From The Book Of Beck

Having taken a few days off due to suffering through a rather painful chest infection, I'm ready to make a come-back and do my part for Blog Against Theocracy. I'm certainly pushing the deadline, but here we go anyway.


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In many ways, Glenn Beck is the fringe Right's new theological scholar, their preacher, their "savior" - in more ways than one, mind you.

It's almost as if he is seen as the "second coming" to many within the Tea Bagger movement. Sure, it can be stated that they aren't an official religion, but consider this - many of them ascribe to the 9 Principles and 12 Values that Beck brought down from his Fox"News" constructed Mt. Sinai he stands atop every evening at 5pm EST. One is more likely to see and hear people at Tea Bagger gatherings laud his accomplishments and his ideals. In reality, these alleged conservatives are practically violating the religious Commandment that states "Thou Shalt Have No Gods Before Me".

But what does Beck really know of values, principles, or even religion itself?

Recently, Beck has been speaking on his program about how Rev. Jim Wallace of Sojourners has attacked him, called him names, berated him because he told people to leave their churches if they preached "social" or "economic justice".





Since Beck links himself directly to the Tea Baggers, and has quite literally fostered much of the ignorance, hatred, and vitriol we are seeing from within that group, he seems to embrace this mantel of "conservative savior" with bravado and a sense of megalomania that would make Bill O'Reilly blush.

But let's consider how conservatives like Beck have contorted the stories within the Bible about Jesus, about his teachings, his philosophies. Certainly, this is not a new tactic for the fringe Right, as they did their best to use a portion of one sermon from Jeremiah Wright in order to create this illusion that he was actually some demonic figure.

Then again, isn't that how religion works? The Southern Baptists castigate the Catholics for their style of worship and connection with Jesus. And all traditional Christians see the Mormons ( of which Beck is a member ) as being people that have molested religion in order to justify their down ideology. So then, should anyone be surprised that Beck and his Tea Bagger followers not once mention the teachings of Christ, of his charity and promotion of good will when they are railing against healthcare reform? Has anyone else noticed that - a glorious absence of "Christ-like behavior" in literally every anti-Obama rally?

This is the new religion of conservatives. This is the new gospel to which they ascribe. Glenn Beck is attempting to distort the Bible and all the teachings of Jesus ( as most of us who grew up in a religious home were taught to see them ) in order to prove what? What is he attempting to show? How is assisting your fellow man so wrong?

Think about the story of the crowd that Jesus fed with one boys lunch of a loaf of bread and two fishes. Is that not a perfect example of redistribution?

I'm not a particularly religious person, but I do know when people use religion as a weapon against the greater good. Glenn Beck holds more power right now within conservative circles than the church - period. You are more likely to hear talk of his Alex Jones like theories regarding this country, our alleged values, and a blatantly revisionist portrayal of history than you are to how conservatives believe in how God and country are linked. This is a very dangerous concept.

Though they are not intrinsically linked, conservatives have literally began rewriting The Bible. Beck espouses the ideal that rewriting the history of a nation, of individuals, or religious scripture, is now a new pillar of conservative thought. He too is rewriting Biblical history. If one is to believe that teachings of Jesus Christ - of faith, hope, and charity - how can you call yourself conservatives and literally wave flags extolling your adoration for Glenn Beck.

This is the new theocracy within the conservative movement. Glenn Beck is their Jesus. Fox"News" is their Bible.

Beck's War On Church Continues

Beck is going to end up stepping on the wrong toes before this is all over.



And Fox"News" is now funding a smear campaign against Rev. Jim Wallis, President of Sojourners. Need anymore proof that Beck is completely off the rails?

Clearly Beck knows that he doesn't stand a chance of winning this debate about the proper application of Christian principles to the public square on Scriptural or theological grounds. And he clearly has no intention of following St. Paul's command, found in Ephesians, that Christians "not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were sealed for the day of redemption. All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling must be removed from you, along with all malice." No, sir. Beck is on a mission to discredit and destroy the pastor who dared to question him ... and he's using FOX staff and resources to do so.

FOX needs to be called to account for this. They need to explain how a news organization can possibly justify funding an opposition research effort that has the stated purpose of destroying the credibility of an American pastor?

Does FOX agree with Beck's statements and command that Catholics, Protestants, and Mormons leave their churches? Will FOX allow Beck to continue to use staff and FOX airtime to conduct his promised week-long campaign to discredit Rev. Wallis? Will they continue to let him use their resources to launch Twitter and blog posts attacking Rev. Wallis and attempting to discredit the power of social justice?

I'm interested to hear what fellow Fox"News" employee and former pastor Mike Huckabee has to say about Beck's current conspiracy theory run amok.



Not being particularly religious myself, I did grow up in a devout, Southern Baptist, home and the very idea of "social" and "economic justice" is very much grounded in Biblical teachings. And having read the Bible myself, I find it very troubling that Beck actually still have an audience after this stunt.

Conservatives love their religion almost as much as they love Fox"News". I'm getting to the point where I think they are confusing the two.