The Trumpcated Gospel

I do not support Donald Trump for President of the United States of America.  I will not vote for him.  His authoritarian ideals would be a disaster for our country.  He recently said that when he is president we will hear "Merry Christmas!" in the department stores.  He also will attempt to force Apple to build their computers in this country.  Apparently he doesn't understand that accomplishing such feats is impossible without shredding the United States Constitution.  Beyond those concerns, the despicable things he has said about Megyn Kelly and other women make me sick.  His support for Planned Parenthood should not be tolerated by those who claim the name of Christ.  I could go on and on.  A Donald Trump presidency would be a disaster for our country.

With all of that being said, these are not the things that concern me most about the Donald Trump phenomenon.  He claims to be one of "the evangelicals" and has been baptized in the praises of Dr. Robert Jeffress, Pastor of First Baptist Dallas, and Dr. Jerry Falwell Jr., Chancellor of Liberty University.  The thing that concerns me most is my perception that many evangelical leaders have exchanged the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ for a Trumpcated gospel.

What do I mean by a Trumpcated gospel?

To truncate the gospel would be to alter the gospel by cutting it short.  We might truncate the gospel by talking about grace and forgiveness without talking about sin and holiness.  We might truncate the gospel by calling people to receive Jesus as their Savior without calling them to bow their knee to Him as Lord.  But that isn't exactly what is happening with Donald Trump.  Rather than truncating the gospel, many evangelicals are Trumpcating the gospel.  They are not cutting the gospel short.  They are preaching a gospel that is altogether different from the one that has been once for all delivered to the saints.

Let's consider the most egregious example.  Trump doesn't believe he needs to ask God for forgiveness.  Republican pollster Frank Luntz asked Trump if he'd ever asked God for forgiveness.  Trump responded, "I am not sure I have."  He continued, "I just go on and try to do a better job from there.  I don't think so.  I think if I do something wrong, I think, I just try and make it right.  I don't bring God into that picture.  I don't."  Now perhaps you think Trump made a mistake.  He is a politician, not a theologian.  Surely he is entitled to a mistake here and there.  Well, when asked if he regretted saying those things Trump said, "No."  He went on to refer to his great relationship with God and "the evangelicals."  He said, "I like to be good.  I don't like to have to ask for forgiveness.  And I am good.  I don't do a lot of things that are bad.  I try to do nothing that is bad."  How could he regret something he said?  In his eyes, he has no need for forgiveness.

Trump's comments are antithetical to the true gospel as revealed in Scripture.  The gospel says that we are all sinners.  The gospel says that we are all enemies of God because of our sin.  Our only hope of being made right with God is by experiencing the grace and forgiveness that is only available in Jesus Christ.  We all need forgiveness.  That is the Christian message.  There is none righteous, no not one.

In his introduction of Trump at Liberty University Convocation, Jerry Falwell Jr. spoke of Trump's "fruit."  He listed a string of generous gifts given to people by Donald Trump.  He then quoted from Matthew 7 about knowing a tree by its fruit, and implied that Donald Trump is a Christian.  Falwell claims some special knowledge of Donald Trump as a man that the rest of us are not privy to.  If we just knew Trump as he does, we would know that he is a good Christian man.  I could not disagree more.  The bad fruit that we see on the outside serves as evidence of who Trump is on the inside.  If Trump has never repented of his sin and placed his faith in Jesus for salvation, he is not a Christian.

Let me be clear.  I really do not expect Trump to sound like a Christian when he talks.  I certainly do not expect sound theology from the owner of strip clubs and casinos.  I expect Trump to talk and live like a lost man.  He has given no reason for anyone to expect anything different.  The fact that Trump would preach a Trumpcated gospel doesn't surprise me or even concern me necessarily.  I expect as much.  And while Trump's vision for America does not match mine, I respect the decision of those who feel Trump is the candidate that best aligns with their views.  My concerns in this piece have very little to do with the presidency of the United States.

I am infinitely more concerned that leaders like Robert Jeffress and Jerry Falwell Jr. are preaching this Trumpcated gospel.  They can vote for whoever they want.  They can even endorse whichever candidate they prefer.  Though I disagree with their "beat Hillary at all costs" perspective, I can understand it.  But please do not pretend as if Donald Trump is a brother in Christ.  Please do not suggest that the good things Donald Trump has done somehow outweigh the bad.  Don't recite Matthew 7:1 as if Jesus said those words to prohibit us from making clear moral judgments on the authority of His Word.

