Rick Warren: Is he or isn't he?

Who are you going to believe – Rick Warren or your own eyes?

That's the dilemma I face.

You see, back in November, I had a series of e-mail exchanges with the pastor of Saddleback Church and the best-selling author of "The Purpose-Driven Life."

Among several interesting revelations of that dialogue was Warren's admission – a boast, really – that he is a member in good standing of the Council on Foreign Relations, an organization specifically founded to attack national sovereignty, to promote world government and to enlist U.S. church leaders in those goals.

It was in the context of our debate over Warren's characterization of Syria as a "moderate" country that provides religious freedom to Christians that I suggested the media's favorite mega-pastor should have sought counsel from someone like me – a Christian journalist of Syrian and Lebanese heritage who has covered and analyzed the Middle East for the last 25 years.

Warren explained, somewhat condescendingly, that he had counseled with the National Security Council and the White House, as well as the State Department, before his little pilgrimage to Damascus.

''In fact,'' Warren added, ''as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and Oxford Analytica, I might know as much about the Middle East as you.''

I hadn't asked about the CFR. I didn't use thumbscrews to pry this information out of him. He volunteered this bombshell in a written communication.

But there's something deeply disturbing I have learned about Warren: He generally tells people what they want to hear. And evidently he didn't realize how alienating news of his membership in the CFR would be to many in his own flock.

So what did he do?

He and his staff have revised history – or their story, anyway.

Now, according to an e-mail from John Mogush, his assistant at Saddleback, his boss was just confused.

"Pastor Rick is not a member of the Council on Foreign Relations," he wrote one concerned constituent. "He was asked to become a member, but declined. If you can tell me where it was written, we will respond to them."

Well, John, it was written by Pastor Rick. If you'd like to see a copy of the e-mail, I'd be happy to share it with you. The quote has been accurately published in WND. It has been read and reviewed by Pastor Rick. And it has not been disputed publicly – only privately.

There's a pattern here.

Warren went to Syria and recorded himself praising the totalitarian police state and its dictator.

Then he denied saying what he said.

Then, after removing a video recording from YouTube, he denied any recordings were made in Syria.

Then he told his congregation he had recorded some 12 hours of his trip through Syria and Africa.

Then Warren apologized to me for defending his actions and presumably misrepresenting the truth.

Then he told his congregation in writing that the controversy over his trip was just being stirred up by satanically inspired Internet pundits. (I assumed that was meant to be a description of me.)

Then he told me he was a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Then his assistant denied membership.

Is any of this important?

Well, if you consider the credibility of church leaders to be an important matter, I would say it is.

These may not strike you as big lies. But half-truths and white lies often lead to bigger deceptions. And, as I read my Bible, I'm not sure God makes any exceptions about truth.

By the way, Warren's interest in the Council on Foreign Relations is hardly ancient history. According to the group, he attended New York meetings in 2006 and was, in fact, an important part of the program. So a failing memory does not seem like a good excuse.

Now, Michael Medved will probably take issue with my characterization of the Council on Foreign Relations as "an organization specifically founded to attack national sovereignty, to promote world government and to enlist U.S. church leaders in those goals." He seems to prefer to think of the CFR as a well-meaning debating society.

While time and electron rationing do not permit me to delve into this topic in more depth, there is no denying reality, much as the talk-show host tries. The definitive, objective history on the founding of the CFR and its efforts to co-opt the churches in its globalist plotting is covered in the 2005 book by Martin Erdmann, "Building the Kingdom of God on Earth: The Churches' Contribution to Marshal Public Support for World Order and Peace, 1919-1945."

So, what's it going to be, Rick Warren? Are you in or out? Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Council on Foreign Relations? Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

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