Commentary found in this blog does not necessarily represent the views and opinions of the national setting of the United Church of Christ, its Conferences and Associations, its local churches or its member organizations.
What About Jesus And Holy Scripture Scares Glenn Beck?
Posted by:
Rev. Chuck Currie on
March 8, 2010 at
2:01PM EST
Scripture tells us that God has a simple request of humanity:
He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8 NRSV)
On his daily radio and television shows last week, Fox News personality Glenn Beck set out to convince his audience that "social justice," the term many Christian churches use to describe their efforts to address poverty and human rights, is a "code word" for communism and Nazism. Beck urged Christians to discuss the term with their priests and to leave their churches if leaders would not reconsider their emphasis on social justice.
"I'm begging you, your right to religion and freedom to exercise religion and read all of the passages of the Bible as you want to read them and as your church wants to preach them . . . are going to come under the ropes in the next year. If it lasts that long it will be the next year. I beg you, look for the words 'social justice' or 'economic justice' on your church Web site. If you find it, run as fast as you can. Social justice and economic justice, they are code words. Now, am I advising people to leave their church? Yes!"
Later, Beck held up cards, one with a hammer and sickle and other with a swastika. "Communists are on the left, and the Nazis are on the right. That's what people say. But they both subscribe to one philosophy, and they flew one banner. . . . But on each banner, read the words, here in America: 'social justice.' They talked about economic justice, rights of the workers, redistribution of wealth, and surprisingly, democracy."
Beck's attempt to compare the modern Christian church to Russian Communists or German Nazis is nothing but a cheap ploy meant to divide Americans along religious lines.
What is Beck trying to do here? He continues to espouse a political philosophy that ignores the needs of those Jesus called "the least of these in society," argues that as stewards of creation humanity can do whatever it wants with the Earth, and justifies wars that most Christians across the globe condemn.
Clearly, he sees Christians as a threat to his political agenda.
Holy Scripture is filled with teachings from God about justice and God condemns those who create governments and socities that benefit the wealthy at the expense of the needs of the poor and homeless:
13The Lord rises to argue his case;
he stands to judge the peoples.
14The Lord enters into judgement
with the elders and princes of his people:
It is you who have devoured the vineyard;
the spoil of the poor is in your houses.
15What do you mean by crushing my people,
by grinding the face of the poor? says the Lord God of hosts. (Isaiah 3:13-15 NRSV)
The church universal - when we have been at our best - has always been about social justice, about uplifting the needs of those lost and left behind.
Roman Catholics in Poland fought off Communism. African-American churches in the United States led the Civil Rights Movement. Mainline Christian Churches, in partnership with many others, have fought to stop wars and to help people living in poverty lift themselves up. Evangelicals have joined together in common cause with other people of faith to fight global warming.
Jesus himself explains what is at stake:
35...I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” 37Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing?39And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?”40And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family,* you did it to me.” 41Then he will say to those at his left hand, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” 44Then they also will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” 45Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” (Matthew 25:35-45 NRSV)
Glenn Beck might pay special attention to verse 41 of this passage the next time he condemns the justice work of Christian churches.
If you had listened to the whole conversation, you would have heard him say he doesn't care what religion you belong to but he believes you should hold your religion close to your heart. He said the church has always and should help those less fortunate, but when they preach social justice by the government, run. He is not against helping people or charity, he is against the government using our tax dollars to do it. That is not what the federal or even state legislators are there to do. Get your facts straight.
I heard Glenn Beck. He said to see if you can go from your Church's website to a socialist group's site in a couple clicks. From the UCC link, it is just one click to The International League of Religious Socialist site. I know I am welcome in this church if I am a pro choice, gay Socialist. But, am I welcome if I 'm an anti abortion, capitalist who believes in thethe 2nd admend.? No, I don't own a gun.
Posted by: Jon Trouten on March 26, 2010 5:35PM EST
Where did you get the idea that Glenn Beck doesn't like that kind of talk?-- " He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8 NRSV)"
Have you ever heard Glenn beck say he doesn't like talk about God? About God showing what is good? About God requiring only that we do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly?
What is it you are setting out to convince your audience of about Glenn Beck? Why?
Surely you understand that having a different view of how to achieve God's requirements of justice and doing good than the views of the national leadership of the UCC- or the Democratic party- doesn't put one in opposition to God?
Do you really think Glenn Beck espouses a philosophy "that ignores the needs of those Jesus called "the least of these in society"?
Why not spend enough time to understand what he really does espouse-- and then if you want to debate the difference between how he believes those needs are best met with your beliefs, everyone might learn something from the exchange.
"Clearly, he sees Christians as a threat to his political agenda".
Really? That's just goofy. He's never said anything of the kind.
If there is any one thing "clear" about Glenn Beck, it would be that he finds misinformed citizens a threat to their own political and religious heritage.
Posted by: Richard Moss on March 31, 2010 5:47PM EST
I doubt if Glenn Beck has ever read the New Testament!
I'll be the first to admit that I've only seen Glenn Beck in passing, on the health-club TV or something, though I know a ranting demagogue when I hear one. I'm heartened to hear that Glenn does believe we should care for the poor and disenfranchised; but perhaps he hasn't read that chapter from Matthew 25, or from any of the major prophets of the Bible, who called on SOCIETY, not the church, to take care of the widow and the orphan and the poor. Every society has people that for one reason or another slip through the cracks. The biblical measure of that society is how well it deals with those who do fall through. Let's have fewer of them, not more of them.
Seriously... why is this guy still allowed to blog? How many people do you think he turns OFF from your church? People with money and time willing to commit to helping the UCC and its causes? Chuck does untold damage to your church. THink about it.
What is clear from this blog is that Chuck never heard the full discussion firsthand. That would require him to acknowledge that Progressives like Jim Wallis have made great strides in corrupting a denomination that once had values based in Christ,but now places it's faith in an Earthly government to take from the rich and give to the poor. Perhaps he could show us where Jesus said take what the wealthy have through government force and then trust them to redistribute that wealth to the poor? Liberation theology also says that salvation is a collective event,something else I'd challenge Chuck to find in the bible. Chuck,next time don't get your secondhand facts from Jim Wallis,who BTW is an unapologetic avowed marxist, and try actually listening in on the whole discussion yourself.
Why are we even taking seriously (by commenting on it) Beck's assertion that church association with social justice 'sites' is the next step towards communism and fascism? Beck makes these absurd associations all the time on his show. Really, how does the fact that some churches espouse "Social Justice" and the fact that communist Russia and the Nazis used the same term de facto mean that these churches are going to become communist or fascist? It's word association. As Lewis Black has noted, Beck has Nazi Tourettes (http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-may-12-2010/back-in-black---glenn-beck-s-nazi-tourette-s). The guy is an idiot. Maybe an idiot savant the way he pulls in viewers. But an idiot nonetheless and nonetheless dangerous.
Richard, I am sure Beck *has* read the New Testament. He is a member of the LDS faith (I am not,) and as such, members of that faith actively promote reading both Old and New Testaments, in addition to their own religious texts.
