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

[Zrim]

So, dlzr, could you describe what Christian teeth brushing looks like? Is it up and down or in tiny circles? Or is it up, down, left and right, as in genuflection? And brushing my teeth "reveals God"? So much for sola scriptura.

See, this is how you are supposed to mock. It's way better than calling names, though I won't call it Christian mocking since there still is no redemptive version of any creational task. It's just a Christian mocking another one with a little more skill.

[dlzr]

I'm sorry Zrim, you must not have been able to understand my previous comments. The Christian has different presuppositions than the unbeliever, which does not always manifest itself in physical actions, but is always present in the heart. So although the actual physical technique of brushing teeth may look they same, the heart of the believer is very different than the unbeliever. The Christian can brush his teeth to the glory of God, knowing that this simple action reveals the beauty and goodness of our Creator God.

Hope that will help you understand how to do all things to God's glory and think better as a Christian.

Oh... and your welcome.

[Lloyd I. Cadle]

Another good example of why we want to leave religion out of politics; look at the actions of the "religion of peace."

[Phil Helale]

With all due respect, I need not Google Beck. As I said I have watched him for almost 2yrs. Again, are we Christians or not? We of all people ought to know how a clip or a verse taken out of context can be made to say anything. "Opinion" is legal...but it doesn't make it valid. I will not defend Becks theology for he is an enmey of Christ by virtue of his doctrine. But I will defend accusations of bigotry etc... I know not the mans heart...but I've heard more then "enough" of Beck based on Google searches..I've watched him myself...if sir you are a Christian please think before making such statments

[Zrim]

But, dlzr, your claim was that there is a distinctively Christian way of brushing your teeth. Now you seem to be saying that faith does not always manifest itself distinctly in physical actions. So, what does it look like when it does? Examples? In my view, the way we detect who's a believer and who's not is by observing who is gathered around Word and sacrament once a week and who isn't. That's pretty easy compared to, on your view, seeing who's doing a common task distinctively (since you admit that's not always possible) or peering into hearts.

[dlzr]

Zrim, if you have kids you would know. I can ask my son to take out the trash and he can do it with a grateful heart desiring to please his Father and glorifying God, or grumble and do it just to escape temporal punishment. Although if he does grumble he will be punished since that is sin as well.

Now you may say that an unbeliever can follow his Father's instruction with a desiring heart to please his Father. But little Johnny down the street who is an unbeliever never obeys his Father with the aim of glorifying God. So when my son takes out the trash and does it by faith, knowing he is pleasing Dad and glorifying God, that is a totally different than how little Johnny down the street takes out the trash.

Also Zrim don't think that Godliness is restricted to what we do on Sunday morning and evening. See WSC Ch 16.Sec t 1&2 and especially 6. Our good works are acceptable to God not because they are distinctly different than an unbelievers, but because as we are accepted in Christ, so are our Good works are acceptable as well.

Furthermore the way we raise our kids, love our wives are distinctively different than the unbeliever. Also the way a Christian governs, and what legislation he promotes should be quite different. A Christian magistrate is concerned about protecting the Church, therefore the laws he tries to pass should reflect such a concern.

[Rana]

Phil, I have also watched enough Beck as well, and my link was just one of many examples, hardly taken out of context (6 minutes is a lot of airtime by MSM standards).

Seriously, in that clip did Beck really need to insult the people of India in the way he did to make his point? And fwiw, I have lived in the developing world, not India but a country similar to India in many ways and I had EXCELLENT local doctors, who were trained at UCI and in Germany, when I had my two c-sections (btw, I am not a sir). In fact, the care I received overseas was a lot better than what I got in the USA with my HMO.

[reg]

dlzr,
I am with Zrim on your exchanges. I don't understand or agree with your perspective. I think you are over simplifying and being cavalier about his well thought out views.

You write "A Christian magistrate is concerned about protecting the Church, therefore the laws he tries to pass should reflect such a concern. " If this is the attitude, the inquisition cannot be far behind as the state does what it thinks will most help the church. The state uses the sword. The church does not . If it does it will die of the sword. Rather it uses different, spiritual, more powerful weapons.

In terms of your child rearing example, I sense a level of (again scary) hyper moralism here. If my son did not grumble when I ask him to take out the garbage I would suspect something was wrong. As long as he does the chore I am unlikely to punish him. (After all as Jesus suggests it is better to say no but do the task than the opposite. I don't want to raise the prodigal's older brother.) As Christ shows us grace we should show grace too.

Yes its all for the glory of God. But I a sinner often fail at keeping this attitude, but praise be to God there is no condemnation fot those who are in Christ Jesus! And I can count on Him to complete his work in me in spite of my constant failures. How grateful I am for his mercy!

[Rick]

Glenn Beck doesn't make me nervous at all. I'm scared to death of all the evangelicals that think he's a Christian.