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July 22nd, 2010
12:34 PM ET
Pastor Rick Warren hospitalized after eyes burnedMegachurch pastor Rick Warren is home recovering after his eyes were burned as he pruned a firestick plant in his yard, his spokesman told CNN Thursday. Warren was hospitalized Monday after the incident and released Tuesday, said his spokesman, A. Larry Ross. Warren is expected to make a full recovery, Ross said. "My eyes were severely burned by a toxic poison," Warren wrote in a Twitter message Thursday morning. "Hospitalized Mon. Excruciating pain. Now home. Pray my sight loss is restored." Though the pain was initially so intense that Warren could not open his eyes on Monday, he was seeing well enough Thursday to send the Tweet himself, Ross said. "The pain was excruciating - 12 on a scale of 1 through 10," Ross said. "It's now down to an 8." Warren was pruning shrubs in the yard of his Southern California home when he wiped his eyes after picking up leaves from a firestick plant, Ross said. The sap of the firestick is toxic and can cause skin irritation and temporary blindness if it comes in contact with the skin or eyes, according to the website gardenguides.com. The firestick is a succulent with spiky orange branches. Warren is currently on leave from his church, called Saddleback, to write a book, so the injury is not expected to affect his public schedule, Ross said. "A doctor put protective contacts on my corneas as bandages during the healing," Warren said in another Tweet on Thursday. "I am NOT blind." The firestick is found around the world, Ross said, and grows well in Southern California. "Pastor Rick, an avid gardener, purchased it locally himself," Ross said.
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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"He must have sinned big time to have both his eyes burned"
So, are you saying that everyone who sins big time deserves to have something bad happen to them? Sorry to break it to you, but everyone sins big time. Even Pastor Rick. Even me. Even you...
Doesn't necessarily mean that we will be punished.
God doesn't punish us.
We punish ourselves.
God isn't about condemnation.
He is about love...
Maybe that false teacher's eyes will now be opened to properly interpret the Holy Scriptures, instrpead of with what the world wants to hear. Moron.
Heal quickly Pastor Rick.
i cannot believe these comments on here. what kind of people do u think u are? whether u are a Christian or not, look at the things u are saying to someone who only has good wishes for people. i met him at the mall, and i can honestly say that he is possibly the most kind human being i have ever met. you people are terrible to wish pain and blindness on anyone. and then laugh about it. i shudder every day when i see that i am living in a world where people are self centered and wish pain on others. he is a grandpa, a father, and a husband. im sure some of u can relate to that. he is a normal human being, like all of us. what if someone wished that kind of pain on u, or ur grandparent, parent, or spouse?
We love you Rick! I hope you get better soon! And YES, I will pray for you because I still have that freedom, just like these hateful people have the right to voice their opinion as wrong as it is, it is a freedom we have because of the people who serve to defend it. I just hate hearing about how a good man like this that strives to help people every way he can and is the most financially conservative pastor I know, get hammered when something unfortunate happens to him.
I have no idea who this guy is we are talking about. Is he one of those televangelists??
Yeah. He's based in California's Saddleback Church.
He's the fat slob with the nasty-looking beard who delivered an interminable and boring "invocation" at President Obama's inauguration. (I've always wondered why we don't actually perform auguries at these events...that's where the word comes from. You know, kill a pure white lamb, or a chicken, and examine its liver for omens....)
God is punishing him for hating gays. As a Buddhist, I hate to see anyone in pain... but Karma sure comes to mind!
Its funny Buddhists follow the "8 Fold Path" which is exactly the same as the 10 Commandments, which were established first by God!
Buddhism is an offshoot of Hinduism, which is far older than your god (i.e. bible)
Let's just treat Rick (and his situation) the way we would want to be treated in a similar predicament. It's the honest approach, regardless of how one feels about his views.
I agree. Although I don't agree with Mr Warren's [divisive, in my opinion] views as they relate to the world's religions, or certain social issues, he is still a human being who deserves compassion.
"What's wrong with people" IS RELIGION. PERIOD.
As a human being, I wouldn't wish any kind of plant toxicology attack on anyone as I've experienced poison ivy many times myself. But NOT ONCE did I think that plant was put there by some imagined demon to test me, or give me cause to pray to another imaginary figure to make it go away (when that same imaginary god supposedly created this plant in the first place)... God always gets the credit but never the blame.
So you see, we thinking people are SO fed up, SO COMPLETELY SICK of stories like this where we're asked to "pray" for some person who attributes everything in his or her life to imagined demons and gods at work around them, that our capacity fo sympathy wanes. Answer your question??
Then why are you reading the belief blog....you guys still surprise me with this crap. You say you're tired of hearing about it yet you find yourself on the blogs and news stories that are faith based. So you are either 1. Stupid or 2. in need of some perspective or 3. BOTH!
No, it doesn't really answer the question. You sound much more like an "emotional responder" rather than a "thinking person". A real thinking person would quickly realize that he simply cannot answer all of his questions through reflective or scientific thought. He would inevitably be led to make a decision – is this world of God, or not. Either choice you make is one of faith/belief and not proof.
So please save your educated thinking-man pontifications for your bar buddies. Those of us that are really thinking people (like those of us with multiple doctorates) thought your little thoughts as children.
