Understand The Times, International

Comment from Understand The Times:

Christians should take the time they spend watching Glen Beck on FOX and read the Bible. Perhaps then they would see there is NO common ground with biblical Christianity and Mormonism.

September 2 - What Evangelicals Really Think of Glenn Beck

Article: Misc.

Glenn Beck's revival may appear to forecast him as less of a leader for America's evangelical base than one might think. In fact, many evangelical leaders suggest Beck's success could ultimately fail--if pulpits carefully parse the distinction Beck fails to make between Christianity and civil religion.

Leith Anderson, the President of the National Association of Evangelicals, told TIME that Saturday was no watershed moment harnessing evangelical power under a new conservative leader: "I think it was one more Washington rally." David Neff, editor-in-chief of Christianity Today, said evangelicals are wary of partnering with a vague God of civil religion or Mormonism: "Neither one of those is specifically the same God that evangelicals believe is true and worship." And as Amy pointed out earlier this week, Russell Moore, Dean of the School of theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, nailed the rally as a scandal and called pastors to teach their churches " to know the difference between the kingdom of God and the latest political whim."

Despite Beck's proclamations that the rally had no political agenda, portraying the Constitution or Declaration as common "sacred texts" immediately lands him in an evangelical political-theology minefield, where evangelicals debate whether their allegiance stands first with the flag or the Eucharist table. Anderson cautions that faith in God-not politics or morals-has the highest place for evangelicals. "The attempt to elevate political and other persuasions to anything close to the level of the importance of the Bible or faith in Jesus Christ is to deeply misunderstand evangelical faith and truth, and a lot of people [read: Beck] try to do that," he says.

To be sure, the relationship between evangelicals and members of Beck's Mormon faith is improving-no small change when one group traditionally considers the other a cult and rival for overseas missions. For the last dozen years Richard Mouw, President of California's leading evangelical school Fuller Theological Seminary, has led groundbreaking conversations with Mormon leaders to bridge theological rapids. Wheaton College, IL, the evangelical flagship, and Brigham Young University developed an annual spring break dialogue trip in 2007. If symbols signify change, a couple years back the Mormon church changed its official logo to accent "Jesus Christ" in the largest font. And the two groups share ground on abortion and marriage issues.