Glenn Beck's Rally: A Short Critique

     O how quickly we fall into the traps of man-made systems. The human attempt to have complete control over the humanly uncontrollable has led to the establishment of manmade kingdoms that forget the Creator. Man, unable to accept his current state, attempts to establish his own system of history, government, society, etc. However, the answer to man's problems is not man's solutions, but a reliance on his Creator.

     These brief thoughts arise from the "historic" rally that is taking place in Washington, D. C. under the leadership of Glenn Beck. Personally, I have never felt comfortable with Glenn Beck. Many of his thoughts and observations are interesting, but his conclusions and reactions to America's problems often leave something to be desired. I am not very familiar with the conservative rally currently going on in this nation's capital, but what little I know of it concerns me.

     First, I would like to point out my theological disagreement with Glenn Beck with regards to theology. Glenn Beck is a Mormon and I am a follower of Jesus Christ. Not too long ago, the Mormon faith was classified by many Christians as a cult. Nonetheless, the increased popularity of the Mormon religion and political influence amongst Mormons have led quite a few Christians in America to blindly accept Mormonism as simply another sect of Christianity. This is an unfortunate occurrence.

     Second, I would like to point out a broader problem that is illuminated by the rally in D. C.- politics. I have read a few articles concerning the rally. One of the main quotes used by writers of dramatically different political and religious backgrounds is, "America today begins to turn back to God." While I recognize the need for God in America (and every other country in the world), I am concerned by the deep connection Beck (and many conservatives in the United States) are making between America "turning back to God" and politics.

     Politics is not the answer. As I have previously mentioned in conversations with friends in the past, politics is a reflection of culture, not the vehicle for cultural change. The reasons for America's turn away from God go deeper than issues on the November ballot. A rally of thousands of FOX News viewers who dislike the current White House administration is not going to change the hearts of millions in the United States. Should the Republicans regain seats in November, the overall culture in America is not going to be reformed overnight (if it reforms at all).

     Glenn Beck's sensationalism appeals to many people. There is no doubt that he strongly believes in what he is doing. Nonetheless, these things do not justify his beliefs in a distorted version of Christianity or his attempts to change America through the ballot box. Beck is attempting to change hearts through a manmade initiative that focuses on the wrong priorities. I saw in one article that part of the speech noted the ability of each person in the crowd to change the world and make a difference through individual means. One moment Beck speaks about turning back to God while the next moment he advocates individualism. This seems odd to me. I continue to feel uneasy about Beck's influence on conservatives in America, especially those who profess Christianity.

     Nonetheless, Glenn Beck and the rally in Washington is nothing new. Man always attempts to find solutions to man's problems. Unfortunately, Beck (and apparently thousands of other Americans) believe the answer lies in the field of politics. (Although the movement is said to be more "American" than "political" in nature.) Man is flawed. Politics is clearly flawed. I shall reiterate: Politics is a reflection of the culture, not a means to changing culture.

TEDS: Academics and Community

     The last couple of days at Trinity have been incredibly amazing. I have already met some of the professors I will be learning from in the coming weeks and months. It has been a great privilege to shake hands with men of God who have not simply written influential books but lived lives devoted to service in the name of Jesus Christ. There have been a few moments during the past couple of days that I have sat in awe of this place and thanked God for bringing me to TEDS.
     Two things have arisen from orientation at TEDS- academics and community. These are two elements of life that have greatly intrigued me over the past couple of years. I have pretty much always been interested in academics, but only in recent years have I become enthralled with the concept of true community. I will take a moment to explore these two subjects briefly...
     I will begin with the academic element owing to my life experience with academics. It is clear that Trinity is an educational institution that seeks to equip men and women for service to God with an emphasis on increasing knowledge of the Bible, theology, and other disciplines. Nonetheless, I have come to realize that this institution hopes to accomplish something beyond head knowledge. It is clear that academics at Trinity is something, but not everything. I find this to be very encouraging.
     I will now turn to the subject of community. First of all, I would like to note that I am very introverted and socially awkward. Nonetheless, community is something that I long for- as does any human being. I have been able to meet a few people at Trinity. In addition, I have spent time in discussion with multiple individuals. It is clear from interactions with professors and other TEDS students that this institution seeks to foster a Christ-centered community. This element of TEDS is quickly becoming more important to me than the significant academic integrity of the Divinity School. Community that is focused on glorifying God is an amazing blessing!
     Needless to say, I have greatly enjoyed my first days at Trinity. I am thankful for new friendships, renewed friendships, and relationships that have yet to be cultivated. I thank God for bringing me to this place!

An Update

     A couple of months have passed since my last blog entry. Since that last post, many things have occurred in my life. I decided to provide a brief update concerning my life for those of you who may be wondering.
     For those of you who do not already know, I am no longer a student at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. Towards the end of April and the beginning of May I decided to transfer grad schools. There are multiple reasons for my decision, but this summer I have come to realize that the main reason may have arisen from a need to change environments and a desire to write a new chapter of my life.
     Owing to various friendships, I zeroed in on Trinity Evangelical Divinity School as my primary choice for continuing my education. In all honesty, I had looked at transferring to TEDS as early as the summer of 2009. TEDS has excellent academic programs and a structure of campus life that allows for students to be mentored by professors, in addition to fellow peers. Most importantly, TEDS focuses on spiritual development of the follower of Christ.
     So, I applied to TEDS during my final weeks at Liberty University. The process wasn't very complicated since I had begun the application the previous August. I received notification a few weeks later that I had been accepted in to the Intercultural Studies program. I arranged for housing, scheduled classes, ordered textbooks, and eventually packed my car to head to the Chicago area.
     I have been in Deerfield, IL for about three whole days. I've been spending my time putting together furniture and unpacking. [Note: IKEA is an amazing place!] I still have some more unpacking to do before fully beginning the process of "settling in." Nonetheless, I am very excited to begin classes and see what God has in store for the coming months.
     To those who have prayed for me- Thank you! To those who have continued to keep up with my blog posts- Thank you! Finally, to those of you who have come across my blog for the first time- I hope you'll return in the future.