Yes, I am calling it Mormon Theophobia. You heard the term here first.
Glenn Beck. Love him or hate him, you can’t ignore him.
It has come to my attention that I stand in the middle of something bigger than myself. I find myself as an island situated where two rivers of thought cross. Let me explain:
On the one side, you have Liberty University. The leadership of LU has made it a point to be best buddies with Glenn Beck, supporting him in his endeavors. Beck spoke at our graduation (I say our, b/c I received my MAR that day). Beck held his “Restoring Honor Rally” and Jerry Falwell Jr. is right there, with Sarah Palin supporting Glenn Beck and nodding his approval at everything Beck said.
On the other side, you have your theophobic Christians, who balk at the very thought of doing anything with a Mormon. How could you possibly stoop so low as to associate yourself with someone in a cult, especially a cult that has made it a point to put itself into the American mainstream, calling itself Christian? Bible verses are quoted out of context, people foam at the mouth, and it all goes to hell.
On one hand, I understand the zealots. They are concerned about watering down truth, and see holding hands with Mormons on social issues as the same as holding hands with Satan himself. That’s stupid. Instead of utilizing the numbers of people who share the same values, you’d rather willfully gimp yourself and exclude people who hold similar beliefs out of concern for your theology.
I am NOT justifying Mormonism. I grew up within spitting distance of Hill Cumorah, where the Mormon cult was spawned. I know what Mormons believe and have probably had more knock on my door growing up in Western NY than you ever have. Mormonism is a cult, and if you know of their theology, you would understand how radically different it is from Christianity.
On the other hand you have your Tea Partiers, LU leadership included. This is recently shown on their Facebook page. My comments – and comments of others – stating that we should pray for Beck’s salvation were taken down. CENSORED! Ironically a University that propagates the idea of freedom of speech at a “Restoring Honor Rally” is the same University that censors people who challenges their presuppositions. They left entire theological liberal wishy-washy “let’s not judge” posts, but anything reminding people that Mormonism is a cult – and Glenn Beck needs to be witnessed to- got taken down.
So here I sit.
Apparently you can’t say that you stand by Glenn Beck on his issues to restore common sense traditional values, or you make the zealots mad. You also can’t say that Glenn Beck is a Mormon and thus needs to hear the Gospel or you make the Tea Party and LU mad. Part of me wants to laugh, the other part just want to shake my head in disbelief.
How is supporting Glenn Beck and wanting to witnesss to Glenn Beck mutually exclusive?
Am I the only free thinker out here? Or am I totally off base and should pick a side?
Tags: Christianity, conservatives, cults, free thinking, Glenn Beck, Gospel, liberals, Liberty University, Mormonism, Restoring Honor Rally, tea party
Recent Comments