One blogger notes this:
In the aftermath of the “Restoring Honor” Rally, some criticism erupted from segments of the faith community regarding the spiritual aspect of the rally and the fact that Glenn Beck is a Mormon. One online article, titled “God, the Gospel, and Glenn Beck” comes from Dr. Russell Moore, Dean of the School of Theology and Senior Vice-President for Academic Administration at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Interestingly, Dr. Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission was one of the 240 faith leaders who stood on stage with Glenn Beck.
The very short audio excerpts are from Brannon Howse’s larger audio presentation on this topic, found here.
The below are excerpts from Glenn Becks most recent book — mentioned by Brannon Howse in the above audio in his article entitled Glenn Beck’s New Book Reveals He Embraces New Age Theology, Is a Knowledgeable Mormon, and a Universalist:
….On page 56 Beck says he read A Course in Miracles by Helen Schucman which is the Bible of the New Age Movement. I wrote and entire chapter in my book Grave Influence on Helen Schucman and the demon she channeled that helped her write the book.
I have several friends who were Mormons for many years before accepting the Jesus Christ of the Bible as their Lord and Savior through faith and repentance. Tracy was a Mormon for 26 years and e-mailed me to explain why many Mormons are open to New Age Spirituality:
It’s not surprising how easy it is for many LDS to get involved in occult practices based on the “power of the priesthood.” For example, energy healing (chakras), cloud-busting, and other mind-power things. My LDS friends and I were always interested in books like The Magic of Believing, Embraced by the Light, and other New Agey kinds of books. I remember seeing Star Wars when I was Mormon and how many of us in the ward (LDS congregation) were comparing The Force to the priesthood power.
Since we believed we were on the godhood track, using the phrase “I AM” in the context Glenn uses it, fits in neatly with the power of the priesthood through which worlds are created (according to Mormon doctrine). In fact, Mormonism teaches that God did NOT create the universe exnihlo, because God can only manipulate and arrange existing matter; he cannot create it. Thus we see, from the LDS perspective, we too can become I AM, through the divine nature within us.
On page 79 Beck and Dr. Ablow promote transcendental meditation and Eastern Mysticism. On 85 we read, “As you commit to unlocking and bringing forth the truth inside you, don’t be afraid to pray for help. Don’t be reticent to sit with yourself in silence and meditate. Connect with the miracle of spirit, of God, that has lived inside you from long before you were born.”
Christian mediation is not about “bringing forth the truth inside of you” nor is it about contacting God that has “lived inside you from long before you were born.” This is not Biblical and any Christian that thinks otherwise is either a false convert or is Biblically illiterate. Click here to hear a short video clip by Dr. Ron Carlson on the dangers of New Age meditation.
On page 132 Beck and Ablow proclaim, “Pray to whatever higher power you believe in…Praying that God or Nature or the Cosmos or your own internal, immeasurable reservoir of spirit allows you the courage and faith to find and then face the truth…”
In several places readers are told it really does not matter what religion or religious leader they follow. On page 157 Beck writes, “Finding what worked for me made all the difference. Finding what works for you will do the same.”
On page 74 the reader is instructed “Just be sure you visit with a minister or therapist from a religion or healing discipline you actually have affinity for, or suspect you might.”
On page 236, reincarnation is promoted through the writings of Robert Pirsig’s book, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, “…the ‘spirit’ of Chris or the ‘ghost’ of Chris, then you can say without further translation that the spirit or ghost of Chris is looking for a new body to enter.”
Beck is a very committed and knowledgeable Mormon:
I have had several Christians tell me that Beck does not really know much about the Mormon faith. That is not what Beck writes in his new book.
“I questioned everything I could think to question about the faith. I went over my doubts again and again with the church bishop. I read everything there was to read on their website and every word of Mormon Doctrine…I went to anti-Mormon literature for hints, but I found most of it to be unfair or just plain wrong. I tried every trick I could think of to find a contradiction. The problem was that I couldn’t. Mormonism seemed to explain the world and my place in it better than any other faith I had looked at.” (Page 149-150)
Beck does not believe in Hell, original sin or that Jesus in the only way:
“Latter-day Saints do not believe that your chances ever cease, even with death. They end only with the full understanding and denial of truth by your own exercise of real free will. And even then there is no ‘lake of fire.’ (Page 149)
“As Keith likes to say, ‘There’s no original sin left in the world. Everyone’s just recycling pain now.’ “(Page 154.)
“There is no infant delivered evil, out of the womb. There never has been. Not even one…Charles Manson was not born evil. Ted Bundy wasn’t. The BTK killer wasn’t. Hitler wasn’t.” (Page 162)
The Bible says that all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God. (Romans 3:23) The Bible says that even babies are born with a sin nature and that we are all conceived in sin. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. (Psalm 51:5)
“People are inherently good.” (Page 165).
The Bible says in Jeremiah 17:9, The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Beck’s book uses the phrase “Your truth” or “your true path” or “my truth” at least 23 times. Here are a few examples:
“It is never too late to embrace your truth.” (Page 124)
“What is your truth whispering?” (Page 130)
“Use compassion to stay on the path to your own truth… (Page 161)
“…determination to unearth and embrace my truth.” (Page 215)
“The fact that I am always attempting to honor my truth… (Page 216)
“There is only your truth.” (Page 220)
“You must use courage and faith to empty the hard drive of your soul and then fill it with your truth.” (Page 288)
Beck’s book promotes the New Age that God dwells within all:
“The third chapter of Exodus helped me start to understand how crucial it was that my focus be on finding God not just in the seas or the cosmos, but in myself.” (Page 57)
If God is everything and everywhere and inside everyone, then I figured He had to be inside me, too… (Page 58)
This is the promotion of pantheism and panentheism.
“Divine power is still inside you.” (Page 71)
“Reach out to people to steady them and enrich them and reflect back to them the light that comes from God inside them. (Page 283)
“You won’t doubt your ability to achieve what you want to achieve in this life because you won’t doubt that God is not only by your side, but inside you.” (Page 254)
Beck’s book promotes the New Age idea that you need to tap into a positive energy for a successful and happy life: (Ten times). Some examples include:
You have a polestar inside you. It is connected with all the energy in the universe. When you begin to follow that star you align yourself with immeasurable, inexplicable forces that will actually help you manifest your best intentions. (Page 79)
The current energy that flows in your favor when you stop denying what you have lived through and how it has shaped you and how you must change is the immeasurable force that you can tap into to dramatically improve your existence.” (Page 113)
…you will elicit the same positive energy from others. When you stop pretending to be just fine and start admitting that you have struggled, just as we all have, then spiritual energy will fill you.” (Page 117) ….