Glenn Beck: Social Justice is Wrong

[DaemonSeid]

Link

On his daily radio and television shows last week, Fox News personality Glenn Beck set out to convince his audience that "social justice," the term many Christian churches use to describe their efforts to address poverty and human rights, is a "code word" for communism and Nazism. Beck urged Christians to discuss the term with their priests and to leave their churches if leaders would not reconsider their emphasis on social justice.

"I'm begging you, your right to religion and freedom to exercise religion and read all of the passages of the Bible as you want to read them and as your church wants to preach them . . . are going to come under the ropes in the next year. If it lasts that long it will be the next year. I beg you, look for the words 'social justice' or 'economic justice' on your church Web site. If you find it, run as fast as you can. Social justice and economic justice, they are code words. Now, am I advising people to leave their church? Yes!"

[MysticCat]

Yes, John Paul II was a Nazi and Communist sympathizer.

Beck's attempt to have all Catholics convert to Mormonism, maybe?

I kid.

[Gusteau]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Yes, John Paul II was a Nazi and Communist sympathizer.

Beck's attempt to have all Catholics convert to Mormonism, maybe?

I kid.

I saw the title and almost responded seriously, then I considered the source and thought of better things I could do with my time.

Though, this topic has been on my mind since Pope Benedict XVI's Lenten message was all about justice - it's a good read if anyone is interested.

[XAntoftheSkyX]

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

Link

On his daily radio and television shows last week, Fox News personality Glenn Beck set out to convince his audience that "social justice," the term many Christian churches use to describe their efforts to address poverty and human rights, is a "code word" for communism and Nazism.

[DrPhil]

"Attention Whore"...ACTIVATED.

"Media Attention"...SUCCESS.

[UGAalum94]

I don't watch Glenn Beck and didn't watch the clip linked.

That said: I think actual social justice is something Jesus would have been a fan of and if you're a Jesus fan, you probably should consider that.

However, I might be on the same page as Beck in one regard: I'm not sure churches buying into short-term political solutions to social inequity in the name of "social justice" is necessarily where it's at. As the Republicans pay lip service to evangelical interests, so "social justice" advocates can too. It doesn't mean either will actually deliver anything. Actual direct outreach in your community might result in more actual social justice.

In a point that's really neither here nor there in terms of what Beck says Americans should do right now, I also think one could make the case that the rhetoric of social justice in South and Central America probably was linked with pretty intensely leftist politics. The Nazi connection is a whole lot harder to see.

But whatev...

Did I share on here before about how the most alarming Christmas gift I ever got was a Glenn Beck book from my father-in-law? What does that gift say about me or is it really more about my father-in-law? It was moderately entertaining to read and it was before GB really blew up in popularity/notoriety.

[DrPhil]

I'm a Christian who absolutely despised the WWJD movement.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

I'm a Christian who absolutely despised the WWJD movement.

Just the movement for being a crass approach or the actual idea of considering how Christ would live or encourage Christians to live?

I wasn't a particular WWJD fan in terms of the approach either, but I think people who are serious about being Christian have to consider the guidance his life provides.

[VandalSquirrel]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

I'm a Christian who absolutely despised the WWJD movement.

Agree.

I guess we're communists and nazis because of my faith and the undergraduate college you attended.

Dietriech Bonhoeffer and Martin Niemöller had it soooo backwards.

I'm also so tired of people not understanding the differences among socialism, communism, facism, nazis, and so on. They are all different and often one can't be in more than one category. If one is going to throw around labels with those they disagree with, they should at least be accurate.

[TitaniumGene]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_spectrum

I like this picture. It clearly shows that fascism and communism are polar opposites of each other.

[RU OX Alum]

Yeah but that doesn't make sense either, Fascism was a form of Socialism. Mussolini was a Socialist and Hitler was a National-Socialist. I mean, I get the difference between National-Socialism and Soviet-Socialism (for example) but the end result is pretty much the same. You get some crazy dictator, usually in a uniform or business suit, that more or less controls the economy or at least a majority of businesses and monetary wealth.

Right and Left might look really far apart up-close, but if you step away, you can see how close they are.

ETA: What's up with Glen Beck anyway? Did he take too many drugs or something?

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by VandalSquirrel

I'm also so tired of people not understanding the differences among socialism, communism, facism, nazis, and so on. They are all different and often one can't be in more than one category. If one is going to throw around labels with those they disagree with, they should at least be accurate.

YES.

These terms are all used interchangeably as if they mean the same thing.

They do not.

It drives me CRAZY.

If you are going to be all OMGWTFBBQ about something, at least be intelligent enough to know exactly what it is you are against.

Most people throwing these terms around are not.

If someone called a particular poltician's stance on an issue as "socialism" and you asked them what that word meant, chances are good that they couldn't tell you.

[VandalSquirrel]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

YES.

These terms are all used interchangeably as if they mean the same thing.

They do not.

It drives me CRAZY.

If you are going to be all OMGWTFBBQ about something, at least be intelligent enough to know exactly what it is you are against.

Most people throwing these terms around are not.

If someone called a particular poltician's stance on an issue as "socialism" and you asked them what that word meant, chances are good that they couldn't tell you.

Hell Glenn Beck wouldn't even know about progressivism and communism if it wasn't for those damn commie pinko free libraries where we share books and stuff. That is one of my favorite Daily Show clips, ever.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by UGAalum94

Just the movement for being a crass approach or the actual idea of considering how Christ would live or encourage Christians to live?

All of the bolded and part of the underlined.

WWJD was a cowardice way of pretending that the social dynamics that humans created have not become part of our conscious and subconscious reality. I recall people acting like all social conflicts could be reduced to WWJD. In other words, patriarchy, misogyny, sexism, racism, classism, heterosexism--to get rid of these things we just need to WWJD.

That's complete bullshit, because (1) seeking equality despite power differentials isn't about people being nice and loving to one another and (2) JD (Jesus did) many things within the context he lived. I believe he was the son of God, but he wasn't what many Christians think he was. How very unChristian of me to not take all of my faith's tenants literally. That isn't the only tenant or widely held belief that I don't buy into/take literally.