Posted on 05/15/2010 7:58:57 AM PDT by Colofornian
Glenn Beck is a darling of Fox News viewers and a must-see for legions of religious conservatives. So given his profile and right-of-center views, it was no surprise when it was announced that Beck would be a featured speaker at this Sunday's commencement at Baptist-run Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., the brainchild of the late Rev. Jerry Falwell, founder of the Moral Majority.
Falwell's son, Jerry Jr., is the current president of Liberty. In a statement explaining the invitation, he called Beck "one of the few courageous voices in the national media standing up for the principles upon which this nation was founded."
Yet if conservative Christians share Beck's political and social views, many of them also remain extremely suspicious of Beck's Mormon faith. Beck became a Mormon as an adult and credits his faith with turning his life around. But evangelicals generally consider Mormonism a "cult" and not Christian.
As a result, Beck's appearance at Liberty has generated an unusual amount of public infighting among evangelicals -- and creating the kind of controversy that is often associated with Catholic colleges, such as Notre Dame experienced last year when President Obama was invited to be the commencement speaker.
Ryan Begue, a Florida pastor who is in this year's graduating class from Liberty's theological seminary, said he was "shocked and disappointed" at Falwell's invitation to Beck.
"It seems that the leadership's decision in this matter gives the impression that it is more committed to conservatism than the Gospel," Begue wrote in the Florida Baptist Witness. "I have no beef with Glenn Beck as a person, but I certainly do with his religious beliefs. Why does Liberty not invite a Christian?"
Liberty University's Facebook page also lit up with the debate, while prominent Christian conservatives also weighed in.
"Alliances such as these are not glorifying to God, in that what association has God with false religions?" wrote John Ferguson, founder of the Voice of Truth blog. "The tangential dangers when the evangelical community unites with the secular world for the sake of social or political agendas are numerous because it leads to a dilution of truths from the Word of God, opens the door to give credence to non-believers within evangelical circles and ultimately leads to the eternal destruction of lost people."
A 2007 Pew Forum survey showed 25 percent of Americans would be less likely to vote for a Mormon candidate for president, with only Muslims and atheists earning higher negatives. But among white evangelicals who attend church weekly -- the GOP base and the dominant demographic of Liberty University -- the number rises to above 40 percent. In 2008, Focus on the Family, a leading lobby of the Christian right, pulled an interview with Beck over concerns that they would appear to be sanctioning his Mormon faith.
And during his 2008 bid, Romney faced a serious pushback from evangelicals who even opposed the idea of John McCain selecting him as his running mate on the Republican ticket, one of the factors that led McCain to finally choose Sarah Palin.
(Mormons insist they are Christians because they believe in Jesus Christ and consider the Bible Holy Scripture. But most traditional Christian churches do not accept the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints -- the formal name for Mormons -- as Christian because of the religion's beliefs on the nature of God, salvation, the Trinity and their scriptures, such as the Book of Mormon, and other texts discovered by founding prophet Joseph Smith in upstate New York in the 1800s.)
Falwell seemed to anticipate the risks of the Beck invitation when he noted in his statement that Liberty University has always held two end-of-year ceremonies -- a baccalaureate ceremony to confer degrees that "always includes a gospel message brought by someone who is in complete theological alignment with the university" and a separate commencement ceremony that "has always featured leaders from all walks of life and all faiths who share the university's social values and traditional family values."
"Commencement speakers," he noted, "have included representatives from the following faiths: Roman Catholicism, Judaism, mainline Protestant denominations such as the Episcopal Church, and even some speakers with no religious affiliation at all."
Falwell's effort did not forestall the controversy, however.
"We are not to put politics first and the Lord second," wrote Steve McConkey, another prominent Christian conservative, who is upset at the Beck invitation. "If this country is to have another revival, we need to get back to the basics, just like an athlete who has to go back to the basics to learn proper skills. We join Glenn Beck in many of his viewpoints, however, we do not endorse his Mormon beliefs."
