I thought Glenn Beck must have moved on to other things, but the other night, he went back to his attack on social justice churches. This time the issue was climate change.
I continue to ask Beck for a two-way conversation about this very important issue -- the biblical meaning of social justice. But so far he hasn't been willing to talk. So I went ahead with our dialogue without him when he took up the subject of immigration. So let's call this dialogue number two, still without brother Beck.
One of the major stories dominating the news, of course, is the worsening oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The spill is growing, with oil now washing into the Louisiana coast marshlands, and fishing now prohibited in 19 percent of the Gulf. Fears are that the oil will reach the Florida Keys, then enter the Gulf Stream and move up the East Coast.
This deepening disaster simply underscores the need for real energy and climate legislation that can begin to wean us from our addiction to oil, which I wrote about last week. One significant part of such legislation is new efforts to encourage buildings that are more energy efficient ("green" buildings), even including churches.
Yet, to Glenn Beck, this is socialism, as is everything he doesn't agree with politically. So he said this week that "churches are being used by progressives to help bring about the fundamental transformation of America."
Beck attacked the President's Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, on which I served:
If I had told you five years ago that this government would bypass the Congress -- and thus you -- and go through the EPA to get climate change done, by having them declare that when you exhale you poison the air, you wouldn't have believed it.
And, if I had added that the government is going to merge with churches under Democrats, you'd have said I was stark raving insane ... Your church is being attacked through a faith-based initiative headed up by Barack Obama's Administration ... churches are being used by progressives to help bring about the fundamental transformation of America.
He went on to say:
Obama's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships recently issued its report of recommendations and the Obama administration is about to take faith-based initiatives to a whole new level. The president's council envisions the government and religion partnering to push the good news of global warming, climate change and green issues. Yes, the religion of environmental and social justice ... Your church is either for socialist government or the living of the gospel and you need to know which one they are teaching.
It is actually the other way around -- the faith community is pushing the government, rather than the government using us. The section of the Council's report on "Environment and Climate Change" noted the following:
There is a new and unprecedented wave of interest in environmental sustainability and climate change among America's diverse religious communities and in neighborhoods across the country. Faith- and other community-based nonprofit institutions are in the unique position of serving as visible examples to the community. Houses of worship can exert a powerful influence when they practice good energy stewardship and preach and teach about conservation as a moral value, it has a powerful influence.
We don't call that socialism; we call it stewardship of God's creation. "Creation care" has become a mainstream concern among Evangelical, Catholic, and Mainline churches alike -- especially for a new generation of Christians. The recommendations of the President's Council went on to say:
The importance of engaging with religious organizations in addressing climate change and environmental concerns has become even clearer -- as has the importance of faith-based organizations taking a prominent leadership role in influencing policy, education, and action in those areas. The more than 370,000 houses of worship alone provide locations for information to be shared, training to take place, and modeling of best environmental practices to occur.
You see, Glenn, most of our faith traditions believe that God created this earth, proclaimed it good, and gave us the mandate to serve and protect it. Yet, for thousands of years, we have abused and destroyed it. It is our role as stewards of creation that spurs us to take leadership in urging the government to do its part. This is a biblical concern of ours, not a Marxist one as you keep suggesting.
Glenn, this line of attack against the faith community is a wrong one for you. I thought you might have realized that in the flood of responses from so many pastors and church leaders (including your own Mormon church) to your earlier accusations that social justice is "code" for Marxism, socialism, and Nazism. You're wrong, and I thought you were beginning to see that. But I guess I was wrong, as you have gone on the warpath against the community of faith once again. This is about our faith, not our politics; and the truth is that your attack is really just about your politics.
If caring for creation, addressing poverty, and fixing our broken immigration system are part of the "fundamental transformation" that you are talking about, then yes, churches are being used to help bring about fundamental transformation -- but they are being used by God, not politics. So if you are going to keep up your assault on the gospel-based commitment to justice that we have in our churches, please be honest and courageous enough to have the open and public dialogue I invited you to several weeks ago. Why are you afraid of that conversation when it's a two-way discussion? Perhaps you know that it's not our political ideology that would be revealed, but yours. The offer still stands, Glenn. Let's talk.
Jim Wallis is the author of Rediscovering Values: On Wall Street, Main Street, and Your Street -- A Moral Compass for the New Economy, CEO of Sojourners and blogs at www.godspolitics.com.
Click here to tell Glenn Beck you're a social justice Christian.
Follow Jim Wallis on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jimwallis
topics without his ability to consciously realize that it is occurring. The crying jags, the repetitive sayings and accusations of personal attacks are symptoms of this illness. Have you ever seen a crack head or a meth addict focus on any subject at hand? they cannot due to
ongoing activity in their brain. We are a witness to this process daily. At some point he is subject to a mental breakdown on air. Sadly his supporters are co-dependents and enablers to his illness.
Rev. Wallis, you are obviously a smart man.
Why in the world would you aspire to spar with an intellectual midget like Beck?
Like a long term injury, Beck will slowly fade into memory although he might leave some scar tissue.
People like Beck are pushing a bit, an agenda and doing so because they get really well paid for it. The difference between him and the guy on the street corner saying exactly the same thing while holding a cup or standing on a box is that Beck gets paid a lot better. Unfortunately.
Besides over 100 sponsors who have cancelled advertising on his show, his viewership is down from over 3 million to 1.7 in a few months.
Pink slip by January.
Maybe CNN will hire him back for a spot late at night. His comedy might play well up against Conan's new show.
Well, until they think the people favor something they want, or can be manipulated to do it.
"And, if I had added that the government is going to merge with churches under Democrats, you'd have said I was stark raving insane ..."
And then when they think that the people's addiction to oil is so strong it will trump their concern about the future of the planet, then suddenly the scientists are moron and it should be put in the hands of 'the people' who suddenly aren't a mob at all.
Same is true, btw, when it comes to keeping people, whether gays or blacks or even women, from having equal rights.
Time we took Murdoch down a few notches.
David Barton is the Founder and President of WallBuilders, a national pro-family organization that presents America's forgotten history and heroes, with an emphasis on our moral, religious and constitutional heritage.
WallBuilders is a name taken from the Old Testament writings of Nehemiah, who led a grassroots movement to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and restore its strength and honor. In the same way, WallBuilders seeks to energize the grassroots today to become involved in strengthening their communities, states, and nation.
Is this the genesis of the “restoring honor” theme for the August 28, 2010 rally? With this, the outlines of what appears to be a religious crusade are becoming clear.
Beck decries the so-called revolutionary radicals in the Obama administration - yet it appears he may be the one who wants to radically alter the Constitution. The irony of complaining about oppressive, big-government-loving progressives while touting a plan to re-write history and reform America as a religious state like Iran or Saudi Arabia is apparently lost on him. It also tends to undercut his argument that it’s the progressives who want to replace God and tell people how to live. While the change in focus to a more overtly religious message may have helped Beck hit the sweet spot for his audience, it does appear to be taking him somewhat off track dogmatically. Glenn Beck definitely wants you to know he is more patriotic than thou. He appears to be unclear, however, on whether he is a scholarly political pundit or a divinely-inspired televangelist.
The best approach would be no publicity and he would "wither on the vine", so to speak.