Ron's Revolution

January 23, 2008 - 12:54 ET

GLENN: I thought I would get Ron Paul on the phone and find out where he stands on the economy, what the problems are with the economy, what he thinks is coming in our future and how he would correct it if he was President of the United States, and he's on with us now, hello, Ron Paul.

PAUL: Hello, nice to be with you.

GLENN: Nice to be with you, sir. First of all, tell me what's happening with the economy.

PAUL: Well, it's making the correction that was inevitable due to the malinvestment and the unbelievable debt accumulated due to a federal reserve policy. Once they create credit out of thin air, they cause business people, savers to do the wrong thing and you always have to have a correction. So dealing with the recession is very difficult because the cars with a few years ago and we have to work our way out of this, which means there has to be a correction.

GLENN: Okay. If you were President of the United States, what would you do?

PAUL: Well, the advice would be return to the market economy. First we would have to deregulate. We had a crisis a few years ago, at least a supposed crisis with Enron and they superregulated. So I would repeal certainly major portions of the Sarbanes-Oxley. So we would argue for deregulation. Then, of course, there should be major, major tax reform and --

GLENN: Hang on. Before we go into tax reform, let me just start with Sarbanes-Oxley. I don't want to get all -- that's way deep. So let's kind of surface skim here so we don't make people's heads spin off their shoulders. The deregulation, some people will say that part of the problems, for instance, with the bonds is that these insurance companies, they had no regulation. So they just kept insuring people even though they didn't have the money.

PAUL: Yeah, but that was all government, you know. When you have the FDIC or the FHA or whatever ones. The main problem is that we don't save money. That's where capital's supposed to come from. Instead we print money. We create money. We call it capital and then interest rates may be 1 or 2 or 3% and business people think, well, there's a lot of savings going on out there. So they do the wrong things. If interest rates were very high, they would be more cautious but instead we create the bubbles. People start building houses to extreme and then they overbuild and then you have to rest in order for the markets to catch up. And that's when the bubble collapses, and we're in the midst of that. But government does it in both ways, excessive credit and also pushing money into certain areas such as housing or the financial markets and they overprice. Then the prices have to come down. So it's a very difficult situation, but the main goal should be the restoration of the market economy.

GLENN: Okay. So now, you mentioned tax cuts. Congress, both sides of the aisle are talking now about $800 tax rebates to the poorest people in America. I don't know about you, but I've never seen a job created by a guy who's at the bottom of the ladder. This seems just like a plan to get people to spend which to me is what got us here in the first place.

PAUL: Yeah, you are right. And all you do is you encourage consumption and we're overdoing consumption right now. It's not a tax rebate if you send somebody a check for $800 for not paying taxes. That's a welfare check.

GLENN: Thank you.

PAUL: And that money really doesn't go to producing jobs. What you have to do is restore the savings and encourage capital investment. You have to eliminate taxes on capital gains and we have to do whatever we can, get rid of the taxes, the death tax and eliminate taxes on dividends and savings. All these things would encourage savings and then have a market rate for interest rates to give us the signal on whether we should be investing or saving or spending. But that doesn't exist anymore and that's why we have these perpetual bubbles. I think this bubble right now that has been kept together for quite a few years is a major problem and the unwinding of this problem is very critical. The biggest bubble's in the dollar bubble and now the dollar is coming under attack. And what are they proposing? Excessive spending, you know, deficit spending which, where are they going to get the money? They don't have any money in Washington. They either have to borrow from China or print it, which means there's more inflation. Or the Federal Reserve comes in and said, like yesterday, drastically lowering interest rates? How do they lower interest rates? They print a lot more money. Yesterday when they announced that, the dollar immediately reversed itself and sharply went down and it's the weakening of the dollar that is the crisis that we face because everybody suffers from that. You and I suffer because all of a sudden the dollar in that wallet buys 80 cents worth of goods instead of a dollar's worth. So we all get poor and we have to stop that cycle.

GLENN: Nobody understands that, well, they say let me give $800 to the poorest, they are really not doing that much because the dollar is worth so little. The poorest are being hit by inflation harder than anybody else.

PAUL: That is exactly right. The do-good liberal who said we have to take care of everybody -- and they are well intentioned. The more debt they run up to give to the poor, the poorer the people get because they cannot keep up. Take, for instance, even Social Security recipients. Their inflation rate might be 10 or 12% and we give them a cost of living increase of 2%. So they're losing. And you just can't keep that cycle going. You have to balance the budget, you have to live within our means and then we have to restore confidence to the dollar. So it's a major, major undertaking. But we have to reverse it.

I think the most immediate thing is to cut back on spending, not increase spending, and get the money back into the hands of the market of savers and investors and people who are spending. But government economic planning does not work and that's what we're coming to the realization.

GLENN: Well, when you say government economic planning, the Fed is not the government and the Fed just made the largest cut that they have made since 1984. It is the first emergency cut since right after September 11th. There's talk now that they may cut another quarter, which is insanity. There's just no more that you can cut unless you destroy the dollar. What are your thoughts on the Fed?

PAUL: Well, they are the culprit. They caused it. They caused it by keeping interest rates artificially low. How are they trying to solve the problem? Keeping interest rates low. For an hour or to the markets rebounded because they're conditioned to listen to that and they figure, oh, the market's going to go up because interest rates are coming down but today I predict the market's going to go down again because that was only temporary. You cannot change the long-term trend of the market. You can temporarily tinker with it. You can artificially make them go up. But eventually the market is more powerful than the Fed and the government and the rejection of the dollar is the crisis that we face and we face that because we create too much money and we do that because we spend too much, both overseas and domestically and we have to deal with this. We have to live within our means. If we could just freeze all spending domestically and I know we disagree on the overseas expenditures but why do we pay for the defense of Europe and Japan and Korea? We could save hundreds of billions of dollars. So this is my argument and it's well received. Yeah, why do we pay for defense of Europe?

GLENN: Right.

PAUL: If we could save that money, why don't we spend that money here? Just think of all the money that would float back to this country if all those military personnel were stationed here spending the money in this country. We wouldn't be less safe. I think we would be more safe.

GLENN: I'm not necessarily, I'm not necessarily opposed to pulling troops out of some parts of the world but I don't want to get into that today.

PAUL: Yeah, with he don't need to get into that today.

GLENN: We can get into that some other time. I really want to focus on the economy and the gold standard. You are one of the only people that is talking about the return of the gold standard. It was -- I mean, honestly, I mean, Ron, you know, jeez. I don't want to sound like a conspiracy theorist but you know what, at times I believe I am a conspiracy theorist because there's a lot of stuff that just, if you read history and you go back all the way to Woodrow Wilson, you can see that the foundation was laid for one-world government, the foundation was laid for socialism, and I really, truly believe that these -- you know, Hillary Clinton says she's not a liberal, she's, quote, a modern day Progressive. Anybody who knows what a Progressive is, that is a nightmare. It is the road to socialism.

Do you believe that there is any intentional intent to take us down these roads and bankrupt us because anybody with a clue would know what's coming around the corner with Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and I don't know how you can say I want to do universal healthcare as well.

PAUL: You know, I guess there's a lot of evidence for that. It's awfully tempting. I always try to say, well, they are doing it out of ignorance and lack of understanding of how the market economy works rather than saying, oh, I'd like to bring on a Depression. I think they actually believe that they are good managers. Alan Greenspan once told me -- because he used to be a gold standard person and he's written very well about that in his early years. But he says, no, he says, we central bankers have learned to make paper money act as if it's gold. You know, they come to believe in themselves that there is good and they can manage as well as the market, and I told him after that, I said, you know, if you do that, this will be the first time in all of history that anybody could do that, you know, to make paper money act like gold money.

You know, you should never be embarrassed about the gold standard because one of our most favorite Presidents, Ronald Reagan, told me personally once, he says, you know, he says, I'm interested in gold because, he says, if you study history, you find out any great nation that has gotten off the gold standard will no longer remain great. And we just got off the gold standard totally in 1971 and if you look at the statistics, in '71 when it comes to spending and deficits and inflation and the value of the dollar, I mean, they're dramatic. And I just want to make sure we wake up before the dollar totally collapses because that is a real tragedy if we let that happen.

GLENN: How come Ronald Reagan didn't put us on the gold standard? I mean, if anybody had the clout to do it, how come he didn't do it? And if you were President, how would you propose we would do that?

PAUL: Well, it's not easy but what I would do is not want to close down the Federal Reserve because that is dramatic and it wouldn't happen. It would be chaotic, too. All I want to do is legalize the Constitution, let you and me use gold if we want, which means you have to remove sales taxes and capital gains tax off gold and let it circulate just like currency circulated around the world. So if you want to save for your kids' education, you can put them in gold bonds and if the dollar, if you've got, the dollar's going down more rapidly than the price of education goes up, you could save in gold. You could get paid in gold and if we --

GLENN: Hang on.

PAUL: Then paper will not be used anymore.

