Burning Bridges Over Glenn Beck

ReviewAtlas.com ^ | September 1, 2010 | Jim Bennett

[greyfoxx39]

I’ve entitled this column “Burning Bridges over Beck” only because the original title, “How to Lose Conservative Friends and Alienate Readers While Drawing a Line in the Sand on the Banks of the Rubicon” was, as the Mrs. put it, “a bit verbose.”          
Let’s get down to it.

Glenn Beck is an influential figure; no one can deny that he has made considerable advances for the conservative movement.

I have never watched his television program, so most of what I know about him I have learned by watching the response to him. That response is very impressive.
The rally in Washington this past weekend proved that he certainly has a unique gift for inspiring and mobilizing people. It is a gift I envy.

I also have to admit that the hilarious fits of sputtering, frothy-mouthed panic that he invariably elicits from the Left have brought me many a chuckle. I appreciate him for that too.

I clearly can’t deny that he is one of the most efficacious figures among Conservatives. Something has happened of late, though, and it’s something that concerns me deeply. Glenn Beck is increasingly holding himself out as a religious figure. Now, I happen to be someone who treasures my own freedom to express my spiritual beliefs in the public realm, so I celebrate his own right to do the same. This is America, so by all means have at it, sir.

But my concern is for my Evangelical brethren who not only accept him as a political spokesperson but ALSO embrace him as a legitimate Christian leader. Glenn Beck must not be given such legitimacy among such a people. As a Mormon, he is an adherent to teachings that fly wildly in the face of Biblical Christian orthodoxy.

This, however, is but a symptom. The diagnosis is a particularly virulent strain of Spiritual Discernment Deficiency. Though it affects only one demographic – Christians who should know better — it has three causes.

The first cause is biblical illiteracy. Modern American believers have little knowledge of the scriptures, ergo they have no understanding of the vast doctrinal chasm that separates what the Bible teaches from what Mormons believe. Of course, the LDS (Latter-day Saints) juggernaut is more than happy to help that along through a remarkable public relations effort aimed at presenting themselves as just one of several “Christian” denominations. Even the most cursory comparison of Mormonism to the Bible, however, shows that this could not possibly be the case. The LDS Church preaches a different Christ, a different scripture and a different church.

The second cause is patriotic idolatry. Informed patriotism and ardor for conservative political activism are both fine ideals in my book, ideals to which I myself aspire. Yet when our passion for these begins to rival our zeal for the purity of the Gospel, then we have lost our way. If Evangelicals accept Glenn Beck as a spiritual leader because of the perceived “good he is doing for this country,” then the line which divides things spiritual and eternal from things earthly and temporal has been dangerously compromised.

Believer, ask yourself: Are you first a citizen of Heaven or are you first a citizen of this republic?

The third cause of this Spiritual Discernment Deficiency is religio-political pragmatism. Many conservative Christ-followers so want to excoriate President Obama as a Christian poseur that they’re willing to exalt Glenn Beck as a Christian paragon by default. I don’t presume to judge the heart of either man, but the followers of Jesus Christ should be every bit as skeptical of the heretical pronouncements of Beck’s Mormon “prophets” as they are of the Marxist liberation theology taught to President Obama by his chosen mentors, Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Father Michael Phleger.

I pray for President Obama. I also pray for Glenn Beck.

That’s the diagnosis. But what’s the prescription? First, read your Bible every day and seek the Holy Spirit’s counsel in this and all things. Know what you believe and why you believe it. Accept the Bible as authoritative. Second, you may also want to pick up a copy of "When Salt Lake City Calls," an eye-opening book by Rocky Hulse, and visit Steve Dealy, the missionary who directs the Christian Visitors Center in Nauvoo.

Some will undoubtedly conclude that I’m only giving liberals what they want most: Right-wing infighting. Perhaps I am, but Beck abandoned Social Conservatives like me with his recent announcement that he has “bigger fish to fry” than speaking out on “culture war” issues like so-called same-sex marriage. In a stunning display of short-sightedness, he quoted Thomas Jefferson: “If it neither breaks my leg nor picks my pocket, what difference is it to me?”

Great googly-moogly.

[greyfoxx39]

Ping

[guitarplayer1953]

How do you feel about George Washington since he was a mason?

[dajeeps]

Guess you have to watch the show to get it. He doesn’t talk about Mormanism, but he does talk about God and Christ frequently in non-denominational terms, and seems to have great respect for varied differences in methods of worship. His point in discussing it is how important judeo-christan beliefs, in general, are to the foundation of the country as a factor of national unity rather than as a missionary.

Some might have a problem with that, but I guess that’s up to them. It is probably better to be united in generality, on points on which we can agree, than it is to point out various differences and use it as tool to divide. No one group can stand alone in the fight against secular socialism and worship of the earth the elites are trying to shove down our throats. There is immense strength in numbers and I would hate to lose to that over small dividsions that can be overlooked in order to accomplish the task at hand.

[Joe 6-pack]

I think a lot of would-be televangelists who were never able to get a show of their own have it out for Glenn and his success.

[DaughterofEve]

What really concerns me is a “religious” comedian he had on his show tonight who was making jokes about scaring kids and watching them “Pee themselves” or some other equally charming phrase. Yeah, I get that it was supposed to be funny. It wasn’t. It was disgusting. And even though I’m just starting to peek at Glenn, I was somehow mortified to see him smiling at it.

[Halgr]

America was stupid enough to elect Obama.....now they continue in their stupidity to attack a simple Message that just happens to be scripturally and spiritually true.

There is only one solution for what ails America....and that is to fall on our faces and repent and call out to God.

That GB is the one that said this doesn’t negate that truth.

But Lucifer’ useful idiots can make it a lie by repeating their propaganda often enough.

