Godless faith in social justice

http://article.wn.com/view/2010/04/08/Glenn_Beck_worth_32M_a_year/

Of course, Glenn keeps the Salt Lake City Prophet/Profit Center happy by giving them the required 10% tithe i.e. at least $3.2 million/yr. He keeps us happy by paying about $10 million in taxes (35% bracket). He keeps the Connecticut citizens happy by paying $2.08 million to this fine state every year (typially no deductions allowed). Then there is the $500,000 that Medicare takes from his income every year.

Looks like we need more rich people like Glenn Beck and the Obamas (see below):))

"Obama paid a whopping $1.8 million income tax in 2009, which means his income (adjusted gross income of $5.05 million) is much higher than the $400,000 they talk about in civics class. That's because this guy is a best-selling author."

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/barack-obamas-tax-return-2010-4#ixzz0lhl1hzAj

Glenn Beck is worth about thirty-two million dollars. That is his version of social justice. Get what you can from the credulous.

Garoth, I think it is funny that you can disagree with someone when you haven't even read what they wrote. How will you know if anything I have to say is worth reading if you dogmatically refuse to read any of it? Sticking your head in the sand is no way to have an intellectual dialog.
-Staks

In response to "Dangerourtalk":

You obviously know nothing about Jim Wallis. I have followed what he and Sojourners have done for thirty years. He is not beholden to either political party, and has held both of them to account over the years. He - as any Christian should be - in beholden to the Gospel, and certainly is no "extremist." I think it's amazing what passes for "extremism" these days! Certainly I am far to the left of Wallis, and have always considered myself "moderate!" Now, it seems, you have to be somewhere between a Nazi and a member of the John Birch Society to be considered "moderate!" Of course, it's easy to paint people with a broad brush and, thereby, dismiss them.

I won't be reading your blog, column, or whatever kind of drivel you are putting out for people to see. When you decide to say something worth saying, then I'll be happy to read it.

Maybe Mr. Silverman could connect for us the dots between Judaism and the disgraceful plight of the Palestinian Arabs?

Beck is just another Fox News right wing tool bought and paid for by Ruppert Murdock...a well crafted fascimile of a human windup doll.

The GOP is full of similarly minded androids - several of whom hope to make another run at POTUS in 2012.

All in all, Beck is not worth a column here On Faith...except as a prime example of modern day republicanism.

Great response. I'm sad to see the Washington Post is even recognizing the drivel of Beck to be worth commenting on, though it's better than talking about the nature of heaven. So while it's not a worthy topic it's still a step up for the On Faith section.

2008 IRS Form 990 for the Secular Coalition of America

http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2008/260/058/2008-260058528-059381ba-ZO.pdf

lines 9, 12 and Part IV- note Mr. Silverman works 20 hr./wk for said non-profit. The group pays salaries of $105,695/yr but lists only one salary of $43,925 paid to an acting director. Who gets the the remaining salary dollars???

Then there is the group's Education Fund. The Fund apparently did not submit a Form 990. Why not?

http://www2.guidestar.org/organizations/26-1891218/secular-coalition-america-education-fund.aspx

We await Mr. Silverman's reply as a matter of social justice.

I know Herb Silverman well enough to state that he has never received even one penny for his service as president of the Secular Coalition for America. Yeal 9 doesn't know how to read the statements he or she is quoting.

Is it social justice to start a "non-profit" and then take one third of the donations as your salary?

Mr. Silverman's Secular Coalition

The mission of the Secular Coalition of America supposedly is to increase the visibility and respectability of nontheistic viewpoints in the United States, and to protect and strengthen the secular character of our government as the best guarantee of freedom for all.

Mr. Silverman is founder and president of this non-profit. He does not list his salary which is strange. Salaries and compensation from IRS Form 990 for 2008 are listed as $150,695. One director’s salary is listed at $43,925 so one assumes Mr. Silverman’s salary per year is about $106,000/year. Not a bad salary for a non-profit!!!

Contributions, gifts and grants for 2008 amounted to $310,034. Mr. Silverman also has established an education fund but no financials are available.

On Faith: A reason for social justice
Who would have thought that the concept of social justice would be at the heart of religious controversy? Oddly enough, it is this very concept which has polarized modern Christianity.

Both Beck and Wallis are wrong!

Glenn Beck has become a household name preaching religious extremism and the evils of social justice. Those that take him seriously are quite frankly insane. Jim Wallis on the other hand is a much less known religious extremist. Unlike Beck, Wallis identifies himself more on the other side of the political divide, but has maintained like Beck that he doesn’t support any political party (wink wink).

You can read the rest of my response to this topic:
http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-8928-Philadelphia-Atheism-Examiner~y2010m4d13-On-Faith-A-reason-for-social-justice

I will be responding to every issue posted in the 'On Faith' section. If you would like to be notified when my new response is up, please subscribe.

""Justice" is one of those words which may apply to several different aspects of human behavior. When used in the legal sense, most of us would agree as to its meaning. When used in a "social" sense, we often have different opinions as to its meaning. I question whether it should ever be used in a social sense at all, because it implies an obligation, a duty, a right. To me, these are ideas which must be reserved to a matter of personal choice, not obligations. When we go beyond this and begin to dictate, or legislate, what our social obligations are, we have violated individual freedom.
Posted by: fhay26 | April 13, 2010 1:54 PM"

Very well said! Words which are equivocable in meaning - legitimately have several meanings, eg, "aggravate" meaning to vex, annoy, or irritate in the colloquial sense vs. to worsen in the formal sense - should always be defined by the speaker to avoid confusion and increse comprehension. Unfortunately, English appears not to be Dolt Beck's best game. Perhaps, he meant the word "justice" is a shibbolith for the federal government redistributing the citizens' personal wealth, in which case I would applaud efforts to rebuke this intent. I believe that charity, as employment, should be voluntary.

Back in the 30s there was Father Coughlin, a hate-mongering anti-semite who broadcast his tirades over the radio. He promoted the USA take the roads of Hitler and Mussolini. A recent article in Harper's called Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh the heirs of Father Coughlin, with different targets for their hatred. I guess nothing changes in this world except different faces spouting the same drivel.

Compassionate Humanists live by social justice on a daily basis by doing for others the kind, thoughtful things we would want for ourselves.

The ever-paranoid Glenn Beck is at it again and struggling for new material when he claims that calls for "social and economic justice" are code words for communism and Nazism.

Sadly there will be those who will follow his misguided meanderings. Fortunately, there are those of us who agree with Dr. Silverman.

"Humanists understand that it is humane to help people who can't help themselves."
This says it all. To not have this understanding is to be devoid of compassion. Thank you Dr. Silverman.

"Justice" is one of those words which may apply to several different aspects of human behavior. When used in the legal sense, most of us would agree as to its meaning. When used in a "social" sense, we often have different opinions as to its meaning. I question whether it should ever be used in a social sense at all, because it implies an obligation, a duty, a right. To me, these are ideas which must be reserved to a matter of personal choice, not obligations. When we go beyond this and begin to dictate, or legislate, what our social obligations are, we have violated individual freedom.

Glenn Beck criticizes philanthropy so he won't have to explain why he hoards his own millions. We're supposed to believe this is about social and economic theory, but it seems much simpler to me: Beck is just a misanthropic miser.

Good points, Herb. Why would the Post base a question on what Glenn Beck thinks? Nobody with a functioning brain would care.