Don't argue with idiots

In a recent news article, Fox News commentator Glenn Beck has claimed that the Bible says nothing about social justice and any member of a church that teaches it or uses that phrase should leave the church. This led Rev. Jim Wallis, president of Sojourners, a progressive Christian organization, to respond by saying all Christians should boycott Beck's show. Wallis also made an appearance on MSNBC to refute Beck further.

Make no mistake - I think Glenn Beck is an idiot. But he's paid to be an idiot, and paid well. He's a Republican shock jock: he makes bold and often unfounded statements, stirs up fear at every opportunity, and becomes tearful when discussing the loss of traditional America at the hands of the Democrats. This sells. I don't care what political party you embrace; if you can do this well, you will have followers.

Is Beck wrong? Yes. Biblically, we have a great responsibility to the poor. I'm not sure that responsibility involves some of the liberal programs Wallis advocates, but Beck is wrong about Christ's teachings. But that doesn't change the fact that Beck plays an idiot on TV to make money, and Christians, especially leaders of Christian groups, shouldn't argue with idiots.

Boycott Beck? Why? So we can further insulate ourselves into rooms of only people we agree with? I don't see that as an effective strategy for being salt and light in the world. I think Christians, like most people, are in a hurry to avoid anyone with whom we disagree. And that's dangerous. In order to build relationships with people and connect with them, we must understand them. In order to understand ourselves and have any sort of confidence in the beliefs we hold dearly, they must be challenged. And if we seek to change minds about the teachings of Christ, we must know the minds of those we are seeking to change.

This may not be popular with some of my readers, but one of the things I'm most thankful for in my education is that I attended public schools instead of Christian ones. I was daily with a lot of people who thought my beliefs were bunk. Perhaps one of the most critical days for my faith came at UNI, when an atheist professor challenged the beliefs of Christians in a lecture hall. I found the gigantic holes in my faith, realized how much I didn't know, and became dedicated to discovering and embracing truth - not just the traditions in which I had grown up.

When I first read the article, I was irritated with Wallis for the call for boycott. In the interview on MSNBC, he did say what I hoped to hear from him in the beginning: "I'd like to have a conversation with Beck." Conversations, not boycotts, lead to better understanding. However, it was clear as the interview went on that the purpose for the conversation Wallis wanted to have was to prove to Beck that Beck was wrong. His goal was to win an argument. And I think that's a bad motivation.

As a Christian leader, it is Jim Wallis' job to teach about Christ. Wallis can do that without calling for Beck boycotts or challenging him to a debate to prove how right he is. If Wallis is concerned about Beck's soul, he can call him without going on to MSNBC to do it. If he wants to get into a political policy debate with him, then let's leave religion out of that conversation.