Look at Obama’s game plan.

[Invictus]

Perhaps before you write this self serving pap, you should watch his programs.... then it would be fair for you to evaluate..... but by reading what some other critic writes and draw your conclusions from that, sounds a little second or third hand.

[Brugmansian]

Jim Bennett writes: I have never watched his television program . . . Glenn Beck is increasingly holding himself out as a religious figure.

In other words: I don't know what I'm taking about but I'm going to say it anyways.

[greyfoxx39]

I didn’t write the article, and I have watched and listened to Glenn and to the 8/28 rally.

He sets himself up as a “religious leader”, not I.

[ExGeeEye]

Believer, ask yourself: Are you first a citizen of Heaven or are you first a citizen of this republic?

In matters of faith and doctrine, the former; in the spirit of rendering unto Caesar as appropriate, in matters of public policy and constitutionality in a nation with COTUS 1A, the latter.

Some say this is impossible.I say it is not only possible, but imperative.

There may be some for whom it is too difficult. I urge them to concentrate on the Heavenly. The rest of us, who can walk and chew gum at the same time, will do the other work that must be done.

[ExGeeEye]

Believer, ask yourself: Are you first a citizen of Heaven or are you first a citizen of this republic?

In matters of faith and doctrine, the former; in the spirit of rendering unto Caesar as appropriate, in matters of public policy and constitutionality in a nation with COTUS 1A, the latter.

Some say this is impossible.I say it is not only possible, but imperative.

There may be some for whom it is too difficult. I urge them to concentrate on the Heavenly. The rest of us, who can walk and chew gum at the same time, will do the other work that must be done.

[FourPeas]

Believer, ask yourself: Are you first a citizen of Heaven or are you first a citizen of this republic?

The salient point.

[GSWarrior]

This article started out so well, and then........

[Colofornian]

From the article: I don’t presume to judge the heart of either man, but the followers of Jesus Christ should be every bit as skeptical of the heretical pronouncements of Beck’s Mormon “prophets” as they are of the Marxist liberation theology taught to President Obama by his chosen mentors, Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Father Michael Phleger.

Bingo!

[BlueMoose]

PING

[BlueMoose]

The Glenn Beck rally is confusing people.

Why?

He is aiming far beyond what most people consider to be the goalposts.

Using Boyd’s continuum for war: Material, Intellectual, Moral.

Analogously for political change: Elections, Institutions, Culture.

Beck sees correctly that the Conservative movement had only limited success because it was good at level 1, for a while, weak on level 2, and barely touched level 3. Talk Radio and the Tea Party are level 3 phenomena, popular outbreaks, which are blowing back into politics.

Someone who asks what the rally has to do with the 2010 election is missing the point.

Beck is building solidarity and cultural confidence in America, its Constitution, its military heritage, its freedom. This is a vision that is despised by the people who have long held the commanding heights of the culture. But is obviously alive and kicking.

Beck is creating positive themes of unity and patriotism and freedom and independence which are above mere political or policy choices, but not irrelevant to them. Political and policy choices rest on a foundation of philosophy, culture, self-image, ideals, religion. Change the foundation, and the rest will flow from that. Defeat the enemy on that plane, and any merely tactical defeat will always be reversible.

Beck is unabashed that God can be invoked in public places by citizens, who vote and assemble and speak and freely exercise their religion. They are supposed to be too browbeaten to do this. Gathering hundreds of thousands of them to peaceably assemble shows they are not. But showing that the people who believe in God and practice their religion are fellow-citizens who share political and economic values with majorities of Americans is a critical step. The idea that these people are an American Taliban is laughable, but showing that fact to the world — and to potential political allies who are not religious — is critical.

Beck is attacking the enemy at the foundations of their power, their claim to race as a permanent trump card, their claim to the Civil Rights movement as a permanent model to constantly be transforming a perpetually unjust society.

He is nuking out the foundations of the opposition’s moral preeminence, the very thing I proposed in this post.

Ronald Reagan said we would not defeat Communism, we would transcend it.

Beck is aiming to have America do the same thing to its decaying class of Overlords, transcend them.

Beck is prepping the battlefield for a generation-long battle.

He is that very American thing: A practical visionary.

See, simple.

Restore pride and confidence to your own side, and win the long game.

As Ronald Reagan also said, there are simple solutions, just no easy solutions.

God bless America.

[Twotone]

Oh, come on. The man was horribly burned & his face would frighten any little child. He was making a joke at his own expense. I doubt he really scares the kiddies that way. It was just a humorous comment, and all the adults in the audience responded by laughing.

Glenn Beck is trying to guide people back to a spiritual life, not Mormonism. Give him some time. He grows on you.

[Colofornian]

MHGinTN, one of our Flying Inmans along with GF & myself, has certainly been fairly positive over a lot of what Beck has had to say. (And MHGinTN watches a fair amount of Beck on TV)

Well even I at times have been positive over what Beck has had to say. But I no more agree w/him over everything than I do Hugh Hewitt, a Presbyterian Christian.

Yet when Beck presents himself as a "Christian" leader who has gathered up pastors' flock right up their noses as part of Beck's Bahai faith 2.0 version -- using a combo of old-time camp revivalism and D.C. rally politics -- I take issue.

And Beck TV-watching MHGinTN has been raising more concerns about Beck as well...(Perhaps MHG can chime in here).

[Colofornian]

Glenn Beck is trying to guide people back to a spiritual life, not Mormonism.

Yeah, well so far I've called it Bahai 2.0. But maybe Mormo-Bahai might be more like it. Religions are increasingly becoming synchronistic. (You know like Haiti, part voodoo; part Catholicism)

Give him some time.

Yeah, it takes a bit of umption, gumption, and time to kick off a new religion.