GLENN: Wait a minute. But what you're proposing, you're this close to being arrested if you -- I mean, if you went and actually did that, they already have. The liberty dollar guys. They have tried to arrest the guy and say, you are trying to compete with the currency of the United States of America. What you're talking about now, you can be arrested for.

PAUL: Yeah. So the Constitution is being violated by law and it's supposed to be the other way around. And this is why I used to term this legalize the Constitution, this legalize gold and silver which is in the Constitution. So you would have to change the tax code. You'd have to persuade the congress to do this, but it would be less chaotic. This is exactly what I proposed in the early 1980s when I was on the gold commission, competing currencies. Economists think you can have competing currencies easier today than in the past because the world's always have competing currencies. Just allow gold and silver to do the same thing.

GLENN: When you were on my program on television, you said something that I didn't correct because I didn't -- I mean, it sounded so outlandish but I let it go because I didn't have the facts and you sounded so convinced of it that I thought, hmmm, I've got to check into that and I'll correct it the next time he's on or I'll correct it the next day. What you said was, if we got rid of the income tax, the Government would still take about the same amount of money in as they had ten years ago.

PAUL: Approximately.

GLENN: We looked into it and it's accurate. Can you explain that and how do we get that message out to people?

PAUL: Well, it's just that the growth of spending is so rapid that people don't realize that freezing budgets would be a tremendous benefit and that's one of my proposals in my economic reforms is just, freeze nondefense and nonentitlement spending which would go a long way to coming to the balance. I think $1 trillion less 10 years ago, I think government was adequate size 10 years ago. But we have this notion that everything that is to have perpetual growth. Just think of our friends in the Republican party that used to run against the Department of Education. What did we do when we finally got in charge? We doubled the size of the Department of Education. We create new departments. We never slow up. Do we do anything to unwind the dependency of the farmers on centralized planning for farmers which pushes cost of food up? You know, it just doesn't make any sense. The people demand change, or they did in '94 and the year 2000, no wonder they're aggravated with us.

GLENN: Wait, wait.

PAUL: We need to at least freeze things without cutting anything.

GLENN: Hang on just a second. The people demand change. Well, the people are demanding change now so much that the voice of the people is so clear that everybody has as their slogan or on their little yard signs either "Change" or in your case "Revolution." And it is -- I mean, it's everywhere. Everybody knows we want change and yet the people are going to the polls and they are voting for Hillary Clinton or John McCain. How do you explain that?

PAUL: Well, it's not easily explained but I think there's a lot of information lacking from these people. A lot of people, you know, you and I and others talk about, you know, the issues and the politics of it but, you know, probably 80 or 90% of the people feel like it's their patriotic duty to vote but they only think about voting about two or three days before the election. We think everybody's interested. You know, we get on a stage and have a debate. We think, boy, everybody's paying attention to us. 80 or 90% of the people are looking at football games but they still feel like they have to vote. It will be very vague information. But all I can see is the people that support me do a lot of reading and they know what's going on and they know what they're supporting and they know about the economic issues and they know about the gold standard and they know they don't like the income tax. So that's a little bit different. And the other thing is they always know I've voted the way I've talked and right now there's a lot of disenchantment with people saying one thing and doing something else.

GLENN: Will you run as a third candidate if you done get the nomination?

PAUL: No, I don't want to do that. I have no plans of doing that. This is a tough enough job right now.

GLENN: Really? Well, why is that? You don't think -- I mean, if it was McCain and Clinton, you don't think there would be a lot of people going, well, jeez, I can't vote for either of them?

PAUL: I think it's the system that bothers me the most. You know, the job of getting on the ballot, I probably spend millions of dollars and half of my effort just wondering if I could even get on the ballot. Then the debates wouldn't be available to me and you probably wouldn't have me on your program or something.

GLENN: Yes, I would.

PAUL: I wouldn't be a major party.

GLENN: Yes, I would. Yes, I would. You know what, I'm very offended by some of your supporters because they always say that, you know, I won't listen to you or I won't have you. I'm probably the guy on talk radio, mainstream talk radio that will at least say I agree with you on a lot of things. I just disagree with you vehemently on others.

PAUL: And I appreciate that.

GLENN: I mean, you know, we just -- I just happen to disagree with you, but I respect you, sir, for your opinion. I have said this, you know, behind your back. So let me say it to your face. I think you are the closest we have running to a founding father. You seem to be the only guy who has actually read the federalist papers. So I appreciate your efforts, sir.

PAUL: Well, thank you very much.

GLENN: You bet. We will talk to you again.

PAUL: Thanks for having me.

GLENN: You bet. Bye-bye.

You know how I said I would try to blog everyday? Well, I'm trying, but today, it is not easy. So to continue my thought...My question was: "If theology applies to every aspect of life, including how and who we elect for the Presidency, then what effect has postmodernism had on this process?"

Remember, WikiWikiWikipedia (that's a joke, not a typo) defines postmodernism as "postmodernism tends to refer to a cultural, intellectual, or artistic state lacking a clear central hierarchy or organizing principle and embodying extreme complexity, contradiction, ambiguity, diversity, and interconnectedness or interreferentiality." So, if truth does not have a "central hierarchy," if truth does not have any "organizing principle," then how can a candidate appeal to any greater power for responsibility? At this point, truth becomes relative and very subjective. Truth becomes about Me. What are the Republicans going to do for Me? What are the Democrats going to do for Me? Truth becomes complex because truth becomes about the individual and each candidate for President realizes this, therefore, most of them appeal to the "let me tell you what I am going to do for you as President" and very few candidates are actually running on a legitimate platform that talks about theories of government that work best for the country as a whole.

Talk show hosts like Rush Limbaugh, Glen Beck, Quinn and Rose, and especially Sean Hannity (annoyingly so) point to direct contradictions among the Democrats, but to the average American, they do not care because it is not about truth (or at least not an objective view of the truth) because Truth has not central hierarchy, no organizing principle, is contradictory and thus extremely complex and purposefully ambiguous.

So think about that as you realize that millions of Americans will go their respective state polling places to vote in their state primary and will go to the polls on November 4th to elect a national President and they will not have this country's best course in mind; they only have themselves in mind.

Still think that Postmodernism has nothing to do with you?

Those of you that listen to my podcast know that I have been talking a lot about politics, in particular, Ron Paul. My premise is that "theology is everything." It affects everything we do. I made this proposal in a paper that I wrote as a theological reflection of Helmut Thielicke's A Little Exercise For Young Theologians.. I think that it affects how we even choose a President.

I listed to part of a sermon by Pastor David Denny, pastor of Whipple Avenue Baptist Church in Canton, Ohio, where my father-in-law and stepmother-in-law attend, as well as many other family members. I like Pastor Denny, and in this sermon, he talked at length about the difference between modernism and postmodernism. According to Wikipedia, modernism is "a series of reforming cultural movements in art and architecture, music, literature and the applied arts which emerged roughly in the period of 1884-1914." It goes on further: "The term covers many political, cultural and artistic movements rooted in the changes in Western society at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth century. It is a trend of thought that affirms the power of human beings to create, improve, and reshape their environment, with the aid of scientific knowledge, technology and practical experimentation." If I may be so bold as to add to this, modernism fits very well in classical Protestant liberalism and in many of our current theologically conversative churches, particularly among fundamentalist churches. The difference is that the elements are changed in fundamentalism to include a very narrow set of "set of thought" that replaces human beings with a certain formula of traditions that will "create, improve, and reshape your enviroment." Let's not fool ourselves. The fundamentalist movement in the United States, complete with its legalism that is not part of the Bible, can be just as dangerous as Protestant Liberalism. Perhaps this is part of the reason there was such a strong reaction in the system of postmodernism.

I should pause here and explain that by fundamentalism I do not mean the typical fundamentalist theological system that holds to the "fundamentals of the faith." That aspect of the original fundamentalist movement is to be commended from moving away from the more liberal aspects of modernity. According to Wikepedia: "The term 'fundamentalism' was originally coined to describe a narrowly defined set of beliefs that developed into a movement within the US Protestant community in the early part of the 20th century. These religious principles stood in opposition to the modernist movement and espoused the strict adherence to and faith in religious 'fundamentals'." The fundamentalism that I am referring to is the branch that Wikepedia describes thus: "Over time the term came to be associated with a particular segment of Evangelical Protestantism, who distinguished themselves by their separatist approach toward modernity, toward aspects of the culture which they feel typify the modern world, and toward other Christians who did not similarly separate themselves. Examples of things that fundamentalists might believe important to avoid[citation needed] are modern translations of the Bible, alcohol and recreational drugs, tobacco, popular music (often including Christian contemporary music), television,[5] the use of instruments in worship, dancing, "mixed bathing" (men and women swimming together), gender-neutral or trans-gender clothing and hair-styles, and clothes that are immodest, i.e. show an excessive amount of flesh. Such things might seem innocuous to the outsider, but to some fundamentalists they represent the leading edge of a threat to the virtuous way of life and the purer form of belief that they seek to protect and to hold forth before the world as an example. Many fundamentalists accept only the King James Version translation of the Bible and study tools based on it, such as the Scofield Reference Bible.[citation needed]"

Postmodernism is defined by Wikipedia as "a term applied to a wide-ranging set of developments in critical theory, philosophy, architecture, art, literature, and culture, which are generally characterized as either emerging from, in reaction to, or superseding, modernism..." It goes on to talk about this reaction: "Postmodernism (sometimes abbreviated Pomo) was originally a reaction to modernism (not necessarily "post" in the purely temporal sense of "after"). Largely influenced by the disillusionment induced by the Second World War, postmodernism tends to refer to a cultural, intellectual, or artistic state lacking a clear central hierarchy or organizing principle and embodying extreme complexity, contradiction, ambiguity, diversity, and interconnectedness or interreferentiality." In other words, and as Pastor Denny put it, postmodernism is characterized by asserting that modernism (remember: the system that Protestant liberalism is rooted in and the system that I believe fundamentalism is also rooted in) did not have the answers that it said it did and by further asserting that not only did modernism not have the answers, but no one has those answers.

