A handful of prominent evangelical activists are defending their decision to attend television host Glenn Beck's conservative rally in Washington this weekend after some Christians complained that evangelicals shouldn't be partnering with Beck because of his Mormon faith.
Video: Glenn Beck rally stirs controversy
"There is no need to 'de-Christianize' each other over the matter," wrote Jim Garlow, an influential California pastor, in a five-page memo this week arguing that evangelicals can attend Beck's rally and partner with the television and radio personality in good conscience.
"Glenn Beck is being used by God - mightily," Garlow wrote in the memo, which was obtained by CNN. "The left loves to slam him and do so viscerally and often with vulgarities. Glenn is not perfect... But his expose on America's sins is stellar."
Garlow - who partnered with Mormons in California to help pass Proposition 8, the state's gay marriage ban, via ballot initiative in 2008 - is one of several high profile evangelicals on the defensive about participating in Beck's rally, called Restoring Honor.
The rally, which is to be held near the Lincoln Memorial on the 47th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech, is to be headlined by Sarah Palin.
Christian critics of the event have taken specific aim at some evangelicals' participation in a pre-rally event Friday at the Kennedy Center called Glenn Beck's Divine Destiny.
Beck, who many evangelicals say is not a Christian because of his Mormon beliefs, says on his web site that the Friday event "will help heal your soul."
"Guided by uplifting music, nationally-known religious figures from all faiths will unite to deliver messages reminiscent to those given during the struggles of America's earliest days," his site says of the event.
Brannon Howse, a conservative writer and founder of Worldview Weekend, which organizes Christian conferences, criticized evangelical participation in that event in a column this week.
"The Apostle Paul warns Christians against uniting with unbelievers in spiritual endeavors...," Howse wrote. "While I applaud and agree with many of Glenn Beck's conservative and constitutional views, that does not give me or any other Bible-believing Christian justification to compromise Biblical truth by spiritually joining Beck."
Many Christians say that some Mormon beliefs, including that Mormon church leaders are prophets and that the Book of Mormon is sacred scripture, are incompatible with Christianity.
Mormons, though, consider themselves Christian. The Mormon church is called the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Many conservative evangelical activists argue that evangelicals and Mormons should set aside theological differences to partner on moral and political issues.
"For Christians concerned about Glenn's faith, I would ask the following questions: What fruit do you see produced by Glenn?" David Barton, an influential evangelical activist who is joining Beck's rally, wrote on his Facebook page recently. "Good or bad? If you judged Glenn only by the fruits he has produced, would you still hold concerns over his faith?"
"Christians concerned about Glenn's faith should judge the tree by its fruits, not its labels," Barton, a former Republican National Committee consultant, continued. "After all, Nancy Pelosi and Bill Clinton openly call themselves Christians... Although these individuals have the right labels, they have the wrong fruits."
Other evangelical activists have gone further, arguing that Beck's faith isn't that different from that of mainstream Christians.
"I have interviewed persons who have talked specifically with Glenn about his personal salvation - persons extremely well known in Christianity - and they have affirmed (using language evangelicals understand), 'Glenn is saved,' " Garlow said in his memo, which was dated Wednesday. "He understands receiving Christ as savior."
What fruit do I see produced by Glenn Beck? I see ratings for Fox and advertising dollars along with hatred and bigotry. In those things I see nothing remotely Christian.
I beg to differ – The Spanish Inquisition and The Crusades.
Hatred and bigotry fit right in with the Christians, from my point of view.
Bring the message to the heathens by torture, destruction and death? And that 'message'? Eternal suffering awaits anyone who questions God's infinite love. Gee, how nice. Back to the FOX/Christian comparison – Bill O'Reilly face is torture enough for me (strangely enough, I think Andrea Mackris would agree with me), not to mention that fat, overpaid, unintelligent, soulless, heartless, pig Rush Limbaugh, Fox News destroys our country by the continued lowering of our standards of decency and intelligence (I know there's not much there to begin with; still, there IS some) and encouraging people, directly and indirectly, to murder people like George Tiller and that nut case who murdered two people in a church but confessed IN COURT to wanting to murder everyone listed in Bernie Goldberg's (FOX Contributor) book.
So, hatred and bigotry – yes, Christians and FOX have a very solid connection to. Wealth and ratings....eh, I concede to the ratings bit, and talking about how wealth is involved between these two is complex at best, starting with how these organizations acquired what they own now and how they started off. Therefore, I'll give ya those two for the sake of argument.
ChrisM, congratulations! As with most atheists, you've countered hate with hate. If you or the other atheists ever bothered to try and open your minds and do some simple, grade school-level investigating, you'd see that there are plenty of Christian denominations that are countering the hate of evangelicals by putting the real message of Christ into action. I'll stop here, because I suspect my words are falling on deaf and intolerant ears, except for one last point . . . Yes, we've had the Inquisition, etc. But, we've still given more food, shelter, education, hope to the hopeless, and compassion to people around the world than you and your "thinking" atheists (like Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot and Castro, to name just a few) have done, or ever will do. I pray one day, you and the other virulently bitter atheists will open those minds you seem to boast so much about.
I totally agree with you Andrea. Nothing GLen Beck has done is in anway a "fruit of God". These people who are supporting him who supported Prop 8 really need to read the Bible a bit better. I am from Canada and went to a Catholic school my whole life, though I do not practice it I cannot understand why people can qouote the Bible on love and compassion yet deny the rights of human beings. If people really read the Bible they would see that it states God loves everyone no matter what. Guess they skip and ignore the parts that do not fit into there world view.
DC Buckeye,I agree with ya- it seems like quite a few "atheists" are jerks. But if I do what you said, some "simple grade school" thinking, I would conclude that religion is hoax that was set up by powerful people to maintain control over the masses.I know a bunch of Christians who are good people- more good then bad. Its just too bad these people are the ones who ARENT running around and judging others, as well as telling me how to live my life. Its these radical weirdos.
Beck does not preach hatred, and he does not preach bigotry. If you really watched his show or listened to him, you'd know that. Glenn Beck has done more to educate people on the contributions of African Americans to this country than Barack Hussein Obama or the Rev. Al Sharpton.
DC Buckeye – keep up the charity work but stop spreading the ignorance and bigotry that religion always promotes. The bible is just a book – it's made up.
@ chris There are 8+ center left News agencies and 1 center to wingnut..........If the Conservatives have half the voting population then it would be safe to assume that 50% share of cable viewers would gravitate towards FOX......Don't be so aw inspired.......
Beck and FOX have hijacked the bible and the flag for ratings and money. The republican party has hijacked the bible and the flag for power and money. They are the cancer that will eventually kill America.
Great comment Andrea.
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