There has arguably been some softening, at least among the Southern Baptist leadership, in their view of Mormonism, perhaps influenced by the "ecumenism of the trenches" -- that in a culture war, all social conservatives must stick together. That is part of the reason that evangelicals and Roman Catholics now collaborate on fights against abortion and gay marriage despite their historical cultural divide and their ongoing doctrinal differences.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints used to be listed under "cults and sects" by the Southern Baptist Convention, but today is categorized among "newly developed religions" by the SBC's North American Mission Board. Similarly, some Southern Baptist leaders, such as Richard Land, have referred to Mormonism as the "fourth Abrahamic religion" after Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
But as the Glenn Beck commencement controversy shows, even fourth place isn't enough to overcome such long-held suspicions
Well, even Christian denominations have "trouble" other denominations emphasizing certain verses...handling snakes in Mark...or Heb. 6:4-6 for the once-saved, always-saved crowd...
The issue is NOT Biblical unanimity or uniformity before you let anybody touch you within 10-foot pole space.
The issue is that Joseph Smith declared spiritual war on all Christian sects back in the 1830s. Mormons then enshrined that initial vision into "scripture" in the 1870s. (IOW, it's not just mere "opinion" status...Beck can't play fast & loose with either Mormon "scripture" nor the heart of its "scripture" -- its supposed initial vision upon which the faith is based).
So, yes, folks will "militate" vs. very specific Scriptural passages. (We all, frankly, have wrestled with one or another or a lot at various times in our lives). That's not the point.
The point is "Do you invite somebody who at their very core thinks of you as a Christian apostate?"
If a Muslim started believing all the things Beck believes, started espousing them as a radio talk show talkinghead, but still believed all Christians are "infidels" like Muslims do, does that effect whether he gets an invite or not?
Uh.. actually I didnt care.
It’s their school. If they want to invite Obama, then that’s their loss.
Imho, he’s a good man who loves his country. I admire that.
“Controlling content” ???
You were the one who said to me and askerd me...(# 61)
“BTW: What is the technique you use to avoid Obama? All I have is AM radio, and it’s no shield whatsoever!
How do you *DO* that?”
Do I need to ask what you meant by that ???
All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who don’t believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don’t believe what God has testified about his Son. 1 John 5:10
Which son of the mormon god would that be ???
the mormon jesus or Lucifer ???
I hope you will put up with a little of my foolishness; but you are already doing that. For I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself. I promised you as a pure virgin bride to one husband—Christ. But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure and undivided devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. But I don’t consider myself inferior in any way to those “super apostles” who teach such things. may not be a trained speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way. 2 Corinthians 11:1-6
We went!
Would it matter which? Both are false & against the Faithful & True Christ.
I agree with you, I say pillut48 has the right take on this -- atta boy, Glenn.
I wouldn’t do it were I in charge of Liberty U., but my point is that they are willing to invite conservatives, without regard to their faith belief. But then, it’s common in this day & age for Christian organizations to blend into and/or look like the world.
Nana #86:
All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who don’t believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don’t believe what God has testified about his Son. 1 John 5:10
Which son of the mormon god would that be ???
the mormon jesus or Lucifer ???
Annie #89: Would it matter which? Both are false & against the Faithful & True Christ.
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Annie how do you explain your previous posts that appear to support the tenets of mormonism ??
Re-read them...I think you’ll find I’ve never supported the cult in any of my posts. I’ve simply stated that Liberty has invited non-believers in the past.
I’ve simply stated that Liberty has invited non-believers in the past.
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Your posts may appear to be confrontational...
Free Republic wouldn’t exist if Conservatives believed in “controlling content”.
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This thread is in the Religion Forum and the concern is about the anti-Christian religion that Beck believes in and not his politics...
I’m often accused of that on FR!
Well, you would appear to have a gun. :)
Jerry Falwell labeled Calvinism as heresy. It is very strange that Liberty University would have certain heretic speak. And, theologically speaking, if Beck is a Mormon, he is a heretic.
I have read all the replies up to this one. Who said alcohol was a sin?
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