Glenn Beck Started Out Well, But Now Its "Whoever Your God Is . . ."

JoeClarke.Net ^ | 10/11/2010 | JoeClarke.Net

[joeclarke]

He has explained the faith of our American founding fathers like no other in the media. He has exhaustively investigated the current and historical problems with socialism in the U.S. and abroad. He has rallied hundreds of thousands for the 912 Project and the Restoring Honor mass meetings, all the while pointing people to their Creator through, specifically, Jesus Christ.

How amazed I was to watch a possibly ill or exhausted Glenn Beck say on his Monday TV program (after taking off from the radio) that, "I am not talking about a specific religion, just 'God'... whatever you define as God." All of a sudden, Jesus, it seems, has been superseded by Mahatma Gandhi, who Glenn, early in the show, pointed to as a guy who "I should talk to." After he admitted that he was very tired, Beck stared at a giant picture of Gandhi then remarked that "the answer is from this guy."

Glenn admitted that he was just starting to study Gandhi simultaneous to studying the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Christian martyr who rebelled, unlike so many Protestants and Catholics in Nazi Germany, against Adolph Hitler - and paid dearly for it. Bonhoeffer was thought to be involved in a plot to assassinate Hitler, so was summarily hung for his defiance, if not for plotting against Hitler, then for his Christian based resistance to the Third Reich.

Beck went on to explain that Bonhoeffer sought inspiration from Gandhi, which is doubtful. Gandhi derived his philosophy from the Buddhist/Hindu tenants which deny the use of violent force - for any reason. IOW Gandhi would not even violently resist Hitler, I guess.

Gandhi believed in Ahism - a term meaning to do no harm (literally: the avoidance of violence - himsa). It is an important tenet of the Indian Religions(Hinduism Buddhism and especially Jainism). Ahimsa is a rule of conduct that bars the killing or injuring of living beings. Hard to fight wars or enforce laws with such an ulta pacifistic code. Even the New Testament tells us in Romans 13 that "Rulers do not carry the sword in vain." Fortunately, in America every citizen is Constitutionally allowed to carry the sword.

"Gandhi teaches me the principles of love," Beck said during the end of the show. I really hope that he does not miss the point that, "God so loved the world . . . that he gave. . . " not a mere man like Gandhi, but He gave a Son of Man. Quite a different benchmark for showing love.

Glenn may be making the mistake of attempting to unite all religions under a generic godhead - "One God is as good as Another." IOW confusion.

Glenn Beck, as the rest of us, is on a spiritual journey and is looking for answers. He has been a Catholic as I have, and is now a Mormon. I hope he finds out that Jesus is the Answer and that Jesus is the Way, and neither Gandhi nor anyone else can be.

[brytlea]

I went backwards and got the gist. I just thought it was pretty funny that you posted what you did on a Beck thread since he has been a big basher of the myth that many of our founders were deists! :)

[MHGinTN]

Appreciate the links.

[PoplarBluffian]

I love Beck when he is teaching & exposing “connections”, but usually turn him off when he does his “soul searching.” However, a lot of people seem to benefit from and enjoy taking this journey with him. I appreciate his passion & what he has accomplished so far.

[Quix]

Thanks thanks.

Saving the links.

Not sure when I’ll make much sense out of all that.

It’s fascinating . . . to a point . . . Then I have to get up and take out the trash or blow my nose or . . . . come back to a ‘reality’ I can ‘relate’ to. LOL.

LUBB

[Quix]

I haven’t checked back in on that ATS thread.

They have a tendency to bull dog things over there until they find out something one way or another—when possible.

Sure sounded like there were some ominous tyrannical flavors to it all.

Please be safe, Bro.

. . . though that is . . . as it always has been only more so . . . the Lord’s Department.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you for sharing your views and the links!

[Quix]

Thanks for reminding me.

I think I’ll go lie down. My mind is tired already.

LOL.

LUB SISTER IN CHRIST.

[Alamo-Girl]

LOLOL!

[aces]

Perhaps perceiving the 4th dimension as you see it is there before us and within us but we have not yet believed in what we know to be true, faith is an amazing power...

[aces]

also remember, there is no separation in life..real time..
nice speaking with you...peace to you in our risen Lord..

