Beck’s Rally and Christianity by Mary Thomas Watts
Glenn Beck’s August 28 “Restoring Honor” rally, in Washington, D.C., is over, but I’m not entirely over it.
That Beck would gather his disciples in front of the Lincoln Memorial on the 47th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.‘s “I Have a Dream” speech struck me as audacious, grandiose, and insensitive. In other words, about what I’d expect.
But when he took his medicine show, cameras rolling, into the Washington National Cathedral, Beck outed himself as a poseur who ought to be called out for impersonating a theologian.
Here’s my issue, the short version. By neglecting to instruct his flock that the National Cathedral belongs to the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, D.C., and wrapping the God he claimed to find there in the American flag, Glenn Beck inched dangerously close to implying that the cathedral is some official house of worship of the United States of America. I’m sure many who heard him went away with precisely that mistaken notion.
Furthermore, what makes Beck’s selection of the National Cathedral as a stage for unfurling his hybrid theology so over-the-top ironic is that the Episcopal Church is a mainline liberal Protestant denomination committed to social justice, a Beck heresy.
Maybe I’m not giving Beck’s audience enough credit for being able to catch onto Glenn’s tricks themselves, because It wouldn’t take much Googling for them to discover that Episcopalians have gay and lesbian priests and bishops, and that we have approved the blessing of same sex unions in several dioceses, including the Diocese of Southern Ohio.
How does Glenn Beck reconcile using the stained glass and statuary of apostates (that’s probably the nicest thing he’d call liberal Episcopalians) to convert the masses to his new, purer religion? Not that I care, but his followers should.
They also might ponder the unvarnished hypocrisy of Beck taking liberties with the National Cathedral’s doors-wide-open hospitality, when the temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), to which Beck belongs, are off-limits to non-members.
A lay theologian I know speculates that Beck is having a crisis of faith, evidenced by his taking on the mantle of God-promoter, passing harsh judgement on mainstream moderate and progressive Christian beliefs and practices, while altogether avoiding public discussion of Mormon theology.
Or maybe Beck’s just doing what snake oil salesmen have always done, making a killing on the gullible and vulnerable. Trouble is, you can’t fool all the people all the time, hence the need to hawk new and improved concoctions.
Like when Beck fazed out Beatitudes-Busters (he actually instructed people to leave their churches if the term “social gospel” so much as passed their minister’s lips) and introduced his miracle Glenn Beck Will Tell You Who God Is and What God Wants antidote to liberation theology, a spiritual poison smuggled here from Latin America and slipped into Jell-O salads at liberal congregations like the one President Obama once belonged to.
I made that up about the Jell-O salads, but Beck’s done far worse, making up a Jesus who had nothing to say about walking in the paths of justice, mercy and peace.
Beck needs to get honest. He wouldn’t know liberation theology if it stowed away on a stalk of bananas and wound up on his morning corn flakes. How could he? He detests the poor and is contemptuous of anybody who would serve them.
To understand the socio-political context for liberation theology, rent “Romero,” a Paulist Production film about Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero, who championed the oppressed and was shot to death, while he said Mass, by a paid assassin.
I have one more gripe about Beck. It may seem petty, but, remember, he’s the one who set himself up as the arbiter of what’s honorable.
Beck is not only theologically illiterate. Pre-rally photos posted on Beck’s own Web site suggest he might be literally illiterate, as well. Next to a photo of an Arlington National Cemetery sign reading “Silence and Respect” is a shot taken at President Kennedy’s grave. Beck, who hasn’t removed his ball cap, is talking to his daughter.
“Something that is beyond imagination is happening,” Glenn Beck has proclaimed.
Oh, Glenn, you got an amen on that.
Mary Thomas Watts is a Wilmington writer and a member of Christ Episcopal Church, in Dayton.
Christ Church Blog 
Wow,
That amount of venom is very surprising coming from an Episcopalian who belongs to a church where everyone is welcome. As you stated gays and lesbians are accepted, in fact our denomination makes a special effort to reach out to the unwanted. So how do you justify your venom for Glenn? A special person told me once it is hard to hate when you pray for that person. It has helped me Mary.
For information, Mary, my wife, daughter and I attended 8/28.
Did you know there were over 40 members of different religions on on stage with him?
Did you know it was a fund raiser for Special Operations Warrior Foundation?
Did you know over 500,000 people were there from all races and religions?
Did you know he said many times he would not stand near MLK stood-and he didn’t.
Did you know there is a plaque to MLK’s speech on the step, and no one from the crowd stood on it-in fact there was at least 5 feet clearance around it. I know because I showed my daughter where MLK stood.
Did you know the park was left cleaner then we found it? An independent reporter checked the grounds and found all trash was collected by volunteers who left the garbage in bags next to the receptacles.
Did you know there was not one arrest from the event? Not one arrest.
Did you know a Vietnam vet spoke there who had his face blown away by a phosphorous grenade? He spoke of the healing power of Jesus Christ.
Did you know Dr Alveda King spoke there? Did you know she is MLK’s niece? Did you know she had death threats for appearing? Did you know she is for life and said every life was precious? Did you know abortion has killed almost 30% of the black population since abortion was legalized?
Aren’t we supposed to pray for those we don’t agree with? I didn’t hear any prayer in your rant. I heard hate and name-calling. So you don’t like what Glenn said about the National Cathedral. Did he crush out a cigareete on the altar Mary? No? Well, Martin Sheen did in an episode of West Wing and an Episcopal priest said he thought it was very impressive. I was surprised by this priest’s opinion of an act I found atrocious. Glenn described windows in the cathedral, Mary. And what he described is fact!
I have a tough time with Episcopalians like you Mary. We stand in the same church and say the Nicene Creed, we say the same confession and the same Prayers of the People. And then you denigrate and name call an individual in a church forum because you feel safe to do so-that says alot about Christ Church Dayton. I would love to have a debate with you between services Mary. Mary’s Social Justice Gospel vs Glenn Beck’s Social Justice Gospel, if you can do it without calling names or denigrating people personally that is.
Thanks for your response, Steve. The Episcopal Church is a big tent, with room for us all. The Beck rally blog post from me, by the way, originally appeared as a guest column in an area newspaper.
Ok, but what about the numerous points I made?
I watched most of the affair on C-SPAN, which prompted my column in the first place. Beck has his fans, and he has his critics. I fall in the latter category.