Glenn Beck at Liberty University

Back in May 2014, Liberty University actually defended its stance in regards to allowing Mormon Glenn Beck to speak there.  Let me address some specifics.

This is the excuse given for allowing Beck to preach a sermon (for that really is what it was): “College is about learning. How can you defend what you believe if you don’t understand what others believe?”  The problem here is that the students DIDN’T understand what Beck believes because he sounded just like a Christian!  Let’s look at some of Beck’s teachings in this sermon:

1.  “I am Mormon and share your faith,… Training Champions for Christ.”  NO, a Mormon does NOT share the same faith as Christians, so they cannot train anyone for Christ.

2.  “Days before Joseph Smith was martyred he was taken out by the sheriff;…”  Smith was not martyred.  He died in a shoot-out.  Martyrs don’t shoot back.  This is one of the big fables that Mormons like to teach to show how they have been persecuted.

3.  “Later in his message, the Mormon talk show host told the students that ‘no one in the Grand Councils’ sent them to earth just to make a living. Beck was referring to the Mormon belief that human souls pre-existed in heaven, and that a gathering of heavenly beings known as the Grand Councils, send certain individuals to earth to accomplish a special purpose.  ‘You didn’t come down for a job. You came to this university maybe thinking, “I have to have an education to get a job.” You need this education from Liberty University because of your only true job, the purpose you were sent here for.’”

Beck is actually teaching them nothing less than the Mormon doctrine of eternal progression!  Why was there no rebuttal given?!?!

The article claimed that there were those who believe Beck has had a “born again experience.”  Since Beck still teaches LDS doctrine, I’d say that is impossible for him to be “born again.”

Beck later made a typical Mormon whine about those who disagreed with his speaking there: “This is why your churches are dwindling.  You think you’re standing for something, when indeed, you’re standing for hate and bigotry. I think Jesus was hanging out with prostitutes and sinners, wasn’t He?”

So it is “hate and bigotry” to make a truth statement that having a Mormon preach a sermon at a “Christian” university is wrong?!?  Yes, just marginalize the opponents as hateful and bigoted so you don’t have to actually deal with their arguments.  And just what does the fact that Jesus was “hanging out with prostitutes and sinners” have to do with allowing a sermon full of false teachings being taught at a Christian university - does Beck really believe Jesus would have thought it was okay for a pagan Canaanite to be teaching in the temple?

If Beck had been there simply as a conservative commentator, and made no references to religion, then there would have been no problem.   Read James Duncan’s statement in the last couple paragraphs - he sums up the problem quite nicely.

Mormonism Research Ministry’s blog has a two part article explaining the problems with the incident.  Part 1 and part 2.