Beck...leave your Church?

[Matt McKenzie]

Some of Beck's arguments and opinions are well thought out and thought-provoking. Sometimes he slides off the road of rational thought (intentionally? I don't know). But if you want to know what he's talking about, check out this website and decide if Social and Economic Justice are what you believe in. If not, then you might want to avoid churches that espouse it. If it's your cup of tea, good on ya. Just sayin'

http://www.cesj.org/thirdway/economi...ce-defined.htm

[dnf777]

I'm more concerned about churches whose elders force plural marriages of pre-menarchal girls upon its followers, than churches who want to help others in the ways Jesus taught and did himself!

If you want a real eye-opener, Jon Krakauer's "Under the Banner of Heaven" gives a little historical background of Beck's church. The reasons that the modern LDS church no longer support polygamy are very surprising. So are many of the figures and dates they commemorate in their services and teachings. But to each his own. I just think that telling others who worship differently than you that they need to leave their church is the ultimate in egocentrisism, selfishness, and lack of respect for others. But that's just MHO, and he's free to say whatever gets him ratings.

[YardleyLabs]

The next thing you know, you will have churches espousing "principles" like these:

"There are seven principles which Unitarian Universalist congregations affirm and promote:

• The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
• Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
• Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
• A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
• The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
• The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
• Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

Unitarian Universalism (UU) draws from many sources:

• Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life;
• Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love;
• Wisdom from the world's religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;
• Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;
• Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit.
• Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature."

[http://uua.org/]

[ducknwork]

http://www.catholicculture.org/cultu...x.cfm?id=36529

SOCIAL JUSTICE
The virtue that inclines one to co-operate with others in order to help make the institutions of society better serve the common good. While the obligation of social justice falls upon the individual, that person cannot fulfill the obligation alone, but must work in concert with others, through organized bodies, as a member of a group whose purpose is to identify the needs of society, and, by the use of appropriate means, to meet these needs locally, regionally, nationally, and even globally. Implicit in the virtue of social justice is an awareness that the world has entered on a new phase of social existence, with potential for great good or great harm vested in those who control the media and the structures of modern society. Christians, therefore, are expected to respond to the new obligations created by the extraordinary means of promoting the common good not only of small groups but literally of all humanity.

Social justice sounds pretty good to me...I can see where he is trying to skew this to be bad though. Social justice calls us to take care of our fellow man. Sounds like socialism? Well, not really. Look at the 4th word in the definition...That is A LOT different than the word 'forced'!

Beck can say whatever he wants, but he's not getting this Catholic dude to leave the Church!

Edit: In the quote from the link Yardley provided, Beck apparently made no mention of the Catholc Church. Are there differing reports out there?

Double edit: Dave, I didn't think you listened to Beck! How did you know he said this?

[twall]

The bible teaches us to go and spread the Gospel. Any other ideologies promoted by a church are going to be man-centered and man-created thus, based in the flesh.

A specific denomination can create its' own definition of social justice. The problem is that it has already code-word for socialism/communism/marxism. You may not want to believe that but there are evil forces in this world that are more than happy to have you blindly support them. Before you realize the path you have been led down it will be too late.

Tom

[Goose]

He does scare you guys doesn't he?



rk

Anything to the right of Joseph Stalin scares these leftist nutroots. Beck must really scare 666...just look at how often he brings him up. "Mommy, I'm skeeered, mommy! Mr. Beck's on the tv mommy, make him go away! I'm skeeered, mommy! Oh, mommy...Rush is on the radio, mommy! Make him go away, mommy! I'm soooo skeeeeeered!" Waaaaaaaahhh!!!

The great thing about Beck is his ratings are huge and that drives the left even more crazy. I think I'll watch him today and maybe buy some stuff from all of his sponsors. Maybe I'll buy some gold from good ol' Gordon Liddy

I love his show. Especially the one where he outed Anita Dunn for her love affair with Chairman Mao. One less Maoist in the White House is a good thing. Or the show where he outed Commie Van Jones. One less communist in the White House is a good thing.

Now if there were just one less Kenyan in the White House.

We live in Cuba now and I'm skeeeered, mommy!

[YardleyLabs]

It seems to me that the principles stated in the quote by ducknwork go to the core of Christianity, whether that interpretation comes through the Catholic Church, an evangelical church, or the Unitarians. It also seems to me that practicing those values in your life, not just preaching them to others, is the core of Christ's teaching.

[Hew]

Oh, the irony. If only the lefty Christians cared half as much about fetal justice as they do for social and economic justice.

[dnf777]

Oh, the irony. If only the lefty Christians cared half as much about fetal justice as they do for social and economic justice.

Likewise, if the righties cared half as much for fetuses AFTER they're born, as they do before they are!

[Hew]

I didn't watch or hear Beck make those comments, but I suspect the context is that he isn't against religion helping those who need it, but that he is against churches that push an agenda that is more political than religious. As an example, go to the very liberal and very large National Council of Churches' website: http://www.ncccusa.org/ Look at the articles on the main page:

Obama Advisory Council has 60 recommendations

Groups ask EPA to halt mountaintop removal coal mining

Ecumenical Advocacy Days commences March 19-22 (advocating for illegal immigrants)

At Lent, ecumenical leaders press immigration reform

Immigration rally slated March 21 at the U.S. Capitol

Earthday 2010 resources ready for download or order

Their website reads like the front page of the DailyKos. I suspect that the churches that belong to the NCOC are examples of what Beck was talking about.