One of more troubling aspects of postmodernism, particularly when it is applied to modern textual criticism of the Scriptures, is that of deconstructionism. Deconstructionism asserts that not only can we not know the answers to modern problems, but there are also other things that we cannot know, such as the author's intent when he/she is writing, thus we cannot truly know what, for example, the Apostle Paul was truly trying to get at in his epistles because we cannot know his underlying assumptions or issues. Taken to the extreme, we can never know truth about anything, thus truth become relative. Subsequently, if we are to try and truly understand what the author's intent is, we must deconstruct the writing and then try and reconstruct them to discover what the true intentions are.

Now, back to my original thought: If theology applies to every aspect of life, including how and who we elect for the Presidency, then what effect has postmodernism had on this process? This is a big thought, and one I will have to write more on later...

By the way, as I was writing this, I heard on the radio that Fred Thompson has dropped his bid for the nomination of the President. Apparently, his mother is very ill. Or...as the postmodernist would say..."Is that the real reason?"

For the record, so you guys do not think I'm a jerk or anything...I wish Thompson and his family all the best and pray that his mother speedily recovers.

It has come to my ever-widening attention that I blog very few original posts, so with a cynical eye to my own consistency, I am going to endeavor to blog something every day, even if it is something very little.

Today, I continually butt my head against my own ignorance. Although I have a college degree and even pride myself on my ability to be able to have very good grammar, I always seem to catch myself violating the "i before e except after c" rule. Everytime I type the word receive, it looks to me like it should say "recieve." The other one I struggle with is the affect/effect rule. I even printed out something to help me remember when to use which word. There are times I feel like such a moron. :)

Wee Frees told to 'cheer up' by own magazine

By Auslan Cramb, Scottish Correspondent

Last Updated: 3:46am GMT 14/01/2008




Members of a famously dour Presbyterian church have been urged by their official magazine to "lighten up".

For decades the ultra-Conservative Free Church of Scotland has been caricatured as gloomy and depressive, only truly content when it is opposing Sunday ferry services or chaining up play park swings on the Sabbath.

The Calvinist church is most strongly represented
in the west Highlands of Scotland

The central tenet of its faith is the fourth commandment, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy", and one minister caused outrage when he said the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004 in which 226,000 people died was sent by God to punish "pleasure seekers from all over the world" who broke the Sabbath.

However, the God-fearing members of the Calvinist church, most strongly represented in the islands and west Highlands, are now being urged to express what the editor of the monthly magazine calls "serious joy".

The Rev David Robertson, editor of the Monthly Record, said worshippers needed to dispel the notion that Wee Frees, as they are nicknamed, are characterised by "doom, gloom and joylessness".

As part of its bid to shed its fire-and-brimstone image, the church has endorsed the Harry Potter stories, as well as the fantasy movie The Golden Compass, both of which have been denounced as "ungodly" by some Christian groups.

Mr Robertson wrote: "The definition of a Calvinist as being a person who is miserable at the thought that someone somewhere is actually enjoying themselves is sadly all too typical.

"In the Free Church I'm afraid that we are not good at joy in worship. So much of our worship has no soul, no spirit and very little joy."

Mr Robertson said his fellow clergymen were often lampooned with some justification as being like the late Rikki Fulton's lugubrious TV clerics, the Rev IM Jolly and the Rev WE Free.

He added: "They are caricatures, but sadly they are popular because they reflect a common understanding.

"Religion, especially of the Scottish Presbyterian kind, is doom, gloom, blackness, depressive and joyless. Let congregations pray, think and act in order to deal with the sin of joyless worship.

"This is not a plea for frivolity, flippancy or entertainment - 'fun' worship. But please can we have some serious joy."

Mr Robertson, who recently took over the editorship of the traditionally staid magazine, said Presbyterians should rejoice rather than recoil at the success of the Harry Potter series and The Golden Compass.

"The Potter books are popular because they are immensely enjoyable," he said.

"JK Rowling has no aim other than to write good stories which are actually moralistic, and in the tradition of all good fairy tales, about the battle between good and evil.

"In terms of attacking the Christian world view they are a lot less dangerous than Neighbours or EastEnders."

Mr Robertson said on Sunday that the reaction to his liberal stance had been largely positive.

However, his call for cheerier congregations and ministers has not met with universal approval.

One reader wrote to cancel his subscription and accused Mr Robertson of "endorsing witchcraft".


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/01/14/nchurch114.xml

Merry Christmas

Merry CHRISTmas! I hope you are reading this email on some brand new fancy electronic gadget gift you received. I also hope your Christmas day has brought you nothing but joyful memories filled with smiles, laughs, gifts, and of course lots and lots of cookies.

Last but certainly not least, I hope that the true meaning of Christmas hasn't escaped you this year. Believe me I know it's easy to lose sight of the real Christmas message amidst all the worldly 'stuff' we surround ourselves with.

While I definitely know that some stuff is cool---hey, I enjoy watching Jack Bauer kick butt on a big plasma HDTV as much as the next guy---I also know that all of the 'stuff' in the world can't fill that void in our hearts...only one thing can: God.

During the Christmas season we concentrate so much on the birth of the baby that sometimes we lose sight of the true message of Christmas. It's not that He was born that makes Him remarkable. What's remarkable---and the most powerful thing that you could possibly imagine---is that He died... and He died for you. If the end of that baby's life didn't end the way it did we would not know anything about this baby.

My mother committed suicide when I was 13 and for so many years I tried to fill that empty space in me in all of the wrong ways. My mom was an alcoholic and she filled the void with booze and drugs. I followed in her footsteps and tried to do the same thing---I became addicted to drugs, booze, and topped that off with seeking fame and money. Worst of all, I was just a miserable human being to be around---I wasn't a good person.

I hadn't learned the lesson that stuff is never going to fill you up. Fame is never going to fill you up. Money is never going to fill you up. Work, accomplishment, booze, drugs, sex, you name it---will never fill you up. You will never find eternal happiness there. Sure, you will find fleeting happiness but then you need more. You become addicted to it and that doesn't last. Everything that the world can provide is like crack cocaine -- no matter how much you have you will always crave more and the emptiness will remain.

Believe me, I tried just about every way to fill that emptiness before I found God and none of it worked. There's only one thing that can fill the void and it's the Christmas message. Not the Christmas message of 'be nice to people' or the presents or even the manger. The true Christmas message is that He existed so He could die for our sins. His journey, from manger to cross, gives us a path to salvation. He died so you could fill the void---with Him.

I really, truly believe it because I've seen it work in my own life. And for as much as we want to make it about Frosty the Snowman and Santa, and stuff---that's the real meaning of Christmas: Redemption.

I pray this Christmas that you find what I have found---and finally, once and for all---fill the void.

Merry Christmas,
glenn

Does Our Looks-Obsessed Culture Want to Stare at an Aging Woman?

December 17, 2007


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RUSH: Now, this theory of mine based on this Drudge picture of Mrs. Clinton, with the headline: "The Toll of a Campaign." Now, it could well be that that's a sympathy photo, too, to make people feel sorry for how tough the campaign trail is. Now, I want to preface this by saying I know it's going to get out there. Media Matters is going to get hold of this and they're going to take it all out of context. We can expect that. It's a badge of honor when this happens, but for the rest of you, I want you to understand that I am talking about the evolution of American culture here, and not so much Mrs. Clinton. It could be anybody, and it is really not very complicated. Americans are addicted to physical perfection, thanks to Hollywood and thanks to television. We know it because we see it. We see everybody and their uncle in gyms. We see people starving themselves. We see people taking every miracle fad drug there is to lose weight. We see guys trying to get six-pack abs. We have women starving themselves trying to get into size zero and size one clothes; makeovers, facials, plastic surgery, everybody in the world does Botox, and this affects men, too. As you know, the haughty John Kerry Botoxed his wrinkles out during the campaign.

