Anthony, I ask, is there an image of Al that doesn't meet your criteria?

I believe that is what Beck was doing. He had Rabbis, Priests, and Inmans there, so it was intra-faith. I would say it leads back to the basic laws inherent to most all religions, from a principled point of view. Something most everyone can relate to. It would be bad for a pundit (as it would for a politician) to cater to one specific group.

Confusing Beck and Sharpton?  Well, both are rather rotund and tend to bloviate a lot.

DG yeah, my questions were rhetorical, but I let the readers answer. I agree with what you are saying. It's terrible to thing to watch year after year. If I can use an analogy, it would be like a woman caught in an abusive relationship. She keeps going back no matter how beat up she is and defends the abusive husband on top of it all.

You know I hope more people wake up, but their will always be those that refuse to believe the evidence. I many ways it is good people like Sharpton make their speeches, or that Obama was elected. People can see for themselves it doesn't matter what color of skin they have, the only color that matters is green. A black man can make as many mistakes as a white man can. Maybe a few at a time will realize that.

On a Dec. 2, 2007 interview with David Shankbone Al Shar[ton said, "Maybe I ran for political office to change the debate, or to raise the social justice question". He used that term more than once in that interview alone.

This seems to be the new code word for redistribution of wealth. Obama has used it along with "collective salvation". So these are in both the political and religious settings. Listen up for these two terms use, and the context they are used in. Quite interesting.

I have a bad habit of answering rhetorical questions.

It's hard to surmise really, given I've not had the chance to meet him personally. So, what I'm going to propose is really just a half cocked guess.

It seems possible that his ulterior motive is to stoke that desire for attention. I'm sure he may believe in God and whatever else he says, but from what I've read he's certainly had a lot to deal with after losing his mother. I also know he's had problems with substances and has ADHD.

When someone uses/abuses a substance, they are usually trying to escape something. If my guess is correct and he is a megalomaniac, it could be possible that he is using the attention as yet another substance. Now, what is he running from? I'm not sure. It could be the loss of his mother. It could be anything.

Does his popularity threaten me? No, although i do have some concern. I've always been cautious with people like him who are firebrands. They tend to develop followings, and not all of those people think things through. I'm not saying he's going to suddenly act like Manson, but there's still the concern over the possibility of people following his every word blindly, without question.

Bush, Obama, politics in general. It's happened before.

~L

Milonas, you raise some good points in post 57. 

Beck is definitely a man with a message(s). He's also developed a following and whether they follow his every word blindly, without question remains to be seen.

I think my favorite thing about Beck is his patriotism because he seems to truly love America and is grateful to be an American.  I'm with him on that for I believe true patriotism is part of the virtue of religion which includes an active participation in whatever good we can support in society. I support protecting the just ideals (which are really principles of the natural law) found in the Constitution.

Nothing wrong with that. It is well in line with expressing your opinion.

Possible but in my opinion not very likely. How many non-political figures have attracted large groups based on a cult of personality? I would say off hand Jim Jones comes to mind with a few hundred, and then only because few had heard of him until the the aftermath. First, I would hardly class Beck with Jones. Beck is hardly mesmerizing. Also Beck is under close media scrutiny, there isn't a day that goes by, right or wrong, that someone isn't trying to tinkle in his Wheaties.

I'm sure he is riding high on his home run, bases loaded, but you have a large group that are still calling foul ball.

Bingo! Who (with a very few, vocal exceptions) cannot appreciate a person that is not just happy or content to be an American, but is GRATEFUL? That in of itself goes a long way in absolving Beck's sometimes goofiness or over the top antics. He makes one feel that he is sincere. I also like his push on restoring lost history. We cannot go forward without knowing where we came from. 

I love his sarcastic wit!  But if he does get too preachy (religious), I think that will turn off his base as he is a conservative first (He is one that never hesitated to bash Bush back during his Presidency - he is a conservative, not a republican).  And yes, he is a very hard core patriot.

Me too. Beck wouldn't be Beck without it.

Most definitely. His sincerity goes into the heart department as well. He makes a big thing of fatherhood and family and rightly so.  His old-fashioned patriotism, jovial, harmless sarcastic wit, sincerity and love of family are all part of genuine character that says much about the man and I think explains why he is so hated by Leftists. Just as Mrs.Sarah Palin is. 

The secular Humanists in the Left, in other words, the forces that are making for the total destruction of our so called Judeo/Christian culture want nothing to do with these core values and principles.

I agree. His religious preachiness turns me off, but then again I'm not part of his base and he's not my leader, religious or otherwise in any way, shape or form. 

Beck's message of old fashioned patriotism is one thing and there are some good American principles that should be defended, shuld be rediscovered and should be re-affirmed. America can be re-converted on its own principles.

However, ONCE/IF America turns to religious nationalism then we are in trouble because the idea of one religion being as good as another is a false principle and societies don't survive on false principles.

<Snip>

Bull-freaking-hokey. That's utter nonsense Lula. You know why? Because *I* am a secular humanist, and a liberal, and I believe in family, wit, love, and so on. I may not attribute them to a God, or a religion, but I do sincerely believe in them, as do many, many others I know who are also secular, humanist, and left wing. Time and again, in my experience, most support these things. Not always in the same way or fashion, but they do. 

It's unfortunate really, that you have to delude yourself with such nonsense. Do you really think I feel that all right wing religious people are nut jobs? No, of course not. Do I believe they're out to get me? No. Point is, why go off of a stereotype that isn't accurate? It's a fallacious generalization; society is much more complex than the little boxes you or I may put it in. 

So, why don't you try getting to know us secular humanist left wingers, before you start making judgments. Many of us are pretty chill (nice) people. Heck, If we ever were to meet, I'd gladly go have coffee with you (if that is your thing). 

Naturally, I'd ask that the topic stay away from religion.     

Best. 

~L

"As good as another" - Mind clarifying?

Lula posts:

I think what I said is accurate.

You see the core values and principles I am talking about here are those based on God's rules and Christian morals and ethics. 

Secular humanists (I'll call Worldlings) reject the rule of God which regards all human life from conception to natural death, as being valuable because He created it in His image and likeness. But secular humanistic man destroys human life by the millions by abortion, euthanasia and embryo-killing research.  God  ordained the natural family as the nurturing place of future generations, but secular humanistic man proposes that government replace the family and usurp parental rights. 

God ordained distinctive appearances and roles for the sexes, but secular humanists try to obliterate those distinctions. God instituted sex to be used within the male-female marital bond, but secular humanists pervert sex through pornography, fornication, adultery and homosexuality. 

Secular humanists have faith in man and in the world. They teach through the process of evolution man is moving toward Utopia.

God declares that the fear of the Lord is the starting point of wisdom, but Worldlings forbid any reference to God in the classrooms. God instituted moral absolutes to govern man, but Worldlings say that utopia can come only through the rejection of these absolutes. Look around.   Instead of ruling the world in an orderly meaningful way, Worldlings bring disorder, instability and chaos. The world is shaken by wars and threats of war. OUr Streets are filled with violence and crime.Economies become uncontrollable. Worldlings have bruised every institution that which have given society order, stability and direction.