Tell Glenn Beck: I'm a Social Justice Christian

Social justice is an integral part of repentence. When people truly repent they stop mistreating their follow human beings. The heart of the message of the Gospel is love God and your neighbor as yourself? Furthermore, Jesus refered to "your neighbor" as that (unclean) Samaritan... Social justice is one of the true signs of repentence and being born again.

lizdyer: "What church is using the term in the way that you claim Beck meant????"

The American Catholic Bishops Assoc., most Episcopalean churches, many Presbyterian and Methodist and a few Baptists.

One piece of DATA that gives me pause is how closely the Genesis account matches what scientists believe to be true about the origins and development of the universe and life on earth. Most other creation stories have to do gods fighting or eggs breaking or something else that is clearly not meant to give information about origins but meaning about existence. But how did some nomadic clansman 1,500 or more years before Christ write of a creation that so closely follows the progression that we observe in the cosmological, earth, and biological sciences? It should make a thinking person think.

"You don't need "supernatural powers," just a healthy skepticism, a willingness to dig deeper, an understanding of human nature and knowing what's at stake..."

Actually, that betrays a lack of imagination. One of the most important lessons I learned about human psychology came from a professor of literature at the University of Oklahoma. In one of his books on novel writing he had a chapter on motivation, specifically, how to provide believable motivations for you characters. He wrote that it is easy and not to sweat it. You just need imagination. He said you can take any character in any situation and provide plausible motivations for his actions if you try.

Most people are lazy and don't try. They impute evil motives to people they don't like and good ones to those they like. But with a little imagination, they could come up with dozens of different motivations, all equally believable.

Tip for guys: when your girl starts questioning your motives, you know she is no longer in love with you. The reason people say love is blind is because when we're in love we impute only good motives to the one we love.

I believe this is the definition of "prejudice" from Jocta:

My opinion of "Religious" mind-controlled robotic proselytizing cohorts, or their 'button-pushing' "Confessors" precludes my granting creditability to anything 'they' would have to offer, or say. The mere fact 'they' call themselves 'Christians" exposes their insidious gullibility, and lack of a rational mind!

Has your pastor ever preached from the prophets or the Magnificat?

Really? Jesus came to tell us that we should use fair weights, proper punishments, and everyone who can work, should? Funny--I read the Bible daily. Are you honestly trying to say that this is the core of His message? And regarding global warming, we are stewards of the earth. Does it make any sense that we can pollute for generations with no adverse affects? Doesn't work that way with our own human bodies, or any other created thing. Jesus often spoke about people who were blind and refused to see, or had ears but would not hear.

Does this mean we should starve the rich? Some of the hardest working people I know are the poor.

As I said in a previous blog entry, Ronald Reagan did his best work in "Bed Time for Bonzo"...enough said.

How does he get to speak to Christians and advise them....HE IS A MORMON...WE ARE CALLED CHRISTIANS BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRIST IS THE SON OF GOD WHO CAME IN THE FLESH TO DIE FOR THE SINS OF MEN AND WOMEN AND IF WE BELIEVE IN HIM WE WILL NOT PERISH BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. Mormons believe Jesus was a mere prophet not unlike Joseph Smith.

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You say: "I thought you were interested in dialogue."
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I say: 'What' "dialogue" can you possibly offer?
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Your 'warped' mind cannot even 'conceive' of 'life' without your makbelieve "God"?
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You have not even acknowledged my response to your earlier 'false' assertions about "Social Justice"!
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The only "dialogue" you could offer would be an effort to 'convert me' to your absurd 'way' of thinking!
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I have provided you with enough material to arouse a logical,
"scientific", rational, 'person's' interest in facts relating to how the
lying assertions of the "Religious" 'Charlatans' enslaved you!
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'You' mention "preconceived notion"?
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My 'knowledge', and, the information I provide do not derive from any so-called "preconceived notions"! I deal inthoroughly 'researched'
FACTS!
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Religion, and the outrageous LIES it is based on, is very easily determined to be FARCICAL! GOOGLE IT!
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INFINITY REFUTES DIVINITY
THERE NEVER WAS NOTHING
UNIVERSE IS INFINITE
CREATOR IS SUPERFLUOUS
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'You' are the one who is suffering from someone elses "preconceived notions" of how to hoodwink 'you' into believing fairytales are FACTS!
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As I have said: intelligent, rational "Teachers" do not use "PORNOGRAPHY" to exemplify the "misapplication" of "LIERATURE"!
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That "ID" garbage is, as you know, just another attempt to promote "Creationism"!
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Do you also "Teach" "Creationism"?
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I 'will' "TELL YOU" THIS: 'you' are NOT a "Science Teacher"!
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No 'respectable' "Science Teacher" would ever even 'whisper' "ID" in a Science Classroom!
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You need help!
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I would FIRE YOU!
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Mass/Energy never disappear
Ever were/ever here
Religion's polluton
Is no solution
For Darwin's Evolution
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Dear Menno, there is a report in your bible under the title "Jonah" which tells us if it takes a whale and seaweed wrapped around one's neck, God won't hesitate to summon a whale. Paul was blinded by the presence of Jesus and remained visually impaired from that moment on, but his thorn kept him from sinning. Please read you bible and you will see hundreds of dealings with mankind from a loving God even if it means bleached by whale acid.

