Author Adam Reilly’s assessment of Glenn Beck’s faith and politics [see “Latter-day Taint,” Dec. 3] stirred up a bevy of Beck defenders at cityweekly.net, including several who claimed City Weekly focused on the Fox News host only to criticize The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“...[I]t is quite futile to attack Ezra Taft Benson, a former leader of the Mormon church.
You already have alienated at least 50 percent of your target audience,” wrote online commenter jmg1234.
That’s doubtful. The political views of LDS Church leaders are not above reproach, and only the most dogmatic Mormons believe otherwise. And those dogmatic Saints are more likely the target audience of the Deseret News, not City Weekly.
“Pretty sure that my church has never taught me that the government is the spawn of Satan,” wrote hankjonesproject. The article explains how Beck seems to twist LDS teachings regarding moral free agency to claim that government efforts to improve the lives of poor Americans is satanic. Rant Control is not sure if hankjonesproject was criticizing the article—or Beck—but I thought I should clarify.
Rant Control was impressed with Reilly’s demonstration that there is not just one Mormon world view—political or otherwise—a mistake made by Mormons and non- Mormons alike. Reilly quoted Mormons who themselves are uncomfortable with the idea that Beck may be reinforcing stereotypes of Mormons. Our critics seemed to have missed that important point.
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