worship that were promoted at the Crystal Cathedral. This large Cathedral is itself a place where psychology reigns as king. Believers do not need to "rethink" God's truths but should "rethink" accepting the multiplied errors offered by those like Robert Schuller.

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