GLENN BECK AND COLLECTIVE SALVATION?

Glenn Beck is a popular author, media personality on the FOX News Channel, brainchild of the 9/12 Project,1 and a devout Mormon. In an interview with Deseret News, Beck stated, “I presently serve as a ward missionary, elder’s quorum teacher and serve with my wife in the stake’s addiction-recovery program.”2 Beck’s views on faith and politics appeals to many conservatives; however, Christians are encouraged to use discernment.

Mormons typically take Christian terminology, such as “Jesus,” “God,” and “The Bible,” and redefine them with their own cultic meanings, and the result is the “skin of the truth stuffed with a lie.” Mormonism, therefore, teaches “Jesus” is the spirit brother of Lucifer, “God” was once a man who became a god, and “The Bible” is old divine revelation but new divine revelation can be found in the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price. These beliefs make Mormonism a cult of Christianity.
Christians are to use discernment with Glenn Beck. This is especially true when he gets into rants on faith and politics. An example of this is Beck’s criticisms against President Barack Obama’s statement on “collective salvation.” To put things into context, President Obama (then Senator Obama) gave the 2008 graduation commencement address at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, and during the speech he said,

It’s because you have an obligation to yourself. Because our individual salvation depends on collective salvation. Because thinking only about yourself, fulfilling your immediate wants and needs, betrays a poverty of ambition. Because it’s only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential and discover the role you’ll play in writing the next great chapter in America’s story.3
Responding to Obama’s statement above, Becks declares: “Collective salvation is from the devil, not God.” He goes on to explain,

Collective salvation, unless we all are saved, none will be saved, okay? Jesus came to save you, okay? Let me just give you the — real quick, you’ve got to take it back, you’ve got to take it back to the war in heaven. War in heaven with the angels and everything else, and they have this war and Lucifer says, “I’m going to save all of them. Just give me the glory.” And God says, no, I don’t think so. And he selects, he selects the plan of Christ which, I’m going to send a savior down and he will save each individual, okay? That’s why he’s — that’s why God came — that’s why, you know, God came down and saved the — saved us all because of individual salvation. You accept the atonement of Jesus Christ and you are saved. Collective salvation is, I can’t be saved on my own, I can’t be. I have to make sure and ensure everyone else's salvation and then we're all saved together.4
What discerning Christian viewers need to understand is that Beck is alluding to the Latter-day Saints teacher’s manual entitled Gospel Principles, which states:

We needed a Savior to pay for our sins and teach us how to return to our Heavenly Father. Our Father said, “Whom shall I send?” (Abraham 3:27). Two of our brothers offered to help. Our oldest brother, Jesus Christ, who was then called Jehovah, said, “Here am I, send me” (Abraham 3:27)…Satan, who was called Lucifer, also came, saying, “Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor” (Moses 4:1). Satan wanted to force us all to do his will. Under his plan, we would not be allowed to choose. He would take away the freedom of choice that our Father had given us. Satan wanted to have all the honor for our salvation.5
The Jesus Christ of the Scriptures is not the spirit brother of Lucifer. What the Bible teaches is that there is one God who is revealed in three co-equal and co-eternal persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Christ is, therefore, uncreated and the first cause of all things (Col. 1:15-17; John 1:1-3). On the other hand, Lucifer—Satan or the Devil—is a finite creature created by God, and more specifically a fallen angel (cf. Isa. 14:12-15; Ezek. 28:11-19; Rev. 12:13-17).

Inasmuch as Obama may be spewing out spiritual error, Beck compounds the problem in responding to it from a Mormon worldview. Those who lack spiritual discernment can get lost in the woods real quickly when listening to this guy.


1. Cf. Glenn Beck, “Glenn Beck: The 9/12 Project” http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/22802/ and 912 Project, “The Plan” http://www.the912project.com/glenn-beck-reveals-the-plan-in-open-letter/
2. Jacob Hancock, “Question: Is Glenn Beck Mormon?” Deseret News, Saturday, May 30, 2009, http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705307446,00.html
3. WFSB.com, “Transcript of Obama’s Wesleyan Commencement Address,” http://www.wfsb.com/print/16389467/detail.html
4. GlennBeck.com, “Obama: Individual Salvation Depends on Collective Salvation,” http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/42764/
5. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, “Gospel Principles: Jesus Christ, Our Chosen Leader and Savior, Chapter 3,” http://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,11-1-13-6,00.html

Comments

  1. AnonymousAugust 4, 2010 at 2:02 PM

    Well, this was a disappointing read.

    Look, you're entitled to blog about Beck (you're not the first; I doubt you'll be the last). But your contentions with his faith have nothing to do with the issue at hand (ie: collective salvation). It seems to me like you used the hot topic to draw readers to your blog so you could slam Beck's Mormonism.

    Again--you're entitled. But as someone who is interested in the topic of collective salvation and its place within modern culture and liberation theology, I'm disappointed to be lured in only to read your thoughts about Beck. Collective salvation and liberation theology is an enormous threat to the church and the nation, and instead of talking about it, you're trying to warn us of Beck's folly.

    Forgive me, but...I'm really disappointed in that.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Warren NozakiAugust 4, 2010 at 11:30 PM

    My intent was not to single out Beck per se; rather to point out one cannot correct error with error.

    ReplyDelete

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