Glenn Beck Advises Christians to Leave Their Church

I try to avoid talking about Glenn Beck.  To me, he’s not much more than circus clown – truthfully, I’m not sure he views himself as much more than that.  But, he finally crossed a line, when he said,

I beg you, look for the words 'social justice' or 'economic justice' on your church Web site. If you find it, run as fast as you can. Social justice and economic justice, they are code words. Now, am I advising people to leave their church? Yes!"

Personally, I’m not really that concerned by Beck’s rejection of the term social justice.  So be it.  But, I am concerned that millions of folk watch Beck on a nightly basis and have no idea what the term means. So I thought it might be helpful to quickly explore the term.

The term social justice was actually coined by a Jesuit priest, Luigi Taparelli (based on the teachings of Aquinas) in the 1840s.  Since then, the term has been used by lots of different groups. Truthfully, outside a particular context, the word really has no meaning.  But, for most Christians, the term social justice is shaped by a biblical understanding of what it means to be a just society. We discover glimpses and visions of this society throughout scripture.  It is not some nebulous Rawlsian idea of justice and rights, but it is a vision of justice rooted in the holiness of God.

Sojourners magazine (my employer) published a great article a couple years back, that sought to give a better definition of social justice – pulling from Catholic social teaching. The author, Rose Marie Berger, a Catholic said,

The principle of social justice, according to Catholic social teaching, requires the individual Christian to act in an organized manner with others to hold social institutions accountable—whether government or private—to the common good. The “common good comprises the sum total of social conditions which allow people, either as groups or as individuals, to reach their fulfillment more fully and more easily,” according to Pope Paul VI. However, social justice can become hollow if it is not constantly in touch with real people’s experiences.

What is Glen Beck afraid of?  Why should people run when they hear this term? It seems that conservatives and liberals can agree on a society where individuals are able to reach their full fulfillment, in the easiest manner possible. When society becomes unequal in opportunity, it is time for people of faith to hold those in power accountable.   

Am I missing something?  Even the Heritage Foundation published a small group study entitled, “Seeking Social Justice?”  Sure, there are disagreements about the path to social justice, but to reject the idea of a just society – that’s simply ridiculous.

Kevin Lum is a pastor of a DC Church, The Table. 

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