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.

[cripplecreek]

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

LOL that's about the size of it.

[gusopol3]

http://chicagoboyz.net/archives/15295.html

Heard Beck read this the other morning on radio; he said “he’s the only guy who really gets it.”

[cripplecreek]

Some Freepers remind me of a “Christian” commenting in a local newsletter and complaining about how distasteful it was to have a disfigured man like Dave Roever representing Chistianity.

Apparently God should be embarrassed by men like Roever.

[MHGinTN]

Chime in? LOL, how about I wade in with hip waders on, if the forces attacking Freerepublic today will allow the posting.

There is a fundamental contradiction in the Beckian renewal which I have no doubt the progressives will exploit to crumble the conservative renewal. Allow me to elaborate because this is a very subtle yet devastating contradiction.

The fundamental premise to Mormonism is that ALL of Christianity was in 100% apostasy until the advent of Joseph Smith and his 'restoration of true Christianity'. Yet Beck is touting to the max the Christian founding principles of this antion and the founders. Unfortunately for Glenn Beck, Mormonism wasn't invented until ~1830, so the Christianity of the Founders that Mister Beck touts was an apostasy according to the religion he so strongly believes in!

This contradiction is so glaring once one delves into it that the foundations of Beck's rally are in question. So, what might be the motivation for a rally which is founded in a contradiction for the man who brought it to fruition? I have three possible theories, but have not settled upon which is the most likely cause du jour.

One aspect of Beck's rally that continues to disturb me is the inclusion of an Islamic Imam in the Black Robed Brigade! If one knows whom were the original Black Robed Regiment, and is aware of Beck's own emphasis of their importance to the Christian principles reflected in the founders' documents which established this nation, then to include an Imam of Islam (which reveres taqiyya when dealing with what Islam calls infidels, and that's all who are not Islamic) in this Christian lookalike brigade is to at once sully the principle behind the original regiment!

Islam is a far cry from Christian. In fact, the vast majority of Imams today are the product of madrassas funded by the Saudis and preaching the 'violence if need be' conversion of the whole world to Islam as a Wahhabi manifest destiny! Beck spent the better part of a week recently deriding manifest destiny as an evil opposite to Divine Providence.

I was initially alerted while listening to the taped presentation of the rally ... I was unable to attend, though I would have gone had it been possible, and would have been put off from the experience within the first three minutes! I wonder if 500,000+ folks attending actually caught the incursion of mormonism in the first few minutes, or noticed the opening prayer being posed to 'gods'?

Watching the taped replay these are much more obvious. And if one doubts that 'gods' were being offered up in the opening prayer, listen repeatedly to the last line ... 'one nation under gods'. This is not a speech defect in the man offering the prayer. He was purposely invoking ecumenism, perniciously as it were.

Truly, this is a battle between principalities and powers of the air AND Christ's own. How many of His Church will realize the deceits undergirding this call to 'ecumenical renewal'?

[Grams A]

Congressmen don’t read bills yet vote yes and seemed surprised when we don’t like the contents, article writers don’t watch the program but right the reviews and expect us to follow their recommendations.

[Graybeard58]

This nation needs a leader who is able to inspire and invigorate the electorate, a leader who is Christian, a follower of the Jesus Christ of the Bible.

Beck is setting himself up as that person. While it’s hard to disagree with most of his political philosophy and hard to disagree with most of his generic statements based on the Bible, after all we, as Christians, do agree with those parts of the KJV Bible, copied word for word from the KJV by Joseph Smith, there is much more to come that was invented by the same J. Smith, that is abhorrent and even blasphemous, to Bible believing Christians.

I have a basic distrust of anyone proclaiming Christianity from the view point of a Mormon. The Bible says that even Satan knows and can quote scripture and does so if he can pervert it to his own advantage.

[Graybeard58]

This nation needs a leader who is able to inspire and invigorate the electorate, a leader who is Christian, a follower of the Jesus Christ of the Bible.

Beck is setting himself up as that person. While it’s hard to disagree with most of his political philosophy and hard to disagree with most of his generic statements based on the Bible, after all we, as Christians, do agree with those parts of the KJV Bible, copied word for word from the KJV by Joseph Smith, there is much more to come that was invented by the same J. Smith, that is abhorrent and even blasphemous, to Bible believing Christians.

I have a basic distrust of anyone proclaiming Christianity from the view point of a Mormon. The Bible says that even Satan knows and can quote scripture and does so if he can pervert it to his own advantage.

[BlueMoose]

"noticed the opening prayer being posed to 'gods'? Watching the taped replay it is much more obvious"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47V-dpiLM78&feature=related

That is not what I heard and I have replayed and replayed.

[sten]

Blah blah blah... Whatever

Yet another phony claiming to speak for a segment of the religious community. Where was this level of rant when 0bama was elected? What about bj Clinton and his bs? What about Barney frank? Pelosi and her rantings? Hollywood?

I’m not very religious at all... And *I* hold exception to the activities of these people long before anything GBeck is doing.

[MHGinTN]

At 6:43 the word God as addressed by the Pilgrims was pronounced clearly with no “s” sound on the end, but moments later the prayer has ‘gods’ and that follows through to the closing sentence nearly every time “God” is mentioned.

[Colofornian]

Alright I gotta ask you. On post #17 to go with a graph writing style, and then suddenly shift to a single sentence per graph style.

From looking @ your posts from years, BM, I haven't seen you use words like preeminence...transcend...Overlords" (see below).

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.

My question is: Was this your original writing (& rest of post #17), or are you quoting non-mentioned sources again?

[One Name]

The genesis of America was fraught with very similar issues. refugees and expatriots, common and lordly struggled with merging their faiths, or lack thereof in a common purpose.

The deists ( don’t hear much about them lately) were supposedly a significant part of the intellectual firepower of the Constitution’s design.

The flag of the USA and the Cross of Jesus are two distinct things. I was born in a country where they didn’t diverge much; I would like to think they won’t for a while, that we can kick this can down the road aways!

Bottom line is they will, on God’s time and we best be prepared.

[upsdriver]

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.

Is that what Glenn Beck is? a televangelist?

[GreyMountainReagan]

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.

Envy is so unbecoming. Not surprising but still unbecoming.

[samtheman]

Vigilanteman, On Promoting Division Within Our Ranks

[Nosterrex]

I see that your posting has hit a nerve with some. I have watched Glenn, and when he talks about politics, I have much in common with him. On the other hand, when he crosses over into areas of religious thought, I have little in common with him. Even before I learned that he was Mormon, there were many troubling aspects of his intertwining of political and religious ideologies. He often speaks of the US Constitution as if it were divinely inspired and the Founding Fathers as if they were prophets from God. It is very dangerous to invoke the “God is on our side” view when it comes to politics.

[Forward the Light Brigade]

Watch the show a few times—give up an hour or two—then judge. the old anti-Mormonism used to take down Mitt Romney will not work with Beck. He is a different kind of person.

[ejonesie22]

The great thing about being on the side of truth is knowing you will be able to say “I told you so.”

The terrible thing about being on the side of truth is knowing you will have to say “I told you so.”

[NTHockey]

>>Are you first a citizen of Heaven or are you first a citizen of this republic?<<

No lover of freedom can be one without the other. “Render unto God the things that are God’s; and unto Ceasar, the things that are Caesar’s.”

This appears to be another of those “I don’t watch his show, but these are the things that are wrong” articles. “Take the beam out of thy own eye first”