By Bill Press
Tribune Media Services
It was bad enough, in July 2009, when Glenn Beck called President Obama a “racist” with a “deep-seated hatred of white people.” But when, on Aug. 29, he finally apologized — 13 months later, the morning after his big rally on the Washington Mall — he only made it worse by attacking what he called the president’s distorted brand of Christianity.
He shouldn’t have called Obama a racist, Beck admitted to Chris Wallace on “Fox News Sunday.” Instead, he meant to criticize Obama for being a follower of “liberation theology” — which Beck described as “Marxism disguised as religion.”
“You see, it’s all about victims and victimhood,” Beck explained to Wallace. “Oppressors and the oppressed; reparations, not repentance; collectivism, not individual salvation. I don’t know what that is, other than it’s not Muslim, it’s not Christian. It’s a perversion of the gospel of Jesus Christ as most Christians know it.”
Now, honestly, I don’t know whether or not President Obama knows anything about liberation theology. But I do. And I can tell you: Beck is dead wrong.
Liberation theology was born in Latin America in the 1950s, after many priests and nuns grew tired of the Catholic hierarchy’s support for the powerful and corrupt. While priests and nuns worked among the poor in the barrios, bishops and cardinals hung out with the generals, CEO’s, and dictators in their palaces, while supporting their suppression of the poor.
The official Church has its priorities backward, taught Dominican priest Gustavo Gutierrez, generally considered the father of liberation theology. In his book, “A Theology of Liberation,” Gutierrez argued that Christianity’s mission is to serve, not shun, the poor. How could it be otherwise, he noted when “I come from a continent in which more than 60 percent of the population live in poverty, and 82 percent of those find themselves in extreme poverty.”
Christians don’t have to go far to discover that Gutierrez is right. Just read the Gospels, Matthew 25, where Jesus tells his followers how God will separate the sheep from the goats on Judgment Day. “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. … I needed clothes, and you clothed me.” When did we do all that, they asked? And, in response, these defining words: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”
According to liberation theology, in other words, Christianity is not about whether you believe in this doctrine or that. It’s whether you imitate Jesus in helping “liberate” the poor from social, economic, and political hardship. That’s not a perversion of the Gospel. It IS the Gospel. Which Glenn Beck, apparently has never read. But what do you expect from a man who saw a dozen Canada geese fly over his rally and declared it a “miracle” sent by God? Believe me; residents of Washington, often up to their knees in goose poop, don’t call it a miracle.
The day after Beck’s latest attack on Obama, I disputed his characterization of liberation theology in an interview with MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell, filling in for Keith Olbermann on “Countdown.” Furthermore, I told O’Donnell: “We don’t need a Mormon to teach Christians what the Gospel is all about.”
At which point, Beck turned his guns on me personally. After playing that clip on his radio show, Beck puffed: “Bill, I do think you need somebody to help you out with that. Because the things you advocate and stand for don’t. … I mean, at least I don’t get the sense that you’ve ever gotten anywhere near the Gospels.”
Wrong again! This isn’t the first time Beck has spouted off without knowing what he’s talking about. But maybe he doesn’t realize that after high school, I joined the seminary. I studied 10 years for the Catholic priesthood as a member of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales. I taught high school religion. And, as part of my training, I received a degree in theology from the University of Fribourg in Switzerland, where I studied Scripture in Latin and Greek. So, yes, I know the Gospels.
As a Christian, however, I would never dare tell a Jew how to practice Judaism, nor a Muslim how to practice Islam. And I repeat: We don’t need a Mormon, especially one named Glenn Beck, to teach Christians what the Gospel is all about.
© 2010 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
[...] Bill’s Latest Column – Glen Beck’s war on Christianity. [...]
I love how the right wing backs off anytime you challenge them with some concrete facts. I myself got into a debate with a conservative coworker — we decided to do it via email. He started me on the topic “name one poor person that has created a job; we need tax cuts for the rich because they will hire people.” Well, that got me started on a very long email (turned out to be 3 pages long), full of statistics and historical UNDENIABLE facts — including the latest study by the Institute of Policy Studies that shows what happens when you give money to the rich — they will lay people off, not create jobs. Anyway i wrote 3 pages, and he wrote back “let’s agree to disagree.” Really? You have nothing to say? Glen Beck won’t welcome the debate, because he’s a coward. They all are. He knows he’s wrong and he has NOTHING to back up his rants. He doesn’t want to embarrass himself. The moment you throw some actual facts at these people, they back away. You tell him Bill!!
I don’t believe Beck will waste his time to debate on this. They just both come at this from different angles.
What I would like to see is Press go to Salt Lake City and see what the Mormons do with welfare, taking care of their own, and humanitarian aid.
Then I’d like to see Beck go visit whatever church organization (if there is a central organization) of the church that Press associates with and see what they are doing for the same causes.