There is this thing in this country that, as you age -- and this is particularly, you know, women are hardest hit on this, and particularly in Hollywood -- America loses interest in you, and we know this is true because we constantly hear from aging actresses, who lament that they can't get decent roles anymore, other than in supporting roles that will not lead to any direct impact, yay or nay, in the box office. While Hollywood box-office receipts may be stagnant, none of that changes the fact that this is a country obsessed with appearance. It's a country obsessed with looks. The number of people in public life who appear on television or on the big screen, who are content to be who they are, you can probably count on one hand. Everybody's trying to make themselves look different -- and in that situation, in that case, they think they're making themselves look better. It's just the way our culture has evolved. It's the way the country is. It's like almost an addiction that some people have to what I call the perfection that Hollywood presents of successful, beautiful, fun-loving people. So the question is this: Will this country want to actually watch a woman get older before their eyes on a daily basis?

We know that the presidency ages the occupants of that office rapidly. You go back and look at... Well, you can't use Clinton because he dyed his hair based on the audience he was speaking to, but take a look some pictures of Bush in 2000, when he was campaigning, or 2001 when he was inaugurated. Take a look at him now. Just been eight years. The difference is stark. He's kept himself in good shape and so forth, but you can say that this is a sad, unfortunate thing. But men aging makes them look more authoritative, accomplished, distinguished. Sadly, it's not that way for women, and they will tell you. (interruption) Well, Snerdley, you're just sitting there thinking I'm on the precipice of the cliff here without a bungee cord. I'm not. I am trying to be... Look, if I'm on the edge of the bungee cord, then I'll take the leap. The bungee cord will save me. I'm just giving an honest assessment here of American culture. Look at all of the evidence. I mean, I've just barely scratched the surface with some of the evidence, and so: Will Americans want to watch a woman get older before their eyes on a daily basis? And that woman, by the way, is not going to want to look like she's getting older, because it will impact poll numbers. It will impact perceptions.


In politics, perceptions are reality. So there will have to be steps taken to avoid the appearance of aging. You know, politics is not for sissies. Now, I'm looking at people on the other side of the glass here and they're laughing and they're smiling. They think I'm making a joke here and there's some big punch line coming. I'm not. You're not laughing at that? What are you laughing at? You're laughing at how...? (interruption) He's smiling because it's true! Okay. Maimone is smiling because it's true, and what also happens in this country when you say something that's true that people don't want to hear, man, do you catch it. I am fully prepared. I'm going to catch it here. That's really why he's smiling because he knows I'm going to catch it, but you're also responding because you know I can take it, you know that I can catch it, and throw it right back. So, politics isn't for sissies, and being president ages men faster than normal. I think this is one of the intangibles. And another thing, by the way: How many times have you said in your adult life, you've had a candidate for president or some office that you really like, but just doesn't come off well on television. Just for some reason, television doesn't complement this person. I've often reminded you that politics is "showbiz for the ugly," and it is.

When you see people who are, "Boy, they're just really great," but they can't get anywhere because they just, for some reason, television doesn't complement them. They don't look well on it, they don't handle it well, and it has an effect, regardless how smart they are, how brilliant their policy. This is one of the things that many people lament with the coming of television. You go back and look at presidents that we elected prior to TV, and presidents we elected after TV, and you will notice a huge difference. Do you think a bloated president could win? We had plenty of fat-guy presidents. Do you think one could get elected today? There's not a prayer! There isn't a prayer. Remember when people said, "The way to tell if Gore's really going to run is if he starts losing weight?" It's just what it is, folks. It's just what it is. Perfection, the appearance of perfection and good health, all of that ties into the perception of mental acuity, stamina, being able to hold up to the job -- and I'm just suggesting, it's one of these intangibles. You know, people will never tell you in an exit poll, "Yeah, I voted for Candidate X because he looks better than Candidate Y." They're not going to tell you, "I like their position on the Taliban. Yeah, I love their health care plan." They don't tell you what the real reason is -- and, of course, there is nobody else out there with the guts or the stupidity to address this as I am, but it's just something to put in the hopper and to think about. Let me give you a picture, just to think about. I'm not even going to answer the question for you, just want you to think about this. The campaign is Mitt Romney versus Hillary Clinton in our quest in this country for visual perfection, hmm?


END TRANSCRIPT

Trinity of Holidays

Since Glenn is off celebrating the holidays with his family, we thought it would be a good time share his essay from the December issue of Fusion Magazine on the "Trinity of Holidays" that happens this special time of year. Remember, today is the last day to subscribe to receive the Jan/Feb issue of Fusion. Order Now.

Trinity of Holidays

Let's talk turkey (and eggnog and noisemakers, for that matter). We're in the midst of the holiday season (no, that's not a PC term; I'm talking about Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's) and I have just one question: Do you even remember what it's all about?

I'm guessing you don't, because we've buried the magic of those holidays under so much noise and irrelevance that we really don't enjoy this time of year -- and we certainly don't grow spiritually from the gifts that are right in front of us. Over time, we've mangled these holidays into unrecognizable displays of gluttony and greed.

Take Thanksgiving, for instance. In November 1789, President George Washington made Thanksgiving a national holiday when he declared that the nation needed "a day of public Thanksgiving and prayer." Somehow, this day in late November that was intended to be a timeout to give thanks to Almighty God has turned into a feast of food and football that has nothing to do with prayer (unless you count praying for your football team to cover the spread, which I obviously don't).

Christmas is intended to celebrate the birth of Christ, but political-correctness and consumerism have mangled it so far beyond recognition that I'm actually surprised when I see a reference to baby Jesus anymore.

January 1st offers the promise of a new start and a new calendar year, but it's become an excuse to party and drink so much that you wake up not even knowing what day it is.

It's no wonder that, after the turkey comas and pine cone needles have disappeared, the only thing left over from the holidays is a bigger waistline and more credit card debt.

I want us to take back the real meaning of these holidays. I don't think it's an accident that they are clustered together; I see it as divine design. Every year they offer us a clear series of steps we can take to become better people.

Step One is gratitude. Thanksgiving gives us the opportunity to humble ourselves and give thanks for the many blessings we have. Prayers help us find peace and acceptance with who we are.

Step Two is redemption. If you have seen my Christmas show, you know that I believe Christmas is more about the death of the man than the birth of the child. We celebrate the birth of the baby on December 25th, but the reason for His existence was so His death would cleanse our sins. His journey, from manger to cross, gives us a second chance.

Step Three is hope. The New Year gives us a clean slate, made possible because we've already humbled ourselves, given thanks, and found redemption. You can't succeed in your resolutions if you are still damaged from the past or if they are just a list on a piece of paper.

None of these holidays started out as anything extravagant. Thanksgiving was just a proclamation, Christmas began in a stable, and the New Year has always just been a day on the calendar. But their magic is in what they represent and in the opportunities they give us. They are very simple in their rewards: your grandmother's tablecloth; your child discovering the Christmas tree; the promise of a new year.

The true gifts of the season aren't in a lighting display or a gourmet meal; they are in your heart, and gathered around your table. You just have to take the time to look for them.

Traditions and glittery stuff are fine -- but our souls need attention, too. There is such a thing as a second chance and I hope, if you need one, you will find it this season in all the blessings around you.

Happy holidays from the Glenn Beck Program.

Incredible quote from Oswald Chambers:

"The entrance into the Kingdom is through the panging pains of repentance crashing into a man’s respectable goodness; then the Holy Ghost, Who produces these agonies, begins the formation of the Son of God in the life. The new life will manifest itself in conscious repentance and unconscious holiness, never the other way about. The bedrock of Christianity is repentance. Strictly speaking, a man cannot repent when he chooses; repentance is a gift of God. The old Puritans used to pray for the gift of tears. If ever you cease to know the virtue of repentance, you are in darkness. Examine yourself and see if you have forgotten how to be sorry." (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest, December 7th Devotional).

Glenn meets Huck face to face
DECEMBER 14, 2007

GLENN BECK PROGRAM
BEGIN TRANSCRIPT

GLENN: So when I found out that Mike Huckabee was coming to the airport, I don't believe in coincidence. I arrived at the airport, Mike Huckabee is there, I went to talk to him and the first thing I said is, Governor, I struck out at you the other day in anger and I apologize for doing that. Should have been much more measured in my speech and don't like to speak out of anger. I didn't mean to ratchet things up quite honestly because the spirit of contention is not the spirit that comes from the Lord, and I apologize for that. He said, that's fine. He said, what was it? The Mormon thing?

Now, so you know I found out prior and after from his chief of staff while the governor played coy with me and I can't say -- I don't want to judge the man's heart. I knew that everybody on his staff knew exactly what I said on the air where I called him the one-eyed Mullah Huckabee, not that the man is a terrorist but the man is judging other people's faiths and saying you're not Christian enough. Well, I've heard that in the Middle East: You're not Muslim enough. And they knew exactly what I said but he said, was it that -- well, I understand. And he went in then to talk to me about how he has been persecuted on his faith and been questioned on his faith and his doctrine, you know, because he believes things that, you know, are unpopular, et cetera, et cetera, and I said I understand that but I doubt there's been anybody from the right who has been pushing you on that. I doubt it's been anybody on the right who has been talking about your doctrine. I said, you know, I don't think you understand this and it really bothers me.

