Christians stand up to Glenn Beck (Jim Wallis)

[cali]

By Jim Wallis
Saturday, March 27, 2010

Glenn Beck has picked a fight with me, but he recently started a more troubling battle with the nation's churches with his criticism that "social justice" is "code" for "communism" and "Nazism," and that Christians should leave their churches if they preach, practice or even have the phrase on their Web site.

While Beck initially claimed that "social justice is a perversion of the Gospel," he now suggests his concern was really the association of the phrase with "Big Government." He even adds that when "social justice" refers simply to individual charity, it is permissible to him. But for millions of people, this is not a joking matter. Christians across the theological and political spectrum believe that social justice is central to the teachings of Jesus and at the heart of biblical faith. Because Christians couldn't "turn in" their pastors to "church authorities" as Beck suggested (the pope would turn himself into . . . himself), many have started turning themselves in to Beck as "social justice Christians" -- 50,000 at last count.

Journalists, cable and radio talk shows, and even Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert have reported on or spoofed Beck's attempt to discredit this concept. What might be lost in all this are the facts that a commitment to social justice unites Christian churches of different doctrinal and political beliefs. Even leaders in Beck's own church and scholars of Mormonism have made it clear that they believe social justice is integral to their faith and that they want it known he doesn't speak for the church.

While the term has sometimes been used to support ideologies of the left and right, social justice is in fact a personal commitment to serve the poor and to attack the conditions that lead to poverty. These are some of the most passionate beliefs of a younger generation of Christians and one of their most compelling attractions to Jesus Christ.
ad_icon
Click here!

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was the archetypal "social justice Christian" and the one from whom many of us have drawn inspiration. King inspired me to build movements for change, not to build big and tyrannical governments, as Beck has charged. King clearly called for more than private charity: He called for changing structures and, yes, for using the "government" to end racial segregation and establish voting rights for African Americans. And it was King acting in what he believed to be obedience to God, not a preference for totalitarian governments, that led to remarkable achievements of helping to realize a more just society.

<snip>

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/26/AR2010032603630.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

[Skittles]

1. great article

K&R

[Mojeoux]

2. Here Here! n/t

[Lesleymo]

3. Jim Wallis is living proof ...

It is possible to be a Christian without being a nincompoop at the same time.

[Toasterlad]

4. Nice To See the Christians Step Up to the Plate When THEY'RE Being Attacked

Never mind all the previous hate Beck directed at everyone else.

[cali]

6. This is not the first time that Wallis has spoken out against

beck. so deeply sorry to ruin your idiot little Christian hate fest, sweetheart.

[Toasterlad]

7. Really? Could You Find Me a Link? Cause This Is Sure the First I'VE Heard Of It

[Moses2SandyKoufax]

9. I take that as a no. n/t

[Douglas Carpenter]

10. here are ten pages of links where Jim Wallis has spoken out about Glenn Beck

link:

http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=home.site_search_results&mode=page&hl=en&lr=&domains=sojo.net&sitesearch=sojo.net&ie=UTF-8&q=glenn+beck&start=10&sa=N

-----------

Sojourners the organization that Rev. Jim Wallis founded in 1971 has been involved with a vast array of social justice and issues and is actually quite left-wing, particularly on foreign policy and economic issues.




Link for Sojourners

http://www.sojo.net /

link for Sojourners Magazine:

http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=magazine.home

Interview with Rev. Jim Wallis (founder and leader of Sojourners) on Democracy Now - link:

http://www.democracynow.org/2005/4/26/gods_politics_frist_fights_filibuster_on

"The Rev. Tim Ahrens shared Wallis' dismay: "The faith of Jesus Christ has become such a violent and violating faith in the religious right," he contended. Ahrens is the founder of We Believe Ohio, a group of 300 clergy members dedicated to promoting social justice."

"Many Sojourner supporters didn't hesitate to call right-wingers "bible thumpers" and "fanatics," and they criticized the Bush administration for not helping the poor. They gave Obama thunderous applause when he proclaimed his support for separation of church and state and giving teenagers access to contraception. " link:

http://search.yahoo.com/404handler?ei=UTF-8&_partner=msgr&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.grandforks.com%2Fmld%2Fgrandforks%2Fnews%2Fnation%2F14923089.htm&src=toolbar&nrd=1

[LanternWaste]

5. Nice to see an inter-faith solidarity movement

Nice to see an inter-faith solidarity movement rally around something like this...

[applegrove]

8. No wonder the tea baggers have 'escaped'. They are being led by glen beck.

[JustAnotherGen]

11. k/r

[Douglas Carpenter]

12. knr