Let Them Eat Purpose

Rick Warren, pastor of Orange County’s Saddleback megachurch and author of The Purpose Driven Life, announced plans to adopt genocide-ravaged Rwanda as the world’s first “Purpose Driven Nation.” He plans to use the same “small group” model of evangelical missionizing outlined in his book to disburse aid, build schools and hospitals, and turn the country’s poor citizens into entrepreneurs. The project has the blessing of the White House’s faith-based initiatives czar James Towey, who told Time reporter David Van Biema, “In the past, government has been indifferent or hostile toward efforts such as this one. That is not the case with this Administration.” So by our count, this makes Rwanda potentially both the first purpose driven and faith-based-endorsed nation on Earth. If we were Rwanda, we’d be a tad suspicious: all these hyphenated virtues are probably just the prelude to making you the secret weapon to defeat the axis of evil. — HOLLY MARTINS

Warren of Rwanda [Time]