A Mormon Christian?
By Brannon S. Howse
On his August 27, 2010 radio program, Glenn Beck referenced a CNN article that quoted an article from my website in which I explained from Scripture why biblically obedient Christians cannot united with Beck on spiritual issues. Beck commented, “looking to one God is the theme” of the 8/28 event, and referring to the CNN article said, “so now the religious bigotry is there, too.” Here is what CNN reported:
Brannon Howse, a conservative writer and founder of Worldview Weekend, which organizes Christian conferences, criticized evangelical participation in that event in a column this week. “The Apostle Paul warns Christians against uniting with unbelievers in spiritual endeavors...,” Howse wrote. “While I applaud and agree with many of Glenn Beck’s conservative and constitutional views, that does not give me or any other Bible-believing Christian justification to compromise Biblical truth by spiritually joining Beck.”
I have said repeatedly that Glenn has the right to practice his religion, but it does not mean Bible-minded Christians are bigots if they do not unite with his religious worldview and spiritual agenda.
A Mormon Christian?
The same CNN piece about which Glenn Beck attacked me quoted Jim Garlow offering an “apology” for Beck’s spiritual views:
I have interviewed persons who have talked specifically with Glenn about his personal salvation—persons extremely well known in Christianity—and they have affirmed (using language evangelicals understand), “Glenn is saved,” Garlow said in his memo, which was dated Wednesday. “He understands receiving Christ as Savior.”
On April 22, 2012, Garlow actually went so far as to have Glenn Beck speak at his church in San Diego for two services. Beck spoke, along with James Robison and Jay Richards. A Mormon, a Catholic, and two “evangelicals” walk into a church (it sounds like a joke but it is anything but funny), stand up, and talk about spiritual issues, and yet those concerned about this clear violation of 2 John 9-11, Romans 16:17 and 2 Corinthians 6:14 are the ones considered extreme.
At one point in the meeting, Richards declared that “we have to work together as a unified body of Christ” and Robison can be heard saying “yep.” So Mormons, Catholics and ecumenical “evangelicals” are going to make up the body of Christ or the Church? Hardly. A combination like that will make up the Harlot Church of Revelation 17 but certainly not the New Testament Church.
During the program, Beck announced, “I’m a Mormon; I am a proud member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints” and the audience sitting in the church applauded. Beck went on to say that Garlow and Robison where heroes of his “because they follow the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob just as I do.” Mormons do not serve the God of the Bible but a man who evolved to become a god. Garlow never corrected or refuted what Beck said to the people sitting in his church that day, and as a result, I believe Garlow encouraged the belief that Christians and Mormons worship the same God.
Beck also declared:
I have this theory, and this is just kinda the gospel according to Glenn…Thou shall not take the Lord thy God’s name in vain. What’s his name? It ain’t God; it’s I AM. So when you say “I am worthless, I am incapable,” you are taking his name in vain.”
The entire time Beck was spouting this New Age, Law of Attraction heresey, James Robison was saying “that’s right.” Beck went on to say, “Use the power of I AM, recognize the power within each of us.”
Even though Pastor Garlow did not refute this New Age teaching, prominent “evangelical” leaders have emailed me to say how much they respect Jim Garlow and that I should not publicly critize this man of God.
Some support Beck whenever they can. On the Christian TV program Life Today, for instance, David Barton (who told me in a phone conversation in August 2010 that he had helped organize Beck’s Black Robe regiment for Beck’s Restoring Honor Rally), declared:
:Here is a guy that was raised as a Catholic. He found Jesus in Alcoholics Anonymous when he really screwed up his life, and he’s now going to a Mormon church, but that doesn’t say anything about his personal relationship with Jesus, and that’s what people need to look at."
The interviewer asked David Barton, “So you believe that he is a Christian in every sense of the word?” Barton replied, “I do.”
So a practicing Mormon can be a Christian even though he has said 80 percent of his faith revolves around the Mormon Temple? Would Barton believe a “Christian” could also attend a Unitarian Church or an Islamic Mosque? The Bible is very clear that a true follower of Jesus Christ will break from false teaching. Yet even after Barton and Garlow announced their opinions that Beck is a Christian, Beck continued to say things completely hostile to biblical doctrine and that clearly reveal him to be a New Age Mormon. Yet, Barton and Garlow, despite my email exchanges with them, refuse to acknowledge that Beck is publicly proclaiming heresy.
On August 27, 2010, Glenn also made a telling comment to a group of evangelical pastors and leaders appearing on his national television program. “I am a Mormon.,” he stated clearly, as he has said many times before. I have friends that were once practicing Mormons, and every one of them reports that the first thing they did when they placed their faith and trust in the Jesus of the Bible was to leave the Mormon Church. They recognized that the Jesus of the Mormon cult was not the Jesus of the Bible.
Beck continued on August 27, saying that “the spirit is going to teach tomorrow, and you are going to feel things you have never felt before; 8-28.” I would ask “what spirit?” since Glenn is a Mormon who has said, “Looking to one God is the theme.” It clearly will not be the Holy Spirit of the Bible because God’s Spirit cannot teach that which is unbiblical.
What makes Beck’s popularity so dangerous is that many Christians know so little about the Jesus of the cults they do not realize the cults use the same terms as evangelicals but with completely different meanings. A pastor from Pennsylvania called my radio program a few days before Beck’s 8/28 rally and described how he was grieved that his own son-in-law had organized a bus load to attend the event. This pastor said when he spoke to his son-in-law about this biblical perspective on attending, his son-in-law laughed. These are the perilous times 1 Timothy 3 tells us about—times that will even cause division in families.
Copyright 2012 ©Brannon Howse. This content is for Situation Room members and is not to be duplicated in any form or uploaded to other websites without the express written permission of Brannon Howse or his legally authorized representative.