Brothers and sisters, may we reject this Trumpcated gospel.  We do not somehow earn favor with God by "drinking our little wine and eating our little cracker."  Favor with God is only gained by repentance of sin and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  May we cling tightly to the true gospel as revealed in the Scriptures.  May we reject all attempts to pervert the gospel for political ends.  May we cling to biblical fidelity and reject political expediency.  Doing so may not be popular.  It may prove to be difficult.  It may even result in a Democrat being elected president.  But more than we fear another Democrat in the White House, we should fear gaining the whole world, while losing our soul.

Note: I have been biting my tongue for months regarding Donald Trump's candidacy.  It is not my place as a pastor to endorse candidates for public office.  To prevent from erring on the other side of that coin, I typically refrain from openly criticizing political candidates as well.  However, I feel compelled to speak now because I believe that it is not just the presidency that is at stake, but also the clear proclamation of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Because leading evangelicals like Robert Jeffress and Jerry Falwell Jr. have spoken in a way that clouds the gospel, I feel the need to combat their false teaching with truth.

Liberty University and Glenn Beck: Part 4

At this point, I am tired of writing about the Beck at Liberty situation.  I expect you are tired of reading about it as well.  This will be the last post.  You can read the three previous entries on this topic here, here, and here.

I am devoting this entry to Beck's response to those who were upset about his sermon at Liberty University.  One thing about his response makes me happy: Liberty must have heard enough from people who were upset for Beck to get wind of it.  That is a good thing.  Liberty responds to pressure.  We saw that with the Benny Hinn situation.  It saddens me though that the outrage over Beck's sermon did not equal that of the reported Benny Hinn partnership.

Embedded below is the clip from The Blaze TV where Glenn Beck addresses the controversy.  Following the video is my commentary.

Beck starts the segment out by saying that Liberty University is being smeared.  A little later he said that the "so-called Christian right" is hammering Liberty for having him speak.  I have not read the reports where Liberty has been smeared.  I also do not consider myself to have hammered Liberty.  I will have to let you be the judge of whether that is what I have done.

In fact, a quick Google search with the words "liberty university glenn beck" pulls up several stories related to this issue.  Jonathan Merritt asked lots of questions about the situation, but stopped well short of smearing Liberty.  I am not sure Merritt is a part of the "so-called Christian right" that Beck refers to anyway.  My Google search also pulled up a couple stories from the Christian News Network and a blog post by Denny Burk.

Nothing I have read about the situation hammers or smears Liberty.  In fact, I have attempted to express sorrow over the situation rather than anger and hatred.  I love Liberty University.  My degree from LU hangs on the wall behind my head as I type.  While I don't agree with everything Liberty does, and didn't agree with every convocation speaker I heard at Liberty, I love Liberty University.

I am pretty opinionated (understatement of the year).  I even disagree with myself sometimes.  I expressed my concerns to Jerry Falwell Jr. and Johnnie Moore and now on this blog because I love first the precious gospel of Jesus Christ and also Liberty University.

Beck misunderstands the motives behind those of us closest to Liberty.  Unfortunately, in his effort to defend himself and Liberty, he is guilty of the very same thing of which he so passionately accuses us.  He said, "If your kids are so moronic, I guarantee your kids will not even be able to get into Liberty University, if they're that stupid."  He later says, "This is why your churches are dwindling."  Then he refers to those who are opposed to his sermon at Liberty as "monsters."

Besides the fact that Beck knows nothing about the admissions standards of Liberty, he is the one who is guilty of smearing, hammering, and spewing hatred.  His seven and a half minute rant against those of us speaking up about our concerns really is sad.  I wish I could say that this wasn't typical of Glenn Beck.

I am not sure why he addresses it, but Beck states in the beginning of the segment, "I can't find the place [in the Bible] where it says, 'You'll know the tree by its fruit.'"  I assume that someone has quoted or referred to Matthew 7:15-20 in calling Beck's supposed Christianity into question.  I also assume that those referring to this passage are saying that since Beck still identifies with the Mormon faith and Mormonism is not Christianity, then he must not be a Christian.  They make a valid point based on a passage that is clearly found in Scripture.

I'll end with this quotation and my commentary on it: "I encourage you to join me, join others of multiple faiths, never asking anyone to change their faith, asking you to strengthen your faith.  Whatever it is, unless it's telling kill people, burn their books, shut them up, torture them, imprison them, kill them."  He goes on to say, "If your faith says learn about love, learn about goodness, learn about the power of faith, learn about the miracles of God, don't trust in the arm of flesh, but trust in the Spirit, I'd love to meet you."