I believe the answers will come and both will learn from the other’s view. My personal feeling is that Christ changes people from inside first and then the outside is taken care of.
Here’s a news flash for you, Bill, Jesus wasn’t about politics or nation building, His mission wasn’t temporal, it was eternal. His mission wasn’t about the welfare of a man’s flesh, it was about the wefare of a man’s soul. He came as our Eternal Savior to save all those who recognized themselves as sinners in dire need of salvation. He proclaimed that all men should never depend on others to supply their needs but to depend on God for everything. Marxists like you, Obama, O’Donnel and Olberman bastardize Christianity by supplanting God with government because of your sedicious desires to be worshipped instead of fulfilling our God given imperative to be worshippers of Him! You are a bunch of self-delusional, self-promoted, self-aggrandized heros, who instead of helping others turn to God for His provision, you encourage them to turn away from God and depend on man’s abilities to solve their problems. You and your partners in crime aren’t Christians, you’re Marxist wolves who compound suffering rather than eliminating suffering for the sakes of your own glory not God’s Glory!
When one is forced, under penalty of federal prosecution, to pay taxes for the support of those in need (or those unwilling to do for themselves), that is not Christian charity. That is slavery. And Liberation Theology, as translated by Jeremiah Wright and his ilk, is nothing more than Marxism wrapped up in the tax exempt finery of an organized “church”.
The opposition of the right is not stupid. And we, apparently, hold liberty much dearer than those of you who strive so mightily to correct the “just plain mean” nation that Michelle and Barack Obama so clearly dislike.
Truth always prevails, and those of us who stand with Mr. Beck are also willing to pledge our lives, treasure and sacred honor to our nation. Whatever it takes.
“I was hungry and ‘you’ gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and ‘you’ gave me something to drink. … I needed clothes, and ‘you’ clothed me.” When did we do all that, they asked? And, in response, these defining words: “Whatever ‘you’ did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, ‘you’ did for me.”
As a Christian I am called upon to help those less fortunate then me. This is a personal choice between me and my God. If you read the scripture you quoted it says “you gave me”, it does not say the government should force taxpayers to give. That is the difference between Christianity and the distorted Marxist christianity of liberation theology Glenn Beck was talking about. When a religion start advocating socialist views, and this is not just limited to Liberation Theology, it is twisting the words of the Gospel to push a political agenda. It is a perversion of the Gospel. With all your religious education, I’m not sure how you can defend any “Christian religion” that advocates collective salvation and charity over individual salvation and charity. But then you also defend a woman’s right to kill her unborn baby. That would be the Sixth Commandment in case you forgot.
“I received a degree in theology…so yes, I know the Gospels…’
Big, fat, hairy deal. So did Jerry Falwell.
And you left out a sentence in your original parting shot: “Glenn Beck sounds like he never reads the Bible. Maybe it’s because he’s a Mormon.”
Mormons hold BOTH the Bible and the Book of Mormon as scripture, bigot.
“We don’t need a Mormon to teach Christsians what the Gospel is all about.”
I repeat: Bigot. Hypocrite. And you think you’re going to lecture people who don’t want a mosque built near Ground Zero as religious bigots? Dream on.
Bill, you wrote: “According to liberation theology, in other words, Christianity is not about whether you believe in this doctrine or that. It’s whether you imitate Jesus in helping “liberate” the poor from social, economic, and political hardship. That’s not a perversion of the Gospel. It IS the Gospel.”
Your last sentence is in error. Imitating Jesus in helping liberate the poor is not the Gospel. The Gospel is the reconciling of sinful man to a holy Father God through Jesus. Jesus did not come to show us a better way that we could execute on our own, or to convince us to save ourselves. He came to save us. The liberation theology that you have identified as the Gospel amounts to a self-salvation by works which is explicitly denied dozens of times in the new testament.
That said, there are some expectations for the forgiven sinner. Our loyalty must shift from ourselves (or other false gods) to the one who created us (i.e., the triune God of the bible). It is fully expected that disciples of Jesus will do his will. It is here that living a holy life and a selfless compassion for others enters into the life of the Christian. It is also expected that Christians will lead others to Christ.
In summary, the Gospel is about the salvation of men and women through faith in Jesus. These saved people are then expected to show their faith in Jesus by doing his will. Liberation theology appears to ignore salvation component and instead focuses on what is supposed to be the fruit of salvation.
If you would like Biblical references in support of my above points, I recommend that you read the books of John and Romans.
Where’s my post from earlier today? Won’t post something that counters your flawed opinion?
The geese flyover was cool but it was not Beck who made the miracle comment it was those of us who were there.