We need to unite as God-fearing people because I truly believe we are in the battle of our lives. I truly believe that there is a chance -- I'm not saying -- they've been saying this since Jesus was here. So I'm not saying this is it, but there is a chance that we are in the ultimate battle of good and evil, that we are starting to see the makings.

You know, I was reading something about global warming today where they are saying all of the seas are going to die. In the next 50 years all of the reefs will die, which will cause the seas to die, and it made me think about the rivers running with blood and all of the oceans boiling and everything else and I thought, you know, there's a chance that we are living in those days. And I said, what do you think? What do you think, Governor? If we're living in those times, if we are really struggling right now and we're fighting a battle against good and evil, does Satan want us to bring each other together or divide? God-fearing people, Jews, Muslims, Christians, all denominations, people who get down on their knees or people who pray, people who look to the Lord for guidance, people who are trying to live a better life, people who are really truly, who truly believe that America is the last great hope for mankind. Should we be dividing ourselves? Because I know I can get religious bashing from the left.

Well, he tried to explain to me that it was just eight or ten words in an 8100-word newspaper article. To me it was the question that he asked. I said, you know, Governor, if you really want to know, you'd ask somebody who knows, and I don't think that's a reporter at the New York Times. He said, well, he was a very bright man. I said, I'm sure he is. I'm sure he is, but you would ask somebody who knows. And if you would like to know, I arranged this for Al Sharpton. I said this to Al Sharpton, why don't you go meet with the brother in Salt Lake City, why don't you go meet with the heads of church in Salt Lake City. Can't say that I arranged it, but I planted the seed and he went. Congratulations. He went. He did his own research. Now, whether it's an honest search or not, I don't know. I don't really care quite honestly. But I made that offer. I said, you know, why don't you go to meet with some of the heads of the church? Why don't you ask them these questions. Why don't you educate yourself on that. He didn't take me up on that. Didn't quite frankly show any interest. I didn't expect him to. I don't really honestly believe that -- I don't believe the man -- here's what I said. I said to him at the end of the 25-minute conversation -- and by the way, I accepted his apology. He accepted mine. But I find it very interesting -- and this has happened to me now with two reverends. I know when I've really hurt somebody. I know when somebody hurts me, and I didn't have this my whole life. This is a new thing for me, empathy. I've had this now for really starting to kick in in the last five years, but the last eight years or so I started to really feel other people's pain, and it's getting worse and worse or better and better, however you want to look at it. I'm feeling more -- when I talk to people, I've had an amazing experience in the last four weeks. I have been -- I've seen -- they tell me last night I have probably signed 50,000 books in the last four weeks, and I have noticed something incredible that is new to me. I have been able to spot not every time, but a lot of times I've been able to spot pain in people. They come up to me and they'll smile or whatever and there will be something to them. There will be something in their eyes where I can see, and many times I will just say to people as they walk away -- it was at the very beginning that I started doing this and I would allow them to walk away and then it would bother me and I would say, excuse me, come here for a second. And I would ask them if I could give them a hug. I have spotted pain in people.

Now, I don't know. Maybe I'm crazy, but I think it's actually a honing of empathy. For some reason I'm getting an extra dose of that. I don't know why. I don't think Mike Huckabee had any empathy for me or anybody else that happens to be of Mitt Romney's faith. Because I said to him at the end, I said, you know what, it's not that you offended me. It's not that you hurt me. I said, I know the pain you caused other people. I know I am so sick and tired of people who were chased out of this country with torches and pitchforks and buried their children in the plains because they wanted to worship God of their own understanding. I don't care if you're a Mormon or not a Mormon. They were people like the pilgrims that came for a reason and they were driven out of the country and they went to Utah which was not part of the United States and they said no one will bother us here because it's a desert and we're protected by the mountains. Well, they have been bothered ever since, and it was legal to kill them in the 1800s, legal to kill them, for the only reason that they were Mormon. When they first started running after Utah game a state, they started running and they actually said other politicians actually said, you don't want to vote for them. Oh, boy, you don't want to listen to them. Don't put any credence in anything they say; they have horns, you know. And it was printed in the paper.

I told Mike Huckabee those things and he looked at me astonished. You might want to do your homework. I know these people. You know one of the reasons why I wanted to be -- I didn't want to be a Mormon. I felt like I had to be one because I couldn't do it on my own anymore. And you know what? I wanted to be like the people that are of that faith. I am the worst example that you will ever see of -- I joined because I wanted to be like these people. They're good, decent people, and I am tired of having them run through the mud, tired of it. And I told him that. And I had tears in my eyes when I talked about him. We were knee to knee. Not once did this pastor reach out and put a hand on my shoulder or on my knee and say, I am so sorry, Glenn. He did say those words and I accepted those words, but as I told him at the end, by their fruits ye shall know them.

So I'll watch Mike Huckabee and so will you and maybe you will watch with disinterest on what he says about other people's faiths. And you know what? It's very easy to write these people off because, well, they're freaks, whatever. But you know what? They're Americans and they're God-fearing people and I don't -- I would say this about the Jews, I would say this about Muslims that understand God as a peaceful path, I will say this about protestants and evangelicals, Lutherans. I don't care what your religion is. I don't have to agree with your religion. I don't have to agree with your doctrines. We have quite possibly in the battle of our lifetime. We must not divide each other. Since when -- you know, Peggy Noonan has this article in The Wall Street Journal today. Since when did we start saying you're not Christian enough? She asked the question: In Mike Huckabee's world, would Ronald Reagan be welcome? She said Ronald Reagan grew up in elite Hollywood. Ronald Reagan was divorced. Ronald Reagan said he found God faster on the back of a horse on a ranch than in a church. Would Ronald Reagan be welcome? Is he Christian enough? When did this happen to us? When did we start to say, out of all of the things that are going on in the world that that is the most important. Not love of God.

Love of God, love of country, that's important to me. I've got to have a guy who understands love of God and love of country. I don't need to check his papers on what church he goes to. I'm not going to go into his bedroom and see if he prays on a rug or on his knees or standing up or while eating dinner or watching football. I'm going to take him at his word. I love God. I understand God. He rules the world. Great. That's all I need. When did that become the priority in this country?

And you know what? There is another article out today I'm going to get into here in a second. There's two articles out that you need to know about. First, Hillary Clinton looks like it's caving. They are saying now that she could lose all four early contests. I believe the other article is amazingly accurate and that is that Huckabee is the Howard Dean. Remember how you were just, oh, you just couldn't wait for Howard Dean to be elected. Oh, please, please let the Democrats go with Howard Dean. That will be so easy. That's Huckabee. One out of 20 evangelicals in South Carolina, one in 20 are supporting Mike Huckabee. That's pretty incredible. You've got to widen the tent just a little bit. I don't think we need to have a card. I didn't know you had to be a certain faith to be able to be elected here in America but maybe I should go back and read the Constitution again.

END TRANSCRIPT

Apparently, Mike Huckabee has an article coming out in The New York Times that talks about the Mormon religion and the differences that it has with orthodox religion. I very much respect Glen Beck on matters of politics, but on matters of theology, I disagree with him. I do not think that Mormons are Christians. They are way off on issues of orthodoxy...way off.

But with all due respect to Huckabee, I do not really care what religion our President is. I agree with Beck when he says, "...I'm going to make my decision not based on religion. I'm going to make it on the man." See below for Beck's comments on Mike Huckleberry...er, Huckster...wait...Hucklebee?...the Hulkster?...no, I was right...Huckster, yeah...the Hulkster.

Huck Attack
DECEMBER 12, 2007

GLENN BECK PROGRAM
BEGIN TRANSCRIPT

GLENN: Now, I just want to spend a couple of minutes here on Mike Huckabee who's quickly becoming my favorite human being. He's got a whole article coming out in the New York Times on Sunday where the title of the article is "Don't Mormons Believe that Jesus and the Devil are Brothers." Stu, Stu, are you there?

STU: Yes, I'm here.

GLENN: You're not happy, are you?

STU: Well, no, I'm not the one that has anything to do with being happy. I think this is your day to be unhappy, isn't it?

GLENN: I'm totally happy. I finally, we have finally found our candidate for Mullah. I didn't know we were -- I didn't know we were electing a Mullah, but we've apparently, we've got our candidate for Mullah, and I am really, really excited. I can't wait. We've got a guy finally who can say you're Christian but not Christian enough.

STU: Well, Glenn, I think it's not my religion who thinks that the devil and Jesus are hanging out having billiards parties on Tuesdays.

GLENN: Nobody's saying that. By the way, I don't think Jesus plays pool.

STU: No.

GLENN: Oh, was that a little too Baptist of me? I'm sorry. You know, here's the deal. Stu, I don't know if you know this, but you and Hitler are brothers.

STU: Really?

GLENN: Yes.

STU: Is that --

GLENN: Yes.

STU: Is that part of your crazy religion, too, Glenn?

