8 good reasons I won’t be watching Glenn Beck’s America’s Divine Destiny event on TV tonight

1. Interfaith events almost always feature lukewarm and dumbed-down faith. This is true whether it’s a progressive event put together by Unitarians and barely religious theists or a conservative event put together by a god-and-country Mormon such as Glenn Beck.
2. Interfaith is fine and good for patriotic events and to gain momentum on common causes, but Beck bills this as a time to help “heal your soul,” and I can promise you that the red-meat rhetoric that highlights most Beck events won’t heal anything.
3. Evangelicals don’t look to Mormons for spiritual solace.
4. While I am an active conservative, I do not appreciate Glenn Beck’s caustic and smirking approach to political dialogue. One evangelical leader is participating in the event because, he says, although Beck is a Mormon, he exhibits Christian “fruit.” “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Gal.2:22,23) I’m sorry, but that’s not a list of Beck traits. He exhibits a commitment to promoting many conservative political principles, but—in my view—by employing unchristian means.
5. Let me give you some perspective. Most evenings during the 5 o’clock hour I’m on a treadmill at the local fitness club with a TV screen in front of me. Last night, rather than watch Glenn Beck I was watching the Little League World Series. The LLWS, really? That’s pathetic, I know, but it should tell you all you need to know about my appetite for Glenn Beck programming.
6. I am a Republican and I think both Beck and this event are potentially harmful to improving Republican fortunes.
7. I have a date with my wife.
8. The Braves are in a pennant race and they’re on TV tonight (although that is trumped by #7 above).

I could come up with several more reasons, but thinking about Glenn Beck makes my head hurt.