I dare say you and those on your side of the political isle did not and have not done your homework. President Obama was a member of Trinity for 20 years and while I do not agree with James Cone’s view he, Trinity’s members and the President have the freedom to believe whatever teachings they chose. Jesus did not come to identify with the oppressed. He came as the final sacrifice for all men who are sinners. Through his perfect sacrifice anyone, any color, any race can have eternal life. Hebrews 12:14 Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy.
As far as the dig on the Mormon faith, the same can be said about every religion or doctrine. Good night and God bless.
One more comment for you and for Glenn with regard to your back and forth on your beliefs.
Luke 18:11-14 The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself like this: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: exortionists, unrighteous people, adulterers – or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.’ The tax collector, however, stood far off and would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, be merciful to me, sinner that I am!’ I tell you that this man went down to his home justified rather than the Pharisee. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Which one are you?
I am concerned about the rising christian vs christian wars – is this your path to armaggedon? In the middle east they pitted muslim vs muslim – do you want armaggedon or are you just chasing the money. Surely you’re not looking for peace.
PS If you want me to respect your biblical knowlege, brag about reading hebrew, not greek and latin. Those languages invented everything and ignored the text.
I can’t answer what is in Mr. Obama’s heart. God has the ability to see what is in or on his heart. I am not perfect. Neither is Mr. Press or any reader of this comment. We can talk about differences in Christian worship, etc. However, Mr. Obama has made comments that there are many ways to heaven. A statement that there are many ways to heaven is a political statement. Not a Christian statement. This flies straight in the face of Jesus’ words in Luke 14:6. One can make other statements that respect of another’s religious beliefs, but to directly contradict Jesus, who if you identify yourself as Christian, is your Lord and Saviour says that you either don’t understand what Christianity is or you may need to reassess your Christian beliefs.
Black Liberation Theology is what Beck referred to, and it is a perverted racist Christian doctrine where moral quality is attributed to skin color. This is what was promoted by Reverend Jeremiah Wright and taught to Barack Obama for 20 years as his introduction to Christianity. It was not the Liberation Theology created by Catholics in Latin America. Press is a phony, as usual, and has lied about another issue that can be checked in 10 minutes on the internet. Funny, Press doesn’t mention Jeremiah Wright nor his mentor James Cone who said the ‘God hates white people’. Now we witness Press spending most of his day calling Obama’s political opponents “racist bigots”. It is hard to stomach Press and his false indignation when the “racist” charge comes back in his face.
Press is a waste of time and a media lackey for the President. He is part and parcel of the Journolist mindset that made the statement ‘just call Rove and Barnes “racist”‘ as a strategy to defeat the opposition rather than to debate them. They have been caught red handed in a conspiracy of McCarthyist tactics. They cannot debate and therefore make ad hominem attacks, absolving them from defending a whole host of leftist political doctrine that a clear majority of Americans reject.
Way to go Bill. I think its OK you brought up Mormonism, as it seems to be spreading like wildfire. Perhaps it’s time to bring up the discussion of whether or not it qualifies as Christian denomination here in America. I was brought up being taught that it’s a cult and I’m not entirely convinced that it’s not. I know this will be stepping on a lot of peoples toes, but there’s enough absurdity to swallow in the Bible itself, I don’t see how so many people can swallow the exponential stack of absurdities that is the Mormon belief system.
The Gospel is not “helping the poor”, it is merely how the Lord wants us to react to the needy. The Gospel has to do with salvation, and salvation isn’t our good works. One can be given eternal life without ever having helped anyone; one CANNOT have eternal life as a result of having helped a million people in their poverty. Eternal life is ONLY about believing and accepting the forgiveness of sin on the basis of Christ’s shed blood. Nothing more.
Mormonism may have its departures from the Gospel, particularly as to its understanding of who Christ is; but the message of Beck’s is still legit.
Glenn Beck may or may not be who can “teach Christians” what the Gospel is, but apparently seminary didn’t impart the crux of it to you, either, Billy.
Beck does not speak for the Mormon Church, no more than you can
speak for the Catholic Church. You are in good company though,
the same people who say Mormon’s are not Christians, don’t think
you Catholics are either. Plus, O’Donnel for what he said on the
Hugh Hewitt show proves he is a bigot and a coward. He said the
his rant against Romney was ok, because they (Mormons) would send
a cake, if he had said that about a Muslim leader they would send
a bomb. Enough said.
Saw Bill’s original comment on MSNBC and my daughters and I cheered! Now he’s written an excellent explanatory article for those not as familiar with liberation theology. Well done!
People throw around “socialism” and “liberation theology” without having any idea what all the different connotations mean.
Excellent piece. Thank you Bill!
Bill, don’t pick on Mormons and their efforts at good works, caring for the poor/needy, etc. Pay attention, they live those teachings, generally, as a church and as individuals. You don’t have to agree with their doctrines, but don’t attack Mormons, just because you don’t like Glenn Beck.
Mormons are not Christian — they are a cult.