Rick Warren Cancels Presidential Forum with Mixed Explanations as to Why

Religion Today | Updated: Apr 22, 2013

Rick Warren Cancels Presidential Forum with Mixed Explanations as to Why

Megachurch pastor Rick Warren called off plans for a presidential forum that he said was scheduled to include both major party candidates, but there are conflicting accounts as to why the event was canceled, CNN reports. Warren told the Orange County Register he was canceling his "civil forum" because "it would be hypocritical to pretend civility for one evening only to have the name-calling return the next day," but according to an anonymous Democratic strategist, the event was canceled because of a lack of interest from both President Barack Obama's and Mitt Romney's campaigns. A source close to the Romney campaign said the Republican candidate hadn't planned on attending Warren's event but offered to do a video; however, a source close to Warren disputed the offer of a video. During the 2008 election, Warren hosted Obama and Republican candidate John McCain at his Saddleback Church in Southern California in front of 5,000 people and a nationally televised audience, in what he called Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency.



Rick Warren Cancels Presidential Forum with Mixed Explanations as to Why