Found This blog that gets into specifics.
Most know that he is a Mormon, as he is open about his LDS faith on his show. Most don’t care.And if you read on you'll find a discussion of some of the main differences between Mormon belief and true Christian belief, such as the nature of God and Christ.
Should we?
Well, until the show which aired on August 18th, 2010, I didn’t. Sure, I knew he was a member of the Mormon church, but other than a few language oddities such as his constant reference to “Heavenly Father” and his consistent use of the phrase “the scriptures” instead of the Bible, I never really saw much LDS theology in his show.
That all changed yesterday.
Now, my point in writing this isn’t to go out of my way to pick a fight with the Mormon Church, but my role as an Elder in a Christian church compels me to defend the flock against wolves, and in this case, Beck has crossed the line into “wolfdom.” Because so many Christians watch and enjoy his show, including many in my own church, I was forced to offer a response.
The premise of his August 18th show was this:
“The Native Americans were descended from an ancient civilization that existed on this continent in pre-historic and Biblical times. This civilization, had large cities and a very advanced culture, including a writing system and higher religious thought”
Beck went so far as to say, “The ancient Indians actually had religious writings which were a proto-Hebrew Bible”. He also offered the “fact” that the Native Americans were descended from the Jews.
He went on to cite various “scholars”, “experts” and “archaeologists” who support this claim.
Not only that, but he mentioned a “shocking DVD”, a documentary, that tells us the true story, a story that has been covered up by mainstream science for political reasons. He even gave the web address for the DVD he was talking about. If history is any indication, he just made those filmmakers very wealthy.
This is powerful stuff. Where have I heard this before?
These are the beliefs held by the Mormon Church, and written about by Joseph Smith in the Book of Mormon.
Now that I know just HOW Mormon he is I am even more certain that Christians MUST reject him. This lovely call to restore honor to America is very enticing to conservatives, including me. He's got a genuine patriotism, he's a sincere and likeable guy, he's putting up with a lot of unfair attacks on him too. I wish we could support his work BUT WE CAN'T!!!!
This is a test, people, this is the devil coming as an angel of light to deceive. In fact God is using this to separate the wheat from the chaff, the sheep from the goats. Do not be deceived. America is not our permanent home, our citizenship is elsewhere. It would be great if genuine Christians got up and did what Beck did, but I think the handwriting is on the wall myself. I believe it's Beck because God is judging this nation and He's not going to relent, He's going to force us to choose between Him and ANYTHING in this world, even good things.
2 John 1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. 9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.RECEIVE HIM NOT INTO YOUR HOUSE, NEITHER BID HIM GOD SPEED!!!!!
10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.
Here's another briefer discussion of the implications of supporting Glenn Beck.
And while I'm at it I should collect a few links to discussions of what Mormons actually believe:
http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/mormonism.html
http://www.thebereancall.org/search/node/Mormonism
That's enough for a start.
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Later: Let me try to be clearer AGAIN: If Beck's rally had been merely political there would not be this problem. And on his show if he didn't argue for his religion at ALL -- which I wrongly thought was the case until I read what I quoted above -- we shouldn't have a problem with that either. But when he comes out with his religion as if it is fact and when he puts on a rally clearly aimed at blurring the distinctions between Mormonism and Christianity, THEN we have a BIG problem.
10 comments:
A thoughtful and well considered piece.
I too admire Beck for his willingness to take the heat for educating the population on other semi-Christian religions, like liberation theology, and for taking on certain popular secular historical issues.
I do, however, take issue with your advice to reject the man "whole cloth" simply because he's a Mormon. I think the "better" alternative is to educate yourself in the differences between Morman beliefs and your own, as you advise, and leave it at that.
I don't think that Beck is positioning himself to be the anti-Christ. Small government and a return to "the founders" best describes the ideology he's pushing, and THAT would represent an environment ill conducive to a "satanist" pogrom.
btw - I should say up front that although I am a Deist and no longer a Christian, I was raised in and am very fluent in the Evangelical Lutheran variant of Christianity.
Thanks very much for your thoughts, Speedy G. The more I've thought about all this, especially with the personal attacks against me for what I've been saying on it elsewhere, the more I've been coming to the conclusion that the rally yesterday was really a very big piece of deception and very very dangerous for Christians.
And I started out yesterday morning much like the guy I guote in this post, not concerned much about Beck's Mormonism because it doesn't seem to affect anything he says, and simply enjoying his very articulate and passionate conservatism and patriotism. There is no doubt about it, Beck is a very good guy and very good on issues that matter a great deal to conservatives and patriots -- and to Christians as well -- yes, the small government message, yes, a return to the founders. Man, I love that stuff, how I wish I didn't have to reject a guy who does such a good job on all that.
But precisely therein lies the snare. It took me a while to see it. It took the blogger I quote here facing a direct message from Beck affirming his acceptance of the Book of Mormon.
It hadn't occurred to me that Beck is in the running for Antichrist, but perhaps I have to recognize that what I'm saying does make him one of the little antichrists we see so much of these days.
The problem with merely educating ourselves about the differences is that the REAL problem is that we cannot STAND WITH a heretic, we cannot appear to be supporting his beliefs. This is simply turning out to be a dividing line between the sheep and the goats it seems to me, a really tough test I believe the Lord is putting us through, and we have to be radical in our response, we have to be Bible believers, no compromises.
I'm sorry you have given up on Christ, Speedy, but I appreciate your contribution on this topic very much.
Nobody is asking you to "stand with" Beck. By all means, "stand apart" from him. But does fact that Beck does not accept every tenet of your faith compel you to stand AGAINST him (which is what you are appearing to do)? Is there no middle ground upon which mankind can accept inter-faith differences and make peace amongst us? Just wondrin'.
The problem with Beck is that he draws Christian support for his political message, but then his rally was largely religious and tried to blur the distinctions.
There's no such thing as "inter-faith" anything, but there is such a thing as genuine respectful tolerance of differences and that's the basis for peace in a diverse society.
As long as Beck's religion wasn't defining his politics I had no problem with him. Once he defends his Mormon beliefs a Christian MUST answer him, however, as the blogger I quoted did. But beyond that, there would not be a problem with his Mormonism either IF he wasn't seducing Christians into treating it as just another version of Christianity. His rally was a RELIGIOUS rally. That puts us on a collision course with him.
Christians who stand with him THERE are in fact appearing to endorse Mormonism, and what I quoted from the Bible is clear that we cannot in any way treat him as a fellow Christian without incurring blame.
Beck makes no claim to being a "religious leader".
Yes, his event WAS billed as a call to arms for Americans, Christians in particular, to return to their respective religious faith. I fail to see how you can have a problem with that. He's not trying to form a new religion. He's NOT trying to plant a new church.
Stand with Beck as an American. Or are "Christians" the only Americans you are willing to stand with?
Perhaps Beck needs to more overtly alert his audience as tot he source of his specific religious beliefs... but short of tattooing a "Non-Christian warning label" across his forehead, I don't know what else you could "reasonably" expect him to do. You advocate his self-limitting his speech to only those subjects which don't run counter to your specific "brand" of Christianity, but sensitivity to all religious brands would render him a mute.
btw - Do you object to the "free exercise" clause of the 1st amendment?
I'm sorry. I don't mean to be disrespectful. By all means, Christians should speak out against perceived heresy's. But please, there would appear to be far more aggregious heresy's coming out of the mouths of "statist" Leftists than from the lips of Glen Beck. This conversation is far too ironic for me.
Good day, Faith.
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