GLENN: That's part of my crazy religion. Yeah, we're all brothers and sisters in Christ, yeah. That's crazy. God -- I hate to quote Paul, but God was the creator of all. So he created Hitler, he created you, we're all children of God.

STU: Who's Paul? A fictional character you made up? Is that it?

GLENN: I just can't take it. I just can't take it. Look, I'm not going to talk to you about theology. I don't care what you believe. Judge a man by his character. Judge a man by his principles. I'd like to hear from the 20,000 people who have attended my Christmas shows and tell me exactly what part of the atonement, what part of Jesus Christ don't I understand. You tell me how I'm not a Christian. If you've attended my Christmas shows, you tell me how I haven't been transformed by a guy who I believe is a savior. So, you know, go ahead. Tell me all you want. You're never going to convince me. It doesn't matter. I don't really care if you think I'm a Christian or not a Christian. You shouldn't care! You should be caring about my happiness, you should be caring about how I live my life, you should be caring about whether or not I am a positive person that is walking in the footsteps of Jesus. But you know what? Muslims aren't Christian. Muslims aren't Christian. Jews aren't Christian, but I would never say, "I don't know if I can trust that Jew in the White House, I don't know if I can trust that Muslim in the White House." I've got to look at the way the man has lived his life. I've got to look at the way the man -- everything the man has said. Has he said things that make me go, wait a minute, hold on, hold on, that doesn't sound like it's good for America.

I don't know what this has to do with fiscal policy. I don't know what this has to do with the war in Iraq. I guess it's just Christians now playing, it's either my theology or no one's theology, it's either, "okay, well, you say you're Christian; okay, well, you say you're Muslim, but how Muslim are you." Do you see what's happening? I swear to you, Mike Huckabee, I gave you the benefit of the doubt. I looked in your eyes. I thought you were a decent human being. I still believe you're a decent human being, but I don't think I've ever been more disappointed in anybody in my life.

He does this in the New York Times article -- and by the way, this shouldn't be just Mormons that are upset about this. This should be all Christians -- no, this should be all Americans because when somebody else decides that they want to run for President and they decide you're not Christian enough, you're not good enough, your religion isn't good -- you know we've had Quakers as Presidents? You know we've had Unitarian Universalists as Presidents? By the way, just so you know, I've attended a Unitarian Universalist. I think they're good people. But the guy who was conducting the session or, you know, the -- I have a hard time calling it church because the guy who was a minister was an atheist! He was an atheist. "You know I don't believe in God but if there be a God, we should serve him."

Now, I couldn't relate to that sermon. My wife said to me, "I don't know, I think I need my minister to actually believe there is a God." I'm just sayin'. But do I condemn Unitarian Universalists? No. Do I think they're any less American? No. Do I have a problem with any of them being President? No. Do I want the guy who's being -- who's President of the United States to be a decent human being, to share my values? My values include believing in God. Would I have a problem being President? Depends on the atheist. If it's an atheist like what's his name have "In God we trust" off all the coins. I personally think we need a guy who will fall to his knees and pray, but you know how many Presidents we've had like that? In the last few, very few. Oh, they'll line up to go to church. They'll line up and, you know, hey, look at me, I'm going to church. I don't care if you go to church. I care if you live a decent life. I don't need to see you at church. I need you to be a decent human being. And here's Mike Huckabee doing, I think, some of the most insidious stuff I've ever heard, and you better wake up, America, because you've got a guy who's willing to do anything he has to do anything he has to. He'll use God to stop somebody else who believes in God, just on his God. He'll do anything he has to, but he'll do it in a -- he won't even do it in a full frontal assault. I mean, at least the Mullahs have a spine. At least the Mullahs don't dance around it. At least the Mullahs say, I'm going to chop your head off because you're not Muslim enough. Mike Huckabee doesn't even have that. He'll go into this article from the New York Times and say, "Did you hear? I heard this. I don't know if people are aware of this." And then when the New York Times asks him, "So wait a minute, what does that mean exactly?" "Oh, I don't know. Everybody has to decide for themselves. You know, that's -- you should -- I shouldn't have to defend their faith or explain their faith. Maybe they should."

Are you kidding me? What, are we in the fourth grade? Are we in the fourth grade?

STU: Glenn, at the very least isn't this essentially he's doing that good old classic Howard Dean trick of, look, a lot of people say if Bush was responsible for 9/11. It's out there. I don't know.

GLENN: Exactly, exactly right. I'm not saying, I don't know -- I keep hearing people say this. I mean, I don't know. Did you hear? Did you hear? George Bush was responsible for 9/11.

You know, when Howard Dean first said that, 97% of America was outraged when they heard that. Not just those who had a political axe to grind. They weren't outraged that they said that about George Bush because there's a lot of people who said, oh, well, that's a great one. Yeah, that's a great one. But what they didn't see is the ramifications of that. Now you've got 13% of the American people thinking that the United States of America was responsible for the bringing down of the World Trade Center, 13%. And I'm telling you these people are dangerous. There is twice the number of people that believe the United States of America brought down the World Trade Center here in America, twice the amount of Americans that think that we never landed on the moon. Those nut jobs are only 6%. 13% say this was an inside job. Oh, it was all cool when it was just about politics, but you've given these people credibility. You've given these people credibility and I'm telling you they are some of the most dangerous people in America. These 9/11 Truthers, look out, America.

Now, who would you like to give credibility to today? Who do you want to give credibility to? How else can we tear each other apart? In a time where we all need to be brought together and we need to stop the divisiveness, and this is what I thought I liked about Mike Huckabee. I'm looking for a guy that is not a divider, and you can say all you want, "Oh, I don't divide." Actions speak louder than words. Don't talk to me about your theology. Show me that you understand who Jesus Christ is by living his words, by bringing him into his life.

Hey, Dan?

DAN: Yes.

GLENN: You and I don't agree on theology, do you?

DAN: Not exactly.

GLENN: I mean, your theology is different than my theology. I think you are a good Christian man. Do you think I'm a good Christian man?

DAN: Absolutely I do. Good, good tree bears good fruit, Glenn.

GLENN: I mean, by their fruits ye shall know them.

STU: Yeah, but Dan, how could you think he's a good Christian man when he believes that Jesus and the devil play Pinochle on every alternate Thursday?

GLENN: Jesus doesn't play cards! I'm just playing to my Baptist base. Next thing you know, you'll have Jesus dancing.

I mean, look. You want to believe that -- whatever. I don't care. I don't care. And this is not about theology. This is some of the most unAmerican stuff I have seen. Good God almighty, have we really come to this? With all of the things that we are debating now, you're telling me that a man's Christian faith, whether Mullah Huckabee says that he is Christian enough to run this country, this is really a standard? This is really, this has something to do with our future, if he's Christian enough?

I want you to tell me all the bad Mormons that you've met. Now, I'm sure you've met some. I know I have. Generally they are the people not living the faith, just like I've met bad Lutherans, I've met bad Southern Baptists, I met bad Catholics. But those who live the faith, those who are actually living the faith, I don't know many of them that I think are bad. Some I disagree with but not bad. You name the evil insidious Mormons that you've met. What are we doing to ourselves? Stop dividing ourselves.

Have you heard me, have you heard me take apart another Christian and said, oh, boy, I don't know if they're Christian enough. How dare you. I've got to tell you something. Some of the most hurtful -- it's not -- it's not a slam on me. It's not a slam on my faith. It is truly a slam on the one responsible for me being alive today. There is only one reason I am alive today. There is only one reason that I have changed to the very fiber of my being and that's my brother, Jesus Christ. And it's a slam on him to think that anything else could have changed me. And those okay. You don't believe it, that's fine. I just don't know what it has to do with fiscal policy. I just don't know what it has to do with Medicare. I don't know what it has to do with fighting the war. I don't know what it has to do with anything other than it's a great whisper campaign, and shame on you, Mike Huckabee. Shame on you.

I haven't endorsed a candidate. Dan, you know what, I've got to tell you. You damn near made me endorse Mitt Romney in spite of you, just to spite you. But I'm not in the third grade. Apparently you are. I'm not. I'll make my decision on who I'm going to vote for for President and who I would endorse, like it means anything. I don't expect anybody to think that, oh, wow, Glenn's endorsed him; that's a big deal. But I'm going to make it as informed as I possibly can. I'm going to do as much as I can, as much homework to find out what really matters, who is this guy? Who are these candidates?

Do you know what's stopping me from making a decision on people? Do you know why I lean towards Mitt Romney? I don't lean towards Mitt Romney because of his faith because you know who else is in my faith? Harry Reid. So that means nothing to me. That doesn't tell you how to vote, you know, politically.

