Can man rule himself?

Marvin Olasky was invited to be on Glenn Beck's show to discuss Edward Bernays, the man credited with having invented modern public relations, about whom Olasky had written a book some years ago. He found Beck's "interview" an interesting experience. From Olasky's description in WORLD Magazine, "Beck, Jesus, and me":

Beck introduced me as "a former Communist. Now he believes man can rule himself." Not exactly, on the last part: I said, "We are people created to worship in some way. If we don't worship God, we'll worship the human gods created by people like Bernays." Beck wrote on one blackboard, "Can man rule himself?" He then answered the question: "Yes, if enlightened, educated, empowered, and entrepreneurial." But the Bible says our first sin, back in the Garden, was attempting to rule ourselves. ....

We went to audience questions. Petrina, very serious, asked for help in dealing with her "sense of powerlessness and sadness." I said people propose various schemes, but "Nothing works apart from Jesus Christ." Beck said, "That's not the way I would have answered it," then added a diplomatic, "but it's a good answer." He offered his prescription for a disordered society: "We just have to put it all in order. We have to enlighten ourselves, educate ourselves, empower ourselves, and then be creators. That is the solution."

Clear enough. Two different views: One with God at the center, one with man at the center. Beck emphasized his position: "Jefferson said fix reason firmly in her seat, and question the very existence of God. I have applied that to not just God but everything. . . . Empower yourself."

Oh, and one little thing: It seems that the show we taped was a little longer than the 41 minutes typical for Beck shows archived at his website. I went to the website a few days later to see how it all looked, and—surprise—my comment that "Nothing works apart from Jesus Christ," and Beck's initially curt response, were not there. I guess something had to be cut.

I find it almost impossible to view Beck's show. He is a perfect example of one who has just enough knowledge to be dangerous. He obviously doesn't understand Christianity, or, I suspect, his own faith. Thomas Jefferson was a very great man some of whose ideas about religion [and revolution, and Reason (with a capital "R")] were very silly, and nobody with respect for the faith would quote him on it.

WORLD Magazine | Beck, Jesus, and me | Marvin Olasky | Mar 26, 11