The religious pluralism of Beck's quotes above is antithetical to the Christian gospel.  The Christian gospel is both inclusive and exclusive.  It is inclusive in the sense that anyone who repents of their sin and places their faith in Jesus Christ will be saved.  It is exclusive in the sense that only those who repent of their sin and place their faith in Jesus Christ will be saved.  Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me" (Jn. 14:6).

While I am not going to waste my time forming Moral Majority coalitions in hope that this country can be turned around through the political system, I am also not going to waste my time railing against those who do.  That is not what this is about.  Glenn Beck preached a Mormon sermon from the stage of Liberty University.  Nothing was said to the students before or after he did so.  No public statement has been issued by the University since.  And when questioned about it, Liberty responded with fluff that fails to address the heart of the matter.

Mormonism is not Christianity.  The gospel of Christ is at stake.  May we all be faithful to "guard the good deposit" that has been entrusted to us, the good news of Jesus Christ and the forgiveness of sin He offers to all who repent of their sin and believe on the Lord Jesus (2 Tim. 1:14).  Will you heed this call, Liberty University?  Will you do so for the sake of your students' souls?  Will you do so for the sake of the souls of those who may be led astray by this false teaching in convocation?  Will you do so for the sake of Glenn Beck's eternal soul?  Please, I plead with you.  Do the right thing.

Liberty University and Glenn Beck: Part 3

I have written two posts so far concerning the Glenn Beck sermon at Liberty University.  You can find them here and here.  The both contain emails exchanged between the Vice President of Communications at Liberty University, Johnnie Moore, and myself.  If you haven't read them, it will be important for you to do so as to add context to what I have written below.

I have a couple more things to say concerning Johnnie Moore's response to me.

Why is it so hard for Johnnie Moore and Jerry Falwell Jr. to say that Mormonism is not a Christian denomination?

I don't care if you call it a cult, false religion, or fringe group outside Christian orthodoxy.  I am not asking for Liberty to give Mormonism a label concerning what it is.  I am asking them to state plainly what it is not.  Jerry Falwell Jr. refused to do that in an interview with CNN.

Now, Johnnie Moore says, "Our students have no question about what Liberty’s doctrinal statement is.  It is posted publicly for all to see.  Our doctrinal statement is our public statement on Mormonism.  It is the same statement that Liberty was founded upon and it will never change."

Please interpret that doctrinal statement for me.  Is Mormonism a Christian denomination as Beck claimed, or is it the heretical fringe group that the Christian church has recognized it as since its founding?  I am getting mixed messages, and I am asking you to clear them up for me.  Are you willing to do so?

The end of Moore's email leaves me questioning Liberty's position, "By the way, many conservative evangelical leaders who are closer to Beck than me have told me that they believe Beck has had a born again experience recently.  I do not know his heart but our audience knows that he was speaking only for himself and expressing his personal opinions and beliefs, not those of Liberty University or even of Mormonism generally."

Has Beck rejected Mormonism?  Has Beck forsaken the teaching of his church?  As demonstrated in my first post, Mormonism teaches things about the man, God, and the atonement that are antithetical to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

What if Beck were a Muslim?  Could he have a "born again experience" while still clinging to Islam?  Absolutely not.  Neither can one follow Jesus and continue to cling to the false god and savior espoused in Mormonism.

I am not questioning the intellect of your students; I am questioning the wisdom of allowing a false teacher to preach on the stage of Liberty University.

Moore wrote, "As Jerry Falwell, Sr., our founder, often used to say about speakers at Liberty who had different views than him, Liberty students are smart enough to eat the fish and spit out the bones! I believe that's as true today as it was in his day."

This statement is irrelevant.  I believe that the people in my congregation are just as smart as the students at Liberty University, yet I do not welcome heretics into my pulpit and trust my people to "eat the fish and spit out the bones."

I don't really know what Jerry Falwell Sr. would have done in the same situation.  Neither do I care.  I had a lot of respect for Jerry Falwell Sr.  I didn't always agree with him, but I appreciate the things he accomplished for the kingdom of God.  This isn't about what Jerry Falwell Sr. would have done.  This is about doing what is right.

