It’s kind of fun to watch Glenn Beck paint himself into a corner with his craziness. From his pulpit on Fox News, Beck has attacked churches that preach a gospel of social and economic justice. According to him, social justice is the one idea Nazis and Communists hold in common; therefore, anyone who advocates housing the homeless, feeding the poor or leveling the playing field for the disadvantaged in any way is falling into the demon snare of socialism.

Well, it’s one thing to pin that on Obama and Pelosi; Fox News commentators have coupled them with Hugo Chavez for a year. But Beck stepped into a hornets’ nest when he counseled Christians to “run as fast as you can” if they hear social justice advocated from their church pulpits. Outrageous things like racial and gender equality and full citizenship rights for gays and lesbians.

And what pulpit would they run toward? Presumably one built on the moral high ground from which Glenn preaches, the church of wealth and power. One Sunday you might hear, “Them with the gold makes the rules.”  The next, “Do unto others before they do unto you.”

The gospel according to Glenn.

People of all faiths confronted Beck’s idiocy. On his blog activist writer Jim Wallis said it was Beck himself that people ought to run from. He accused Beck of attacking the heart and soul of Christian faith. Of course you would expect that from a preacher who lives among the poor in inner city Washington, D.C. and advocates for them every day. No better than that other guy, Martin Luther King. He preached a social gospel and look where it has led: To a socialist African American president with a funny name.

Makes you wonder if Beck spends his weekends under one of those white hoods.

You see, Beck believes in a strict separation of church and state: Jesus and prayer on Sunday, trading credit default swaps the rest of the week. Please don’t let Sunday cross the line and undermine profitability. Might cause a recession.

No, Glenn, Jesus did not work on Wall Street. You wish.

Jesus hung out with the poor and healed the sick. When a rich man asked him what “good thing” he might do to gain “eternal life,” Jesus told him to “sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.” (Matthew 19:21)

Maybe Glenn hasn’t gotten to the New Testament yet, where that same rich man is sad because he doesn’t want to sell his BMW and his house on Maui, causing Jesus to remark to his disciples that a camel can pass through the eye of a needle more easily than a rich man can enter the “kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:23) Maybe Glenn has run from that pulpit.

Wait a minute. It’s too easy to beat Beck with the Bible.

Whack, whack, game over.

I smell a rat.

He may be a rodeo clown and political entertainer, but Beck is too smart to be that stupid. Smart enough to know that in our media universe all publicity is good publicity. Smart enough to know a lot of gullible types will follow his drumbeat wherever it leads, especially to the ballot box. Smart enough to know these supporters celebrate when the so-called “liberal elites” raise their voices against him.

Beck is their bad boy. Jesse James aiding the rich in their war against IRS oppression. Carl Rove’s star pupil.

Beck’s in his pulpit, all’s white with the world.

Going Home

Ben: The Resurrected

The Reverend Friendly

Strange Encounter

To read the rest of this article, please click on the following link for a pdf of the published work.

Obama Upgrades the Truth

“To willfully believe a lie is an act of moral cowardice and unworthy of America.”

Also, I’ve heard Jesus dressed like Osama, was the leader of a subversive sect and did not know the words to the Star Spangled Torah. On that basis I believe Jesus was a muslim! That puts Obama in some good company.

The election of 2008 is here, and the silly season of the superficial has begun.

mean, “I don’t think, therefore I am not?”

Think about it!

The Great Failure by Natalie Goldberg