Oh yes, absolutely. I read quite a bit of Hugh Ross when I was first emerging from my Young Earth days, and he, in fact, says this is what led him to Christianity. I recently picked up the Genesis Enigma which will argue the same thing, but haven't really gotten far with it.

I'm comfortable with the Bible providing a summary of God's creative acts without the details of when, exactly, things happened, or how.

I'm also comfortable with the notion of it being an issue of literary styles that we are not familiar with. Have you ever read anything on the Framework hypothesis? It's pretty compelling, IMO.

Cheers!

Just a quick few:

1. I'm a Christian who happens to be a Mormon (like there are Christians who happen to be Catholic or Lutheran or...). Yes, the church I belong to is populated by a lot of political conservatives. But there are a lot of conservative Southern Baptists, too, if I recall correctly. Don't commit the fallacy of assuming that we're all the same. Pick any congregation of any church in the mountain west and you'll find conservatives--you might be surprised at what my ward here in Connecticut looks like from a political perspective!

2. Beck is not now, nor has he ever been, a Mormon "Apostle." He is a Mormon (more accurately, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). Not an Apostle. I don't know whether he holds any local calling in his ward or stake, but Apostle is a specific office within the LDS organization, and he is NOT one the Apostles.

3. Mormon church leaders have no more influence over the members than do Catholic leaders over their members. We're not brainwashed.

Some of us lean right, some of us lean left. I happen to be among the latter, as are many of my friends.

Good.

Mormons ARE Christians.

Dear Blue,

Of course gifts are misused, and that's sad. But don't employ that as a shell to hide in. If you are a prophet, give what God gives you and great crowds will hear you----and kill you. The word of prophecy is very powerful and its power is seen by all as real; but the cost of speaking God's word is high. Elijah was on Jezebel's most-wanted list; Jeremiah was thrown in a deep muddy hole and left to die; tradition reports Isaiah was put in a hollow log and cut in two; John the Baptist lost his head; and so on. Also, there is very little proof the prophets went around announcing their gift. Their lives were strong enough to garner opposition without any advertising.

I'm not for bailouts for the ricH!

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I remind you that it was 'you' who commenced insulting 'me'!
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And, as you imply; you had no idea what "worldview" I "was coming from".
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Of course most 'rational' people do not need to know another's
"worldview" to comprend their 'written words'.
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Also, 'I' 'now' better understand your persistant 'pettiness' which is to be expected of those who have lost part of their minds to a charlatan "Confessor" at an early age?
Or, am I mistaken in assuming that which your criticism and
other words imply?
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Apparently your question about "clarification" was 'actually' meant to 'pry' from me whether or not I was a "Christian"?
As if my 'words' would make more sense to you by knowing 'this'?
Perhaps you believe only 'mind-controlled' "Christians" are capable of making reasonable statements?
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When stating facts about a "worldview" known by 'rational' people to be 'irrational'; intelligent people are not offended, nor do they deem this an "insult"!
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My first 'comment' was intended to alert ALL sensible people to the incredibly unjust intention of those people who wish to compel the poorest, most 'downtrodden' helpless people among us to have more children then they are properly capaple of caring for.
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If, as 'they' 'claim', 'those people' wanted to 'Prevent' "Abortion", there is a 'humane' method of doing so via usage of proper medication. Which 'they' could easily provide.
But, their 'true' purpose is to 'increase' population, at any cost, their opposition to abortion, is just one more way of guaranteeing this.
And, because, no concern at all is shown for the well being of downtrodden destitute people in the 'ghetto' , I am sure 'those'
who go there to compel unwanted births are "religious-fanatical' saddists!
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Everyone should know about this!
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And act to end it!
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Sure I may clarify this. Social Justice: Take from me and give to he with less. Don't force me. I will do so on my own. If another chooses to not help the poor that is his business; he still does not warrant my disdain (or perhaps even my attention at all). He does not need me telling him to give to the poor; that wastes his time and mine. ..And churches..not only huge ones..are so inward-looking they would turn away in disgust at the very person to whom Jesus would minister (I am sure there are exceptions; may your church be so). I've seen it. Heck, I've tested it. You should see me..I look like an old hippy. You should see the general look on the faces of a religious mass when I walk into their hall. Their first impression immediately noticable is I do not belong there. Perhaps they appear so out of disgust. Perhaps because I already feel myself I do not belong and they sense that, though I doubt the latter. I know from experience we each live with 7 billion other people on the planet and still, somehow, do not think of anyone but ourselves. That may need clarification. I have an example: While in nursing school on rotation through the surgery unit I was in the locker room changing into my scrubs. A veteran nurse was talking to me and he wondered why the scrubs were made reversible. "It's not like I'm going to get blood on my scrubs and turn it inside out with the blood against my skin just to show a clean uniform", he says. I told him the scrubs weren't made reversible for him. They are reversible for the laundry personal that have to fold them. It just didn't dawn on him. His thought was first about himself. Everyone's thoughts are first about themselves (again I am sure there are exceptions).
Help the poor if you wish. Don't tell your people they have to. Ministering must be difficult. You are expected to preach something all of the time; that's what people come to church to hear. You must struggle to find new things to say. Social justice. Justice. The very term suggests something unjustified to start. There is. However, there is no one man with right enough to enact laws or decrees to force equality. We must each choose to help another or let him fall. That is why a good God let's bad things happen. We must have free choice. God does not inerfere and suffers himself knowing we do not help each other and at times even hurt each other. Follow the example. Do not interfere. Just worship as you will.
Heh, himself, I call God. Him. Of all the religions the Tibetan monks have come the closest to knowing what God really is. Say, that may make an interesting surmon one day; telling your mass what God is. Maybe I should explain. I'll have to think about that. All organized religions may not be ready yet to know.
----- Original Message -----
From: Disqus<mailto:>
To: lokomski@msn.com<mailto:lokomski@msn.com>
Sent: Sunday, March 14, 2010 11:22 AM
Subject: [godspolitics] Re: Glenn Beck: I'm a Social Justice Christian

