Glenn Beck and that old time religion
The massive Beck rally makes me uneasy. It is uncomfortably close to a Christian revival meeting with a Come-to-Jesus sub-text.
Why must religion come into it? Our Founding Fathers were not literally Christians but deists. They believed in natural law, not messianic religion, whereby only Christians (or Muslims) can achieve salvation. In fact, our country is not about heavenly salvation, but about governance which respects the rights of all men to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness on this earth.
Whenever a strong Christian element enters the discourse, I think of the Crusades. Maybe the Crusades saved Christendom, but when it was all over and the infidels were vanquished, a lot of innocent Jews were dead.
Collateral damage? Well, yes, but I don't want me and mine to be collateral damage, even inadvertently.
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2 comments:
I think that a lot of the God Talk coming from Beck strikes a chord because some people have felt like they're unable to talk about religion in everyday life.
That doesn't mean it's true, it just means that's how they felt.
I consider myself a religious person, we go to mass every Sunday and on holy days of obligation, my children participate in the sacraments, we pray before meals, etc. However, I also am not partial to the Revival Tent atmosphere that the Beck rally evoked. Yes, I believe in God, and yes I give thanks daily. On the other hand, I tend to agree more with St. Francis of Asissi's line of thinking, "Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary."
A very perceptive comment.
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