A Biblical Perspective of Glenn Beck’s Book Overton Window

Hi again Mike,

A guy who I work with thought I might like reading Glenn Beck’s novel The Overton Window. I knew that I no longer wanted to focus on conspiracy theories even if some of it is probably true. Scanning the book, some thoughts developed quickly. Glenn Beck claims to be a Christian. He is also very patriotic for America. In two minutes I knew that he is one that worships another Jesus, one of the sheep who doesn’t know the voice of its shepherd. One of his heroes in the story, Molly Ross, quotes Thomas Jefferson: “Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God”. I got to thinking about something that Samuel Johnson said about patriotism, “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel”. I used to think that he was condemning patriotism, but after looking further into it I learned that he wasn’t saying that all patriots were scoundrels. He was saying that scoundrels use it as a last resort to maintain pride since they possess little for themselves. Right wing Christians think patriotism is a wonderful thing; they equate it with obeying God. Samuel Johnson wrote a dictionary in the eighteenth century. He defined ‘patriot’ as “one whose ruling passion is the love of his country”. Even if you rightly extend this definition to country (men) or fellow countrymen, it puts God in second position. Just as evangelicals secretly love the idea of the “wicked” getting their “due”, they also use patriotism as license and justification to kill those who oppose us. Many secretly love the military weapons that “our” side possesses that so expertly punish those heretics. The popularity that men such as Glenn Beck are attaining is a telling sign of how few of us there are who will turn the other cheek for the cause of Christ.

I am blessed to call you brother,

A____

Hi A____,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts about patriotism with me. You are so right, we are not patriots first and Christians second, if we are in Christ. If we really are in Christ, and if Christ really is living out his life in us, then we are Christians first and Christians second, and “we are ambassadors for Christ” in this world, and our true “citizenship is in heaven”, and we are but “strangers and pilgrims on this earth”.

2Co 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech [ you] by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
Php 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven; whence also we wait for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: (ASV)
Heb 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

All ambassadors are “strangers and pilgrims” in the host country, and would never consider voting or joining in the military or for that matter having a national TV program, or write and sell books in that host country which urged the citizens of the host country to participate in the politics of the host country. If and when any ambassador no longer considers himself or herself to be “a stranger and a pilgrim” in the country to which he or she is sent as an ambassador, he will immediately lose his citizenship in his home country, because, as a very wise man once said:

Mat 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. (Jesus Christ)

Some man will say, ‘That is speaking of serving money’ and I will agree. But it is also speaking of “serving two masters”, and we are specifically told that as heavenly soldiers we are not to become involved in the affair of this age.

2Ti 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

So the minute any “Christian” takes up a weapon “for God and country” he has at that moment lost any Godly protection that comes with clinging to these words of our Lord.

Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Mat 26:52 Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.

Those are words which will not be found in The Overton Window, or for that matter in the writings of any orthodox Christian literature. If it is to be found, it will be made clear that the orthodox writer distinguishes between personal enemies and national enemies or enemies who are breaking into your home. In the words of a nationally syndicated minister, “In that case you should step on him like a cockroach”.

So it is very understandable why our Lord warned us that many would come in His name, confessing that He is the Christ, and still would deceive many” simply because they are not given to receive His Words.

Mat 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what [ shall be] the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
Mat 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
Mat 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

Christ is speaking of many who claim to believe in him. Men just such as Glenn Beck, and all orthodox Christian ministers. Any minister who teaches against military service is not an orthodox Christian, but is the exception to what is generally considered as ‘orthodoxy’, which speaks of such heretical things as physical “Godly wars”, or “righteous wars”, as if Christ had never even uttered the words of Mat 5:44 or Mat 26:52.

In closing I will give you a second scriptural witness to Christ’s warning that those who hate Him and His Words the most are those “who believe on Him”.

Joh 8:30 As he spake these words, many believed on him.
Joh 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, [ then] are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Joh 8:33 They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
Joh 8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
Joh 8:35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: [ but] the Son abideth ever.
Joh 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
Joh 8:37 I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.

Christ identifies with all His creation, and He will administer His vengeance on all. It is not the call of His followers to resist Rome. It is our call to die with Him on His cross and to fill up in our flesh what is lacking of His sufferings.

Col 1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

Just one more example of Christ’s inspired Words which “have no place”, either in the writings of Glenn Beck, or any other orthodox Christian who is all wrapped up and involved in the affairs of this world.
Please do not misunderstand anything I have said in this e- mail to be against Glenn Beck and for the politics or others. What I am saying is that no Godly true disciple of Christ, would allow himself to become involved in the affairs of this world.

2Ti 2:4 No man that warreth [ for Christ and His doctrines] entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

As you so astutely observed from a spiritual, and Biblical perspective, all who do are “serving… another Jesus”.

2Co 11:4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or [ if] ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

It is so very natural to “bear with” those who teach us to react naturally and patriotically. It is so very unnatural to be a ‘spiritually patriotic’ ” that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier”.

Your brother in Christ,
Mike