New Age principles promoted in Glenn Beck's new book

[Istand4truthcaptain of 100]

Christian pastor Brannon Howse on Glenn Beck:

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=272893

This Pastor quotes passages from Glenn Beck's new book where he promotes new age principles. Very interesting.

The information on the LDS church is wrong and based on hearsay and quotes from members who have left the Church, but the info on Glenn's new book sound intriguing.

[Markcaptain of 1,000]

Christian pastor Brannon Howse on Glenn Beck:

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=272893

This Pastor quotes passages from Glenn Beck's new book where he promotes new age principles. Very interesting.

The information on the LDS church is wrong and based on hearsay and quotes from members who have left the Church, but the info on Glenn's new book sound intriguing.

Can I have that 26 minutes of my life back! Typical attack piece on the church and Beck based on apostate Christianities interpretation of biblical scripture. Beck is trying to reach out to all of faith to unite in principles of goodness. Why should I not be surprised when the anti-Mormons come out in attack mode.

[Istand4truthcaptain of 100]

I agree that he (the pastor) is wrong about the LDS association with the New Age, but he is right that there are New Age concepts promoted by Beck's book.
I wrote Mr. Howse an email saying that the LDS do not promote the New Age. I told him that Glenn Beck does not represent the LDS church or its members.
I'd be curious to hear what Bella thinks about this.

[Original_Intentcaptain of 1,000]

I also agree with the pastor that we as LDS are especially susceptible to new age stuff. We believe in actual miracles, and believe that we can literally exercise the power of God! That is pretty unique and also very very easy to "carefully" be diverted into various new age teachings.

[liberty2captain of 10]

This pastor's point of view is untenable at best.

He says Glen Beck rejects original sin and Christ's atonement. He cherry picks brief phrases to make his ridiculous point. I assume the next sentence would more fully explain Beck's point. The pastor warns that Mormons don't believe God create the earth. He only organized it (gasp). The pastor willfully misunderstands and misrepresents LDS theology. Definitely NOT a reputable source for what is and is not truth.

I have not read Beck's book. I am not a Beck fan. But I know a hack job when I see it.

I agree with Mark; don't waste your 26 minutes on this one!

[Markcaptain of 1,000]

This pastor's point of view is untenable at best.

He says Glen Beck rejects original sin and Christ's atonement. He cherry picks brief phrases to make his ridiculous point. I assume the next sentence would more fully explain Beck's point. The pastor warns that Mormons don't believe God create the earth. He only organized it (gasp). The pastor willfully misunderstands and misrepresents LDS theology. Definitely NOT a reputable source for what is and is not truth.

I have not read Beck's book. I am not a Beck fan. But I know a hack job when I see it.

I agree with Mark; don't waste your 26 minutes on this one!

Very perceptive of you liberty.

[Istand4truthcaptain of 100]

The pastor is wrong about the LDS church but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be concerned that Glenn Beck may be spouting off new age doctrine and passing it off as LDS. We should stay far away from that and make it clear that we as LDS do not believe in the New Age.

[Silascaptain of 100]

The pastor is wrong about the LDS church but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be concerned that Glenn Beck may be spouting off new age doctrine and passing it off as LDS. We should stay far away from that and make it clear that we as LDS do not believe in the New Age.

I couldn't get past his anti-Mormon garbage long enough to hear any specific arguments about Glenn's book. If you are concerned then maybe you should find a copy of his book yourself and verify that it is teaching such things, which I kind of doubt it is. Just because I doubt the character of this Pastor. But since I had never planned on reading Glenn's book either way it really doesn't matter much to me.

[BrianM]

So... can anyone actually post the "New Age principles promoted in Glenn Beck's new book" instead of making us all endure that 26 minute video to find out? Has anyone actually read the book? and could that person point of the new age teachings in the book?

[Koiapecaptain of 50]

LOL, yeah, I'm not about to go read Glenn Beck's book or watch this video that I presume essentially is yet another subtle/overt Mormon-bashing.

I've heard enough of Christians bashing Mormon theology to last a lifetime or two. The church is true and if Glenn Beck just so happens to be one of the thousands who mix New Age philosophy with Mormon doctrine than I will do what I always do with Mr. FoxNews Glenn Beck...tune him and the rest of the mainstream media out.

Glenn Beck is a smart man, man being the keyword here. He is a man, nothing less and definitely nothing more.

[Rosabellacaptain of 1,000]

So... can anyone actually post the "New Age principles promoted in Glenn Beck's new book" instead of making us all endure that 26 minute video to find out? Has anyone actually read the book? and could that person point of the new age teachings in the book?

I have the book. When I am feeling better I will write a review. There are some new age leaning ideas, or ones that can be read as that. When my health improves I will finish the book and expound on what it is really about.

[BrianM]

So... can anyone actually post the "New Age principles promoted in Glenn Beck's new book" instead of making us all endure that 26 minute video to find out? Has anyone actually read the book? and could that person point of the new age teachings in the book?

I have the book. When I am feeling better I will write a review. There are some new age leaning ideas, or ones that can be read as that. When my health improves I will finish the book and expound on what it is really about.

Thanks!