"Did you hear? The church would be running the country." Oh, yeah, sure would. Yep, seems to be doing a good job, those evil conservative Mormons, with Harry Reid. So I'm going to make my decision not based on religion. I'm going to make it on the man. I lean towards Mitt Romney because I watch his family. I know his family and I know the people around him. That's why I lean towards him. I lean against him because I look at some of his policies. I look at Rudy Giuliani and I lean towards him because of some of his policies. I also lean against him because of some of his policies but I also look at his family. What are the fruits of his life. Who is the man. And the reason why I think we have to look at the man, not his theology, not his card, what church do I go to, not just his record, but I need to look at the man because I really, truly believe we're entering a period where things are going to happen faster and faster and the President has got to feel something in the core of his being. That's why I say I need a guy who has fire in the belly, who knows what he believes 100% without a doubt to the core of his soul, knows what he believes, why he believes it because the man is going to be asked for a snap decision and that snap decision could kill hundreds of millions of people. It could free hundreds of millions of people, and he's only going to have one shot at it. At some point in our nation's future somebody in that office is going to be asked, Mr. President, I need an answer now, and he better know what the hell that answer is, and it better be rooted in something that you and I believe in and that is values, principles. How did the man live his life? How does he make decisions? What's his family like? Is he in control?

END TRANSCRIPT

Ok, this might come as a shock to some of you so hang on. I have indefinitely suspended production of The Sound of Theos podcast and the 6 Months In The Psalms podcast. I am not promising to return or even what might happen, suffice to say that there are important reasons for doing this that I cannot go into at the moment. If you want to know more, feel free to email me. I may or may not tell you why, it just depends on how well I know you. Hopefully, I will fill the gap by posting blogs, but who knows? It all just depends.

Here is a great sermon on The Left Behind Series I found online by Pastor Charles Roberts, pastor of Ballston Centr Associate Reformed Church. I can't say he is very fond of it. I thought this was very good and I might just check out more that he has to say.

Here is an awesome, and I do mean awesome, work by Sam Storms, who although is not my favorite current living theologian, is probably the one that I agree with the most. (For the record, if I had to pick, I think my favorite living theologian is John Piper.) I agree with Storms on almost everything in this article, so maybe that would explain why I really like it. Here you go:

What's Your Theology?
Sam Storms
Dec 6, 2007



On numerous occasions I’ve had people ask me about my theological convictions, most likely because I appear to be an odd mix of views that cannot be found in any one confession of faith or reduced to a single label, system, or denomination.

Others have asked the same question when they see the variety of churches in which I’ve either served as senior pastor, associate pastor, board member, or simply member. This would include Southern Baptist, Presbyterian, independent Bible church (with a Plymouth Brethren orientation), Vineyard, Anglican, and charismatic. By now, I suspect many of you might be inclined to say, “Sam, you’re not so much eclectic in your theology as you are confused!”

So, I’ve decided to yield to the pressure of these repeated inquiries and briefly explain what I believe, with only a brief comment on why and a few references to material either in my books or on my website that will provide support. My aim has always been to be biblical. But, of course, everyone would say that about his or her beliefs. So here goes.

I am a Calvinistic, charismatic, complementarian, Christian hedonist. If that weren’t enough to confuse you, I am also amillennial and baptistic, though I believe in rule by a plurality of Elders and maintain a moderately sacramental perspective on the spiritual presence of Christ in the Eucharist (there’s a word that reflects my four years in an Anglican church!).

Please understand that the issues below are not regarded as fundamental in the sense that one must believe them in order to be a Christian. I have not listed such foundational truths as Trinitarianism, the inspiration and infallibility of Scripture, the virgin conception, sinless life, penal substitutionary sacrifice, and bodily resurrection of Christ, or the doctrine of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

I’m focusing, rather, on issues that differentiate men and women who are all Christians. In other words, I trust you understand that I believe someone who is an Arminian-cessationist-egalitarian-dispensational-presbyterian (I dare say I’ve never heard of anyone being all those!), or some other odd mixture thereof can also be a Christian. I hope those who regard me as an even odder theological mixture will extend the same generosity.

So, let’s look briefly at each of these and a few related sub-points.

(1) I am a Calvinist (all five points, by the way). I hardly think this needs much explanation, and I refer you to my book, Chosen for Life: The Case for Divine Election (Crossway, 2007). There are several related issues that bear mentioning:

a. On the issue of the order of the divine decrees, I am an Infralapsarian (see Chosen for Life, pp. 213-19).

b. I believe that all those dying in infancy are elect (on my website, www.samstorms.com, a defense can be found in Theological Studies, Controversial Issues).

c. I believe that regeneration, or the new birth, precedes and is the cause/source of saving faith. In other words, we are born again in order that we may believe, not the other way around.

d. In view of the present controversy, it is important that I affirm my belief in the forensic nature of justification in which the righteousness of Christ (often called his active and passive obedience) is imputed to the believer through faith alone.

(2) I am a Charismatic. When asked if I am “charismatic” I typically respond by saying, “Tell me what you mean by the term and I’ll tell you if I’m one.” More times than not, what people have in mind is far and away different from what I believe. So let me simply identify several relevant issues.

a. I believe that all spiritual gifts are valid today and that nothing in Scripture suggests otherwise. My chapter in the book Are Miraculous Gifts for Today? Four Views (Zondervan) is the most extensive answer I’ve given to this question. Also, my book The Beginner’s Guide to Spiritual Gifts (Regal) provides an answer to the question of how such gifts operate in church life today.

b. I believe that baptism in the Spirit occurs at conversion for all Christians (again, check out the two articles on the website in Theological Studies, Controversial Issues). This sets me apart from classical Pentecostalism and much of the contemporary charismatic movement.

c. Although I do pray in tongues (daily), I do not believe that this or any other spiritual gift is designed by God for all Christians. Every Christian has at least one gift while no Christian (at least, none I know) has every gift (nor should they).

d. I believe healing is in the atonement in the same way I believe all spiritual and physical blessings are in the atonement. Were it not for the death and resurrection of Christ we would have nothing but the eternal damnation that we deserve. But not all such blessings are experienced in their fullness until the consummation of all things in the New Heaven and New Earth. This would certainly be true of the healing of the body.

e. Although I do believe God heals today, I do not believe that the so-called “Health and Wealth and/or Prosperity Gospel” is in any sense a “gospel” and I ask all Christians to cease referring to it in such terms. Call it a “movement” or “philosophy” or even a “theology”, but stop calling it a gospel! The same applies to what typically is called “The Word of Faith” movement, in much of which I struggle to find the presence of true, biblical “faith”.

f. I believe in both (1) the finality, sufficiency, and authority of Scripture, on the one hand, and (2) the validity of revelatory gifts such as prophecy and word of knowledge, on the other. And no, the latter (2) is not a threat to the former (1).

(3) I am a Complementarian. I’ve written briefly on this issue at my website. The relevant material can be found in Theological Studies. A few words of clarification are in order.

a. If I am to err, I choose to err on the side of flexibility and freedom. In other words, I hesitate to restrict women from any form of ministry that does not have explicit biblical sanction.

b. As I read the New Testament, it appears that Paul and others restrict women from serving in what I call senior governmental authority, which would include the office of Senior Pastor (i.e., that individual or pastoral office responsible for the regular, authoritative exposition of Scripture) and Elder (or Bishop, depending on which term you prefer). Therefore, I believe a woman can serve as a deacon or worship leader or counselor or any other expression of Christian ministry that does not violate Paul’s injunction against women exercising authority over men (1 Timothy 2:11-15; 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9).

(4) I am a Christian Hedonist. Simply put, I believe it is impossible for us to desire pleasure too much, and that the pleasure we cannot desire too much is pleasure in God and all that he is for us in Jesus. For more on this, I direct you to my books, Pleasures Evermore: The Life-Changing Power of Enjoying God (NavPress) and One Thing: Developing a Passion for the Beauty of God (Christian Focus). If you want a shorter explanation, visit my website and you will see a brief article on the Home page titled, “What is Christian Hedonism?”

(5) I am an Amillennialist. This is a huge topic on which I am currently writing a book. So I’ll limit myself here to only a few specifics.

a. One of the primary reasons I am not a Premillennialist (neither Historic nor Dispensational) is because of what I read in the NT concerning the Second Coming of Christ.

To be a Premillennialist of any sort, you must believe that physical death and the curse on the natural creation will continue to exist beyond the time of Christ’s return. You must believe that the New Heavens and New Earth will not be introduced until 1,000 years subsequent to the return of Christ. You must believe that unbelieving men and women will still have the opportunity to come to saving faith in Christ for at least 1,000 years subsequent to his return. To be a Premillennialist, you must believe that unbelievers will not be finally resurrected until at least 1,000 years subsequent to Christ’s return and that unbelievers will not be finally judged and cast into eternal punishment until at least 1,000 years subsequent to Christ’s return.

But my reading of what happens at the Second Coming of Christ indicates that then, and not 1,000 years later, physical death is swallowed up in the victory of Christ, never again to exert its power; the natural creation is delivered fully and finally from its bondage to sin; the New Heavens and New Earth are inaugurated; all opportunity for salvation of the lost comes to an end; and both the final resurrection and final judgment of all mankind occur.

b. I find no biblical support for a pre-tribulation rapture, Christian Zionism, a distinction between Israel and the Church, or a future seven year period known as the Great Tribulation.

c. I believe Matthew 24:1-35; Mark 13:1-31; and Luke 21:5-33 (otherwise known as the Olivet Discourse) refer to events that transpired in the first century, beginning with the exaltation of Christ and consummating with the destruction in 70 a.d. of both the city of Jerusalem and its Temple.

