Theology and Politics

Since when did Glenn Beck become an expert on theology? He has "accused" President Obama of espousing "liberation theology", which Beck demonstrates he doesn't understand, by describing it as "oppressor and victim" having nothing to do with Christianity. I think he'd better read the Gospels again, and see how much Jesus had to say about the responsibility that those who have enough, have for those who have too little. Jesus had much to say about the responsibility of the rich toward the poor. By the way, this is social justice, which Beck says has nothing to do with Christianity and everything to do with Marxism.

Since Jesus came long before Karl Marx, perhaps Marx himself, in spite of himself, had something to do with Jesus (if not Christianity). I don't know whether the President espouses liberation theology or not. He has been private -- perhaps too private -- about his personal beliefs. But he is a member of the United Church of Christ, and the UCC does pay attention to social justice, so maybe he does lean toward liberation theology. I know that I do. And in my understanding, that's a whole lot closer to what Jesus was all about, than are the tenets of civil religion, at least as practiced by my American compatriots. Jesus had a whole lot more to do with a preferential treatment of the poor, and with ministry to the poor, widows, orphans, and the sick and disabled, than he did with the right to bear arms and free enterprise and capitalism.

Jesus had a lot to say about the rich and the poor. And he also had some things to say about divorce that sound very harsh to 21st century American ears. He commanded love, not hate, even toward enemies; he advocated turning the other cheek instead of fighting back; he showed great reverence toward life but I can't remember anything he ever said about abortion, and I know he never said a word -- at least that's been recorded in Scripture for us -- about homosexuality.

I cannot for the life of me understand why so many people seem to be taken in by Mr. Beck and those who have aligned themselves with him. Especially so many who call themselves Christians. I know that different people of good will may differ, even on understandings of how to interpret the Scriptures. But the idea that God is only concerned about how we feel toward God and not how we act toward our fellow human beings is not one that I get from the Bible, and I don't understand how any thinking person can find that in Scripture. And maybe that's the answer: any thinking person...

Mr. Beck's D.C. rally, and much of what I understand he has had to say on his tv and radio programs, scare me. May God help us all.