Just promise that you'll judge Glenn Beck's book with the same standards you would judge any other author/book I know how much you like Glenn Beck so I just imagine it will be harder to set that bias aside and judge the book soley based on what is being taught, as you have done with other books/authors when determining whether or not they are "new age" I know that I would tend to be more 'forgiving' or overlooking of certain things when it comes to my favorite people

[Rosabellacaptain of 1,000]

He will get higher scrutiny from me because I expect more of him

Where more is given more is expected....

When it comes to Glenn Beck I only like him BECAUSE of the truths he has said, not in-spite of things or just because of his personality. I told you that if at any point Glenn Beck started teaching New Age doctrine I would be the first to decry him. I have been very impressed with things he has made the nation think about and read that are truth. His standing up for the constitution and helping others do the same has made a huge impact. Suggesting the reading of books like Cleon Skousen's 5000 Year Leap and others have made people understand politics and and created interest in it with a better understanding than they had before. Many have been helped by much of what he has shared. Some on this site hate him for he does not support things like 911 truthism and such, but for me issues like that are not the heart of turning people's focus to the constitution and at times can be distracting and cause the opposite effect. So it has not mattered to me where Glenn stood on that topic, for I did not feel he was hurting the cause of liberty by not believing in it or supporting it or exposing it. The masses most likely would not listen to the basic principles of constitutionalism, New-World-Order awareness and returning to God if 911 truth was emphasized.

If he starts promoting a false religion I will not stand by and let that go unseen. My commitment is to principles not to personalities. Truth is my standard. God and His truth are my only loyalty.

At this point in my reading of his book I am not happy at all with what he presents in the book. It is NOT LDS at all. It is written using terms AA would use about God. This creates a very new age concept of God, a universalist view. There are some clearly new age terms like "Higher Self". The question still remains "What does Glenn mean and what is his definition of these terms and words? This I hope will become more and more clear as I read the book. True new-agers do not believe in a God that judges man but believe that the collective of all mankind and the universe is God. Though there are many new-age-leaning LDS that do not understand the difference when they read new age books between what they think they read and what is really being said. That is the part I am trying to see with Glenn. What does he really understand and believe.

The statement that makes me think Glenn may understand enough about the new age and nay be promoting it is this statement near the beginning:

" I spent decades of my life disconnected from faith and denying that free will exists in the this world. I saw my circumstances as something thrust upon me , rather then the result of my own choices. I now realize those beliefs were simply the next in a very long line of misguided assumptions.

There not only is such a thing as free will in the world , but it exists even when it seems to be invisible. It crosses traditional lines of belief. My faith calls it agency. My father's granola-hippie-New Age spirituality (which I actually really agree with) simply said, "Life is a series of choices." Either way , free will could have been my lifeline- if only I had believed it existed."

So the question remains does he embrace some or all of his father's new age ideas or does he fully embrace Mormonism or has he merged the two as many LDS have? The latter is what I am guessing so far. He does not appear to teach the real doctrines of the new age nor does he preach clear unadulterated LDS doctrine either. He may be attempting to be universally accepted but to seek for such IS the doctrine of the new age.

[kathyncaptain of 1,000]

"Life is a series of choices". I'm going to give Beck the benefit of a doubt and say he was referring to this principle and not New Age. But I guess time will tell. I sure hope he doesn't fall in that trap.

[Rosabellacaptain of 1,000]

Before Glenn became a Mormon he read A Course In Miracles (the new age bible as some refer to it as) He did not choose it over the LDS faith.

Glenn may be just trying to reach anyone from any faith or non faith and show them a path out of depression and addiction for that is what the book seems to focus on. He so far does not direct anyone to any religion just to have the courage inside themselves to change. He tries to get people to realize that inside themselves is courage and strength to overcome anything but they just do not know it. This is where the lines blur between Mormonism and the new age. The new age says the "power" is from our higher self or the connection we have to the collective God. Where Mormonism says that we have the Light of Christ and that the Lord will be there and strengthen us to overcome trials and temptations. We are not taught that we hold in ourselves this divine strength but that it is accessible to us through Christ. Where Glenn in this book tends to say that it is strength inside us which is our courage and agency. This is not incorrect either, but easily can be seen as the same new age "speak" the new age gurus are preaching.

What Glenn is saying is not completely incorrect but nor is this aspect of the new age either. The danger is the final out come. Whether or not one believes in submitting their will to Father or manifesting their own will and living by "my will be done" and "anything that is my will must be God's will for me". We will see where Glenn leads people in this book and in his other endeavors.

Unfortunately this book has the potential of scaring off the evangelicals that understand the dangers of the new age from Mormonism. Falsely thinking because Glenn is Mormon that this book is a representation of Mormon ideas. Real Mormonism is not clearly defined (yet) in this book. The co-writer of this book "Keith" does not appear to be LDS and is the one that writes some of the strongest new age thoughts and terms there for the book appears to promote new age doctrines. So the flavor of the book becomes far more new age and universalistic. It is definitely not LDS.

Glenn may be attempting to try to write a AA book that can help anyone out of addiction and depression, which is fine but the danger is that it also can appear that he is disregarding his own faith and promoting new age doctrines in their place. The new age has many of the same ideas but just removes sin and a God that judges. So for someone LDS to write a book that has a spiritual under or overtone and have it not clearly written based on true LDS doctrines can open a can of worms and give false ammunition to those that are already saying we are new age. He may be trying to teach people a lower light so that they can move to a higher light but the danger is it ends up looking like he is preaching the lower light and that lower light is what we find in most of the new age writings.