James Kirk Wall, Author of To Be an Agnostic: An Agnostic Approach to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness
Glen Beck and I share a great admiration for the Founding Fathers of the United States. We celebrate their wisdom, character and integrity. I watched much of Beck's “Restoring Honor” rally in Washington D.C. on C-SPAN expecting a focus on the best ancient virtues, American values and how we can get the right representatives and leadership in Washington to take us on a better course. What I received instead was an evangelical preacher and a constant drum beat of how we need the Western religious concept of God in our lives.
We need to recognize our place with God. God is king. We should show our children how we kneel and pray to God. Look to God. God is the answer. The reason things have gotten bad is because we have turned away from God.
Knowledge and wisdom has led to Beck’s realization of the greatness of our country. When it comes to learning about American history his mind is a sponge. Unfortunately when it comes to religion there seems to be no willingness to learn and explore any alternative views. His mind has solidified around a belief that there can be no other answer than to be religious for a bright American future. Is Beck speaking from wisdom, or does he think he knows what he does not know?
History is an endless roller coaster ride of good and evil while ancient religious text remains static. Would a devotion of the entire population of the United States to the Western concept of God make this country better? Does a commitment to God in countries in the Middle East make them stronger? Does the rapid rise of China as the world’s second greatest superpower have anything to do with religion? Would the world be a better place if everyone was Christian like Mel Gibson?
http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/religion_theseeker/2010/08/glen-beck-dismisses-non-religious-americans-in-rally.html