Does Glenn Beck Make You Nervous?

The White Horse Inn blog has posted a number of helpful resources on the two kingdoms and why we must keep them distinct.  Beck's Two Kingdom Confusion

If we don't, we'll end up with a Mormon leading Jews, Muslims and Evangelicals together in prayer . . .  Wait, that just happened!

If we understand the two kingdoms, we'll understand why it would be perfectly OK for these diverse groups to work together on political causes, if only they kept their civil religion out of it!

Somebody ought to write a book on this!

Comments

[Rana]

Glenn Beck doesn't make me nervous, rather what concerns me are the Reformed Christian leaders in the church that admire him and praise his words as if he were a modern prophet.

I don't recall where the bible says, "paranoia, fear mongering, bigotry, six degrees of separation hermeneutics ... these are the fruit of the Spirit."

No thanks.

[pb]

Not nervous. Nauseous. And I prefer Fox News generally, but...

[Scott Larkins]

Scares me to death. Creeeepy.

[Irenicum]

Beck leaves me alternating between laughing hysterically at his absurdities and crying at how many people are actually paying attention to him. That's what scares me. And I'm sadly not surprised at how theologically illiterate most American Christians are. This latest escapade only confirms it further.

[John D. Chitty]

Yes, he makes me nervous. His political impact, and his dabbling in the civil religion will help wear down evangelicals' tolerance of, and eventual acceptance of, Mormonism as just another denomination (as they are doing with Romanism). It will also help create a larger market for your upcoming book.

I blogged on Beck recently when he blended the histories of the council of Nicea, the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag Hammadi gnostic gospels, indicative of how little he actually knows about the topics he covers, which leads him to rely on other people who are sometimes rather superficial in their treatment of the issues on which Beck claims they are experts (case in point: David Barton). He's having the impact of Rush Limbaugh back in the early nineties, but with a fraction of the intellectual and political wit and wisdom. Beck's rally, however, just way outdid the Limbaugh-inspired Dan's Bake Sale.

I was especially thrilled and perplexed to see WTS' Peter Lillback on his show on social justice a few months ago. At least Lillback used the opportunity to clearly communicate the gospel of Christ while Beck gave his book's Amazon rating a tremendous bump. But if Beck loved Lillback's book as much as he said he did, it makes me wonder about the accuracy of the historiography in it.

[Chris]

Especially as two-kingdom Christians, he ought to make us nervous. If we can't allow religious liberty to heretical Muslims, then we should fully expect to revisit the days when Christianity was persecuted by the civil government. If there is no liberty for one, in principle there won't be liberty for any.

As a Christian, I don't have any sympathy for the theology of Islam. As a citizen of this present, evil age, I don't believe that we should preemptively aggress against Muslims because of Bin Laden - any more than I believe that the rest of the citizenry ought to preemptively aggress against us because of a Rushdoony or a Bahnsen. If we apply Glen Beck's reasoning about Muslims to Christians: all Christians have a bloodthirsty hatred of sinners and would stone them to death the first chance they got. We're dangerous...

[Bruce Settergren]

No.

[Karen Gosche]

No.

[Zrim]

More unnerving are the thronging Beckians (like Limbaughittes).

John Chitty, there was another, less than thrilled take on Lillback on Beck. How great can it be when the right hand gives the gospel only to have the left hand takes it away with social gospel?

http://oldlife.org/2010/05/21/lillback-on-machen-on-beck/

[Aaron]

Very much looking forward to this book...

[Carol in Tulsa]

I am PRAYING for Glenn Beck. He says he is, and I'm sure thinks he is, a Christian. I am praying that God will open up his eyes and heart to the true gospel. Such were some of us once - deceived. God saved me out of "new age" mumbo jumbo, thinking I was a "Christian" but that there were many roads to God, etc.

[Phil H]

Wow...are we just like the world? Do we pick up the cues from the world? I have watched Beck from a few months before he left CNN till now. To call the man a bigot is simply put, bearing false witness. Do we reason like the world? Are we shallow like the world? Please, if we are Christians lets not be like the world. If someone who has watched Beck stumbles upon this, may end up simple turning away because of the misinformation said here. And more importantly lets speak the truth and not lies, the language of the devil. The doctrine of the Two Kingdoms is so needed lets not obscure it by being like the world.

[Phil H]

BTW...my response is regarding the posts..not the articles...

[Phil H]

And let me be clear...I do not believe Beck is a Christian...he clearly doesn't believe the Gospel...my point is how are we to be listened to.If we can't be trusted to speak truthfully about Beck, how can we be trusted to speak truthfully about Christ.??

[dlzr]

I thought all you 2 kingdom screwball people would be thrilled with Beck. He is white, conservative and middle aged. Oh, that's right 2K means, "in my own autonomous self I get to define what is a good king for the here and now".

You guys make no sense at all and have no foundation for your political views. In fact your political views make about as much sense as "Seeker Sensitive Worship".

There is a distinctively Christian way of raising a family, a distinctively Christian way of vocation, there is a distinctively Christian way education, and there is a distinctively way of the civil magistrate. There is one King, who is King of all, and all are called to submit and obey him, in all they do.

[Rana]

I have watched enough Beck to see that the man is intolerant, prejudice and narrow minded. Here is an example of his intolerance and prejudice: http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200912090042

I am sorry that you are so offended by my opinion of Beck and his views but I am not bearing false witness (google Beck bigot and I am hardly the first person to have this thought or opinion of Beck), and you should apologize.

[Kim Riddlebarger]

dlzr:

When I finish my manuscript (Lord willing), I would be only too happy to send you a copy.

I always love an anonymous drive-by critic who demolishes a straw man and then dances in triumph.

Sorry, but you don't have a clue . . .

[dlzr]

Thanks Kim, I appreciate your comments.

Don't worry about sending me a a copy of your manuscript, I will be more than happy to purchase it, given it will be available to the public. I have several titles on my bookshelf which I have read, enjoyed and profited written by you or which you have contributed.

I apologize for being a drive by critic. Please forgive me. Just trying to awaken the blog from its dogmatic slumber. (Sorry for the Kant quote, I kant help it. he he :)

I just don't understand the 2 Kingdoms view, perhaps it is something in my DNA. But it can't be my DNA because that would go against nature and ruin a Natural Law argument. Sorry there I go again.

Maybe you could help me find some clues?

[Zrim]

So, dlzr, if there is a distinctly Christiian way of doing earth then there must be a Christian way to brush teeth and make salads? Every square inch, right? But I know what Christians brushing their teeth and making salads (and raising families and educating kids and being magistrates) is. What I don't know is what Christian teeth brushing, salad making, educating and ruling is. 2K believes Jesus is Lord of every square inch, but it's not clear on how that means there is a redemptive version of creational tasks. That's the first step toward liberalism, you know.

[dlzr]

Zrim, thank you for your response and comments

Yes there is a distinctively Christian way of brushing your teeth. But I'm sure you already know this. There is a distinctively Christian way of doing anything and everything. Christians know the preconditiionsfor intelligibility and why brushing will clean your teeth and how this simple everyday act reveals the God of the universe and his Providential guidance. Brushing teeth confirms the uniformity of nature, man made in God's image, and God's revealing of himself to His creature.

All this is very elementary to the Christian, in fact so elementary we almost take it for granted when we do these so called mundane things.

But for the unbeliever, these truths are suppressed so deeply, they are in rebellion of them.