[guitarplayer1953]

You may be correct in the name I knew it had something to do with the Boston area. It was God centered but did become watered down for the general masses. The 12 steps are totally Godly in aspect. In 86 I got busted with a dui and possession charge of weed (the weed belonged to the guy who I borrowed the car from it was in the glove compartment.)Shortly after that I went to a church meeting and got totally convicted and absolutely delivered from my drug and drink addictions. No with drawls no desire to do any of it any more. So between coming to the Lord and getting a deferment for the dui I had to go to AA for 1 year. Well they did not like my speaking giving all the glory to God they would rather hear from someone who really needed the group and did not know what they would do without it. I finally found a group that was called the miracle basket and it was totally god centered and grave praise to Jesus and accredited Him with keeping them sober.

[Twinkie]

When Beck, or Oprah, or any of them start with this “be true to YOUR HIGHEST SELF business”, I’m outta there”.

[Alamo-Girl]

faith is an amazing power.

Indeed. I often wonder how many things we don't do because we believe we can't.

Thank you so much for sharing your insights, dear aces!

[Quix]

It’s better than

“BE TRUE TO YOUR LOWEST SELF”

But it’s a long ways from

WHOLEHEARTEDLY SERVE THE LORD YOUR GOD—THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC AND JACOB AND HIM ONLY!

[EDINVA]

Oh, I think AA reflects an enormous diversity among its many groups. I have a very, very close friend who was raised (more or less) Jewish. Never observant. Still, for her own historical reasons, when anyone speaks of being saved, or gives praise or honor to Jesus, you can see her stiffen. So that sort of witness would not work for her or others without a Christian background.

That’s one reason I think for those who need AA, regardless of background, to achieve sobriety by following the 12 steps, the more neutral “Higher Power” works. Then Christians or Jews or whatever religious belief a person may subscribe to can be found at ‘specialized’ meetings where that faith is shared and can be developed in the alcoholic survivor.

Wonderful you got stopped, isn’t it ? Hopefully, you give prayers of thanksgiving for that cop on a regular basis. Funny how what seems so bad at the time can turn our lives around in the most positive of ways.

[guitarplayer1953]

The only fallacy I've seen the what ever is your higher power of choice is that when you put your faith in such a thing as let's say the group it will always let you down or it may not be there when needed.

[EDINVA]

Of course, I wasn’t there when the AA founders devised the term “Higher Power” but obviously it meant GOD, by whatever name or human concept He is perceived. Given their backgrounds, they would have conceived of a Triune God, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, but understood if the person battling alcoholism is a muslim, it will be Allah, or it could be Confusius, Buddah. I guess to some it could be ‘nature.’

I think the terminology was meant to be as neutral as possible so that whoever is afflicted with alcoholism will acknowledge that there IS a “Higher Power” than self. Higher even than Brother Booze. Whatever their own beliefs, the founders knew that the “Higher Power” was an essential element to any success in beating alcoholism. They weren’t trying to evangelize for Christ, but to save souls of any persuasion from the evils of alcohol.

Not sure, but I would imagine that anyone who succeeded with the AA program, coming as they must, to belief in a “Higher Power” will also realize that it’s a spiritual Power, not anything devised by man, even AA itself.

[guitarplayer1953]

Many a group that I had been to in that first year of diversion when they went through the steps vividly said it could be any thing you wanted even this very light bulb that is lighting up this meeting. There are some very secular groups and in some of them if you mention God Jesus or anyone of that sort you are basically poo pooed about it and not called upon to speak. And others like the one that I found called the miracle basket was very up front that the higher power was God.

[TruthConquers]

Heads up - Cliff is back up. From his site:

“We’re baaaaaack!
And it has been an incredible trip getting here.

Our old ISP got the ‘word’ from ‘special department’ to terminate with prejudice our HPH site on their server. Sooo....we had to rebuild. Thus, if there are broken links or problems, give us a while to sort them all out as this is a wholesale transfer of activity to new server, and then a rebuild.

Plus we are trying to get the next Shape report (issue 8) complete so that it can be available. This likely will not happen until later next week.

clif October 15, 2010.”

[The Comedian]

Thanks bud.

Remember, take Clif's interpretations with a huge grain of salt.

He looks at everything through the "Evil Zionists Control the World" lens now, for some strange reason.

I think it comes back to that spiritual radio receiver metaphor I came up with a few months ago. Clif ain't tuned to KGOD, so he picks up foreign, destructive signals by default.

And Clif is about as far from Christian as I've ever encountered, now becoming *hostile* to not only Christianity as a concept, but Christians as people.

His original contribution to science will prove to be immense, and my work would have never happened if it wasn't for him as an inspiration. But he's sort of turning into the "Henry Ford" of psi linguistics who, though brilliant, had a chubby for Nazis.

Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.