A New York Times article recently berated Glenn Beck for his comments about Church’s using their podiums as platforms to preach ‘social justice’. Beck is now being called anti-poor and anti-church. Instead of defending Beck, the Mormon blogosphere has been berating him as well. Here are some examples:
“You may have missed it, but social justice is a dominant feature of all four of our key sacred texts, including the Bible and the Book of Mormon. We could look at hundreds of relevant scriptures, since poverty was the thing Jesus preached about most often, but let me turn your attention to a scripture you might have missed: King Benjamin’s sermon in the Book of Mormon.”
Ask a Mormon Girl blog, Joanna Brooks
“The fact is that while Mormons may not use the exact words ‘social justice’ (the phrase has Catholic origins), humanitarian service and social welfare programs, including, yes, experiments in wealth redistribution, have a profound place in Mormon history, life, and values. And although we are the most conservative religion in America, 49 percent of Mormons polled by the Pew Foundation recently said the government should do more for the needy; 42 percent disagreed.”
Beck has responded saying:
“Now, I wasn’t aware that God had politics. I would like to again join all of the liberals in suggesting we have a separation of church and state, that maybe there’s a problem when your preacher stands up and starts telling you who to vote for, how to vote, and what the government should look like. Now, I know there are churches that do that. I don’t attend them. I don’t like them. You can do that if you want, but if you want to make sure that God’s politics aren’t America’s politics, you know, that would probably be a good thing to check into those words of those churches. Because I don’t think God has politics. I think he has the truth.”
Beck goes on:
“Your church is there and that’s why I said I don’t care what church you go to. I don’t care. As long as that church is telling you and helping you be a better person, be more honorable, be more honest, be more giving. But once that church starts to preach social and economic justice, especially through the structure of a giant government, well, now that’s something totally different. Now, now you are talking about a church that is getting involved in government itself. We don’t do that. We don’t do that.”
Interesting discussion. Thoughts?
Disclaimer: I do not listen to Glenn Beck hardly ever. I don’t really trust him.
But, in defense of Glenn Beck, his comments are not entirely understood. He has spoken about how the term “social justice” has a few layers of meaning, and when used by government is a keyword to introducing more socialism into our government, and giving the government greater unconstitutional authority than its already taken. Glenn Beck sees this as one of the greatest threats to us as a country and to us as individuals. I happen to agree with him wholeheartedly in that respect. So the misunderstanding comes when we interpret his comments without considering the meaning of the words when used by those in government.
The major news outlets have for longer than I have lived been lapdogs to the government, rather than watchdogs. And it seems logical for the power elites (including those in government) to try to co-opt other influencers in the citizens lives: the churches.
So the question is, was Glenn Beck speaking out against churches preaching “social justice” as they interpret it, or was he speaking out against churches being indirectly co-opted by the government and disseminating the message of “social justice” as the government sees it?
I would argue that whatever the people in the churches say, or whatever the pastors say, that these days when they hear “social justice” being preached without simultaneously hearing that it is a PERSONAL responsibility to be socially just (not the government’s), that they are indirectly being indoctrinated with the message of the government. Because let’s face it, most people’s minds are influenced by the church 1 day a week (at best), while they’re influenced by the media for 7.
By: Brent on March 17, 2010
at 5:31 pm
I totally agree, good points!
By: Alex Koritz on March 17, 2010
at 5:45 pm