If God doesn't exist, then is Noah's ark the first ever recorded vessel that floats andit has a 6:1 ratio, which is the ONLY ratio to which a boat will float. Did I mention that Noah got the building plans from God HIMSELF!!!!!!! The evidence is there in front of us and there is so much more than this blog allows for!
Thanks for posting that, Unbeliever.
"Nothing Fails Like Prayer – Cha-cha-cha!"
@Unbeliever We better stop religion! Wait, that's not possible, because your Atheism is a religion (set of beliefs) as well... My bad, wasn't thinking straight.
Eric S. – Since they have never actually found Noah's Ark, there really is not much proof. There were seafaring vessels before the Old Testament was written, so again, no real proof of anything
Bobbie – While Atheism may be a belief structure (actually a structure against belief), it is not based on the idea if a system of control that religion is. There is no God, so therefore we are responsible for ourselves. You cannot compare the two.
I'd like to thank God for this epic thread for it has brightened my day beyond belief.
Hey Rick–Something similar happened to me many years ago, and it was a blessing. I got my sight back and now I don't want to persecute people who God loves as much as he does you and I.
Get well soon!
-Paul (the apostle previously known as Saul)
PS If a dude named Ananias shows up, you should totally let him in.
Lol, that is too funny! I love it!
Wow...God didn't swoop down and instantly cure you from affliction? You must have been a bad boy Rick.
Please support your accusations with some evidence. Without it you appear to be nothing more than a childish name-caller.
Its a shame that people have to masked their hate for this man behind the old "the church is always asking for money issue". Jesus said it best..if you love me, they will hate you and speak all manner of evil against you. So actually all the haters are fulfilling the scriptures. Rick must be doing something right or no one would care. God bless you Rick Warren. I pray for your speedy recovery and those that speak against you.
I don't hate Rick at all. I just think its interesting how Rick and others profit from selling fairytales as truth.
lets see (no pun intended) he was in "excruciating pain and had to go to the hospital for treatment". so... God didn't protected him from pain and God didn't heal him. doctors and/or nurses did. i believe that God has the power to protect and heal people but he didn't help rick. hmmmmmm.
You're right Eric! Wow, you have opened my eyes! It's not like God provided the doctors and nurses, as well as their knowledge, to help heal Rick! God doesn't use other humans to help humans! What are we thinking!
Vicious vicious vicious. It's like a pack of wolves ripping an animal alive. Maybe this happened to show how vicious humans are. Give us one chance and we all have a vicious mob waiting to come out.
Yeah, no kidding! This is frightening that people would respond this way.
I wholeheartedly agree. Robertson, Warren, Falwell – these guys are truly wolves.
They should call it Beck's Disease.
That's the Devil's work..
He IS the Devil's work!!!!!!!!!!
"What's wrong with people" IS RELIGION. PERIOD.
As a human being, I wouldn't wish any kind of plant toxicology attack on anyone as I've experienced poison ivy many times myself. But NOT ONCE did I think that plant was put there by some imagined demon to test me, or give me cause to pray to another imaginary figure to make it go away (when that same imaginary god supposedly created this plant in the first place)... God always gets the credit but never the blame.
So you see, we thinking people are SO fed up, SO COMPLETELY SICK of stories like this where we're asked to "pray" for some person who attributes everything in his or her life to imagined demons and gods at work around them, that our capacity fo sympathy wanes. Answer your question??
Then why are you reading the belief blog....you guys still surprise me with this crap. You say you're tired of hearing about it yet you find yourself on the blogs and news stories that are faith based. So you are either 1. Stupid or 2. in need of some perspective or 3. BOTH! OR< you just need to SHUT UP when your in this BELIEF Blog!
The burning bush burnt this political guy's eyes. Its not a faith story. Unless you believe god smote him.
Well...as none of us know the workings of God's mind, smiting is a definite possibility. If one believes that at least some of the bad things that happen to people and nations are "God's punishment," then why can't it be the same when it happens to *you*?
Or maybe it's just that sometimes, skitt happens.
The story appeared on the CNN main page, that is what brought me here to gloat.
Will, this may come as a shock to you, but there are some of us out ehre that actually like to see some evidence and proof of some of the things you so called "christians" state. Unlike you, we don't follow blindly because someone standing at the font of the room tells us to believe something and quotes passages out of a fictional book. would you also follow the religion of Harry Potter? He has 7 books to your 1.
I doubt Rick asked you specifically to pray for him. He sent the request to people who follow him on twitter.
"...capacity for sympathy wanes..." A few posters here seem to go a bit beyond waning sympathy, but I have to admit that's a good way to put it. My capacity to sympathize for hate-filled intolerant people certainly wanes at times too, but then I remember just how horribly imperfect I am and suddenly others don't seem so bad.
Hey Greg, I'm a Christian and I have to agree with you. I recently had an epiphany, when I realized that the Jews committed the first case of genocide when they attempted to kill all the Canaanites in order to get the 'promised land.' Rick Warren wrote about having a purpose–my purpose now is to let people know that the Palestinians are truly victims who have been fighting off the Jews for 3000 years. When will the rest of the world see this???
Amen.
Amen to this.
Well, hopefully his sight returns with a minimum of pain... though I truly doubt he will fail to describe it as a miracle when it does return, despite the fact that the plant only causes temporary blindness to begin with.
I guess you and all the other faithless should keep in touch and find out if he does in fact claim it to be a miracle. He isn't like that!