squeaky wrote, in response to Lokomski:

So, I was really confused by your comment to Pastor Jeff. What was Pastor Jeff responding to, I thought. So I waded through to find your comment.

Now I'm even more confused. In your comment to Pastor Jeff, you seem to be saying that organized religion SHOULD be caring for the poor, but that those huge churches are so inward-looking that they would turn away in disgust at the very person Jesus would minister to.

So I'm not sure how that invective meshes with your earlier post:

"Rev. Jim Wallis is a social justice christian? Social justice IS code for communism...The day we all live by the commandments we will need no other laws at all; thus no requirement for social justice. For now, however, we still hate our fellow man and keep our neighbor's children starving...Mr. Beck, Rev. Wallis says, attacks the very heart of his church with the comments related to churches preaching social justice. If that is the heart of Rev. Wallis' church I would want a different membership myself..perhaps a church with love at it's heart. "

So, wait...in one comment you attack churches for NOT being concerned about social justice, and in your earlier comment, you attack the very churches that ARE concerned about social justice.

Could you clarify this, please?

Link to comment: http://blog.sojo.net/2010/03/10/glenn-beck-im-a...>

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-
-
I remind you that it was 'you' who commenced insulting 'me'!
-
And, as you imply; you had no idea what "worldview" I "was coming from".
-
Of course most 'rational' people do not need to know another's
"worldview" to comprend their 'written words'.
-
Also, 'I' 'now' better understand your persistant 'pettiness' which is to be expected of those who have lost part of their minds to a charlatan "Confessor" at an early age?
Or, am I mistaken in assuming that which your criticism and
other words imply?
-
Apparently your question about "clarification" was 'actually' meant to 'pry' from me whether or not I was a "Christian"?
As if my 'words' would make more sense to you by knowing 'this'?
Perhaps you believe only 'mind-controlled' "Christians" are capable of making reasonable statements?
-
When stating facts about a "worldview" known by 'rational' people to be 'irrational'; intelligent people are not offended, nor do they deem this an "insult"!
-
My first 'comment' was intended to alert ALL sensible people to the incredibly unjust intention of those people who wish to compel the poorest, most 'downtrodden' helpless people among us to have more children then they are properly capaple of caring for.
-
If, as 'they' 'claim', 'those people' wanted to 'Prevent' "Abortion", there is a 'humane' method of doing so via usage of proper medication. Which 'they' could easily provide.
But, their 'true' purpose is to 'increase' population, at any cost, their opposition to abortion, is just one more way of guaranteeing this.
And, because, no concern at all is shown for the well being of downtrodden destitute people in the 'ghetto' , I am sure 'those'
who go there to compel unwanted births are "religious-fanatical' saddists!
-
Everyone should know about this!
-
And act to end it!
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Squeaky,
What is my job? And where do I work? Do you think that your position as a professor allows you to disrespect those that you deem uninformed. I'm not offended. I just would like to point out that education and degrees don't seem to keep a person from exhibiting prejudice for those who disagree with them. Many scientists believe in intellegent design. Many discredit evolution. Taking a poll won't solve the problem. Are we going to say 85% of scientists believe in evolution, or 90%, or 95%? What we believe or all the research in the world will not change the Truth of God. We see things very differently. Psalm 14:19

Tell me-fellow Mennonite. Where do these forcing of redistribution of wealth come from? I mean what sources of media have been spoon feeding this to you?

I might take my family up to KC this next weekend to check out the steamboat arabia exhibit.

Wow, that was a cheap shot, and really low for Sojourners standards. I'm not impressed at all at how Jim Wallis reacted to Glenn's words in this piece. He comes off as self-righteous, bitter, childish and belittling. I hope that his aim wasn't to publicly defame Beck before approaching him in person about his feelings (just like Jesus exhorts us not to do in the Gospels). I didn't feel that Wallis truly approached Beck in a Christ-like way. This is the first article I am ashamed to read from Sojourners.