STUCK ON SOCIALISM by T. Edwin Perry
I don’t spend a lot of time talking about Conservative TV & Radio hosts like Rush Limbaugh & Glenn Beck. I’ve made my positions clear through logical arguments based on FACTS, and I’ve also stated the fact that I do listen to both Limbaugh & Beck. I’ve made it clear that I do not always agree with them, and I’ve also made it clear that THEY don’t need me to go to bat every time some whack job starts spreading lies about them. Today, however, I feel the need to speak.
Glenn Beck has been challenging the concept of “Social Justice” as it has been conveyed by racists and socialists in the arena of Religion, such as Jeremiah Wright and Jim Wallis. He’s based his arguments on factual history, such as the influence of “Father Coughlin” during the days of FDR, and their OWN WORDS on video and audio. He’s also been using a basic understanding of Christianity and his own faith (He’s a Mormon) to explain how he believes that some of Christianity has been co-opted by people who have espoused Socialism and Progressivism, and are spreading the words of Marx by putting them in the mouth of Christ.
Today, Beck brought up a group that has targeted him through an ad that claims that he’s attacking Christians. The group (www.faithfulamerica.org) gives a script of their ad and their “documentation” proving their claims that Beck has argued that following the teachings of Christ can “Lead to Nazism.” (Their support was a 45 second video clip from Media Matters that they partially quote with “Both the communists who were on the left and the Nazis are on the right…each banner read the words here in America of this: social justice.”)
They claim Beck has targeted Jim Wallis for being a socialist. This is true. Then again, so is the statement that Jim Wallis is a Socialist. Check out their website (www.sojo.net) and actually read what it has to say. It is littered with references to “Social Justice” instead of “Equal Justice.” Now, if you’re a Socialist, that’s your business: you may actually agree with some or all of what you find on this site. I don’t, and neither does Beck. He made a simple statement: “Your church is either for Socialist Government, or the living of the Gospel.” I ask you: how exactly is this wrong?
They make the claim that “Social Justice” is a Biblical Principle, and that it is referenced in the “Lord’s Prayer.” Now, I’m not a religious person, but I know how to read, and I’ve read this portion of the Bible. The “Lord’s Prayer” is directed to GOD, not the GOVERNMENT! “Give us this day our daily bread.” This was a plea to GOD for HIS help, not for the GOVERNMENT to give the people FOOD STAMPS!!!! (Now who’s distorting the Gospel?!)
Without a quote to this effect, the organization claims that “Glenn Beck has urged his listeners to leave churches who preach about Biblical social justice…” Actually, that’s not the case. What he has actually said (yes, I watched that episode) was that, if your church is preaching “Social Justice,” you should ask for clarification. If they’re talking about taking it upon yourself to help others, then great: more power to them. If they’re talking about creating a Government system to do it for you, RUN! Biblical Social Justice has nothing to do with Government-run Welfare; it relates to CHARITY! It relates to sacrificing of YOURSELF to help others, not demanding that your NEIGHBORS sacrifice of THEMSELVES for YOU!
They ask why so many Christians tune in to Glenn Beck. The answer is simple: not all Christians are Socialists. Glenn Beck’s show is an OPINION SHOW focusing on the AMERICAN GOVERNMENT and AMERICAN HISTORY, and, historically, the vast majority of Americans are Christians! (DUH!) And while I’m not entirely keen on his rather heavy incorporation of religious doctrine into his show lately, I understand WHY he’s addressing it in the context of his show. Religion is a big part of American History, and, in many cases, he’s addressing that influence. He is ALSO targeting socialism, and the socialists are the ones who are currently usurping Christianity to their ends.
The one thing that I can agree with this organization about is this statement: “Glenn Beck has the right to speak his mind, and Christians can disagree with each other, but we must do so out of a spirit of love and truth.” It’s funny to me that they can say this and not realize that they, themselves, are the ones arguing out of something other than “love” and with very little “truth.”
I urge people to go to their site (be patient, it’s very slow) and read what they actually stand for before jumping on either THEIR bandwagon, or MINE! Learn their history (they started as a group of people who ran an ad on Arabic television to apologize for the treatment of prisoners by American Soldiers at the Abu Ghraib prison). They are sponsored by Jim Wallis’ organization, as well as other organizations that sponsor “Social Justice,” such as www.votethecommongood.com. (They reference the clause from the Preamble of the Constitution of “Establish Justice” as addressing the “disparities between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ in this country.” That’s “Social Justice:” not “Equal Justice,” and that’s not what America was built on.) And Christians…no, ALL religious people…should be OUTRAGED when their beliefs are STOLEN by people with this type of political agenda.
Leave a Reply