The student body at Liberty University is very diverse.  It is made up of people from all over the world, people from lots of different backgrounds, and yes, people from different faiths.  Do you really trust those who are not indwelt by the Spirit of God to discern truth from error with regard to Mormonism and Christianity?  I don't. 

Even Christians who are indwelt by the Spirit can be led astray by false teaching.  That is why the Apostle Paul used such strong language when referring to false teaching.  Consider some of the things Paul wrote to his son in the faith Timothy.

1 Timothy 1:3-7

As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, 4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. 5 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.

2 Timothy 1:13-14

Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.

2 Timothy 4:2-5

preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Let's be clear.  Mormonism is a false religion, and Glenn Beck is a false teacher.  I have a responsibility in my church to protect God's flock from false teaching.  I will stand before God one day and give an account for my stewardship of that responsibility.  While leading a university and choosing convocation speakers is not even close to the same thing as pastoring a church, the leaders of Liberty University have a responsibility to protect sound doctrine as well.

You want to be the world's largest evangelical university?  Fasten your belt and accept the responsibility that goes along with that label.  You are not irrelevant.  Christians and the world are watching you.  What will they think about Mormonism based on what they see at Liberty University?

I am reminded of Jesus' words in Matthew 18:6, "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea."  These words haunt me; they should haunt Johnnie Moore and Jerry Falwell Jr. as well.

My next post will address Beck's response to the controversy.  Thanks for reading.

Liberty University and Glenn Beck: Part 2

Yesterday, I began writing about Glenn Beck's recent sermon at Liberty University.  I posted in full the letter that I wrote to Chancellor Falwell and VP Moore.  I also want to provide you with a link to Beck's sermon if you are not familiar with what I am talking about, or doubt that Beck preached a "sermon" at Liberty University.  You can find the message in its entirety here.

I sent my first email on May 1.  On May 11, I sent another email as I had not yet heard back.  That email is below.

Gentlemen,

My name is Adam Blosser.  I am the pastor of Drakes Branch Baptist Church in Drakes Branch, VA and a graduate of Liberty University.  I am writing to follow up on the email I sent on May 1 concerning Glenn Beck’s sermon at Liberty University convocation. 

Unfortunately, I have not received a response.  I know of several others as well who have emailed and have yet to receive a response.  I recognize that the time since my last email has been very hectic on campus with graduation festivities.  I am hoping that now that graduation is over, you will be able to offer a response to some questions that I have. 

I really need to hear from both of you what you believe about Mormonism.  Is it a denomination within the bounds of Christian orthodoxy as Beck said in his sermon, or is it the heretical fringe group that the Christian church has recognized it as since its founding?  If the latter, was anything said to the students about the heresy Beck taught?  If not, why not?  Also, what was the agreement for this convocation message?  Was Beck given complete freedom?  Was he supposed to stick to conservative politics, but instead embarrassed you in front of your students?  I recognize that this may not have unfolded as you planned or expected.  I am hoping that now you will respond in a manner befitting the seriousness of this situation. 

Brothers, this is a gospel issue that demands your attention.  Mormonism is a false religion that claims to be Christian.  Glenn Beck is a false teacher who presented his false teaching in a sermon on the convocation platform of Liberty University.  Please, as Paul instructed Timothy, guard the good deposit by standing for the truth and speaking to this issue. 

Adam Blosser

On May 13, I received a response from VP Johnnie Moore.  That response is below

Adam:

First, I must apologize for my delayed reply to you. We just emerged from an unbelievable graduation weekend at Liberty. We had more than 34,000 people in attendance and we celebrated the graduation of more than 17,000 students. It was quite the celebration, and it consumed my time entirely until this very morning.

Secondly, I would like to thank you for expressing your concern.   Liberty takes concerns like yours extremely seriously, and that's why I'm writing to personally address your concerns.

You should know that Liberty University’s Convocation is not a church service.

We have explained over the decades repeatedly that convocation is an opportunity for students to hear from people of all faiths and from all walks of life.  Liberty has also made it clear repeatedly that it does not endorse any statements made by any convocation speaker.

By contrast, our faculty are all required to profess Liberty’s statement of faith and to affirm our doctrinal statement.  Our students are all required to take many credit hours of theology and Bible courses, regardless of their major.  Our students have no question about what Liberty’s doctrinal statement is.  It is posted publicly for all to see.  Our doctrinal statement is our public statement on Mormonism.  It is the same statement that Liberty was founded upon and it will never change.

College is about learning.  How can you defend what you believe if you don’t understand what others