As I said, I hope to finish a book on eschatology sometime in 2008, but in the meantime you may read several articles in defense of these beliefs, available on my website under Theological Studies, Eschatology.

(6) I am a Baptist (or, “baptistic”, as some prefer). If you’ve recovered from (5), and I suspect many of you haven’t, let me turn briefly to another broad subject and focus on several important items (rest assured, of course, that being baptistic would entail far more than simply what I mention below).

a. I believe only those who are able to provide a credible testimony of personal faith in Jesus Christ should be baptized (immersed) in water.

b. I believe that a local church should be governed by a plurality of Elders, of which the Senior Pastor is one. I see no biblical basis for a church being led by a single Elder or Pastor. (No, this does not make me a Presbyterian, although I once served as interim pastor for three years in such a church.)

c. I believe that Jesus Christ is spiritually (and therefore, really, but not physically) present in the elements of the Eucharist and that the elements are more than merely a symbol of his body and blood. They are (one of) the sacramental means by which the sanctifying (but not saving) grace of Christ is mediated to the believer. For more on this, check out the two articles titled, “What Happens in the Eucharist?” on my website, Theological Studies, Miscellaneous Topics.

(7) I am a . . . I needed a seventh point to satisfy those who are obsessed with biblical numerology (“6” will never do, or so they tell me), so here is a brief list of other, often contentious, issues. (You can find articles on each of these issues on my website under Theological Studies, Controversial Issues.)

a. I believe that Open Theism is heretical.

b. I believe that eternal punishment in Hell is conscious and unending.

c. I believe that the NT leaves open the possibility for some form of apostolic ministry today (although without the Scripture-writing authority of the original company).

d. I believe Christians can be demonized (note, I did not say demon-possessed).

e. I do not believe the NT mandates that Christians “tithe” 10% of their income but I do believe in generous, sacrificial, proportionate giving that often times, depending on one’s wealth, ought to exceed 10%.

f. While affirming the historicity of Adam and Eve as the first humans and parents of our race, I tentatively embrace the theory of an old earth and old universe. (I’ve not written anything on this, but may have to.)

I think that’s enough to get myself into trouble with just about everyone! I must confess, however, that I’m not in the least bothered by that. My only concern is that these beliefs be grounded in Scripture and not merely experience or personal preference or an emotional wound or ambition or something that I’m required to believe in order to keep my job or because some hero of mine in centuries past happened to believe it. Isn’t that something for which we all should strive?

Blessings,

Sam



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Hello everyone. I'm doing a new mini-podcast called 6 Months In The Psalms, so check it out. So far, all the podcasts have been around 2 minutes, so not much commitment there. Also, don't forget that I am still also doing The Sound of Theos podcast as well.

WELCOME TO THE FREAK SHOW! THIS GUY IS TOTALLY AN IDIOT! HE ACTUALLY SAID THAT IRAN DOES NOT POSE A THREAT TO US. WHAT?!

Glen Beck On Spanking

Spanking
OCTOBER 11, 2007

GLENN BECK PROGRAM
BEGIN TRANSCRIPT

GLENN: From Radio City in Midtown Manhattan, hello, you sick twisted freak. Welcome to the program. So glad that you're here. My name is Glenn Beck. I had one of the rougher nights of my life last night. I have never spanked any of my children. I have -- I don't know. I grew up getting spankings as a kid. I'm not against spankings, but my kids, generally speaking, have not crossed -- there's just a line, and one of my kids crossed the line yesterday, last night, and I looked at my wife and I said, I mean -- and she said, spanking? And I said, I've never spanked any of the kids. And I had the hardest night. I had the hardest night. I just, I don't know. You know, I never really understood. I always mocked my father on, you know, this is going to hurt me more than it's going to hurt you. I know it didn't hurt my dad that much but, boy, it hurt me. That just killed me last night looking at my son and explaining it to him and explaining that I was going to, you know, spank -- he didn't know what spanking was. Explain that to him, explain why. You know, that we have choices and that was a bad choice and there's consequences to your choices.

Last night I don't think I -- I didn't sleep very much. I kept seeing his eyes look at me. He looked at me differently beforehand. He knew how much trouble he was in, and his -- for the first time he looked at me -- I don't know how to explain it -- with fear. He had fear. I have never seen fear in my child's eyes and it killed me to introduce fear into his life. And I actually went into the other room and I said, come on with me; you're getting a spanking. I put him over my knee and I must have sat there for three, four minutes just praying. And he just, he didn't even move. And I brought him back in the other room and Tania was there and she said, did you spank him? And I said, no, I think Mom needs to be there. So we went in together and, ooh. You know, I didn't sleep. I didn't sleep last night. And, you know, I said to my wife. I said -- because she was the one, she was like, honey, spank him; not a bad thing. I said, I know that. I'm not against spanking. I just feel like his innocence went away yesterday. It's bound to happen, but to see fear in a child's eyes for the very first time, especially when I do this for a living, you know, looking at all of the stuff that, you know, fear and what -- I don't want my kid to live in fear. I don't want my kid -- you know. It's weird.

STU: Wait a minute. Hold on one second.

GLENN: What?

STU: First of all we can go over the, there needs to be consequences. The body has a mechanism for pain. So don't put your hand on a hot oven.

GLENN: Don't think I didn't think about that about 3:45. The Lord made pain for a reason. What is pain for? Yeah.

STU: It's to remember not to do the same thing over and over again.

GLENN: Right.

STU: I'm interested, though, to see because you have this webcam in the studio that you have -- it goes back to your house and you have conversations with your family in the morning and you watch each other during the day, you watch Rafe play all day on that thing. At one moment I think I noticed you have your first reunion with Rafe after this occurred. What, can you disclose what occurred?

GLENN: I said, good morning, Rafe. And he looked up and he said, morning, Daddy. I stayed in my bed all night. I said, I know you did.

STU: Bet he did.

GLENN: Good boy. And it wasn't about getting out of bed but that was the last thing I said to him: You move out of your bed, don't you even think about moving out of this bed. I mean, it was -- I mean, you know, and I don't want to get into everything. But Stu, I told you this morning.

STU: Lord God.

GLENN: I mean, is there any -- was there any -- are you a spanker? I mean, if you had kids, are you a spanker?

STU: Personally I would be an, in extreme cases. You couldn't want to do it.

GLENN: Would you agree this is an extreme?

STU: Holy God, yes.

GLENN: I never walked in -- with any of my kids, I've never walked in and went, spanking. I mean never.

STU: You single-handedly delayed my family by two years by telling me that story this morning.

DAN: We don't get to hear it? It was that bad?

GLENN: I've got Stephen Moore coming up in just a minute.

STU: Unless Stephen wants to talk spanking.

GLENN: I'll get into that -- it's not, it is bad. Don't get me wrong. It's horrific. It's horrific.

STU: Poor man.

GLENN: But yeah, you felt bad for me, didn't you?

STU: Bad for you and bad for me that that might be coming.

GLENN: Oh, my gosh. I'll get into it tomorrow but I'm just, I'm so tender about it today. And I know I did the right thing. It's just --

STU: Yeah, the only question --

GLENN: Have you spanked yet, Dan?

DAN: No, I'm sitting here listening to this. In theory I'm for it but I don't know that I could do it.

GLENN: I think there's a time for spanking and that was clearly a time for spanking, but it's just --

DAN: It's coming for me, Glenn. My daughter's 2 and she's starting to test more and more and more and there's just less -- you can only say I'm counting to 3 so many times.

GLENN: And here's the thing on spanking. It's -- I feel, I think a lot smaller, a lot lower level but I feel like I would -- you know I'm for guns, you know I'm for defending myself. You know if somebody is killing, you know, the family or threatening the family or coming into the house and threatening the family, I will shoot you dead.

STU: Obviously.

GLENN: I will shoot you dead. But you know what? I'm not going to sleep well.

STU: No.

GLENN: You know what I mean? And that's the way I feel about spanking. I believe -- I mean, it's at the very end of the scale on the opposite direction of a gun, but is it --

STU: You care about the person more.

GLENN: Yeah. But it is, it is a consequence of action and it is a lot easier to just blow off that consequence because it hurts you. It really -- I mean, I understood my father more than I ever have before. "This is going to hurt me more than it's going to hurt you." I remember getting spanked by my father. It hurt but it wasn't like that. Last night I cried my -- I really did. I cried myself to sleep last night. I woke up in the middle of the night. I started crying again. It tore me apart to spank my son, and I'm not going to tell him that. Last night I mastered that look, man. I mastered the look of, you don't even want to mess with me. I mastered that look last night.

STU: Yeah. You know, this is the part of parenting, when they learn that actions have consequence. That's, when they're going to be better people for it.

GLENN: Yeah. So we'll go into that a little more tomorrow, maybe.

END TRANSCRIPT
Insiders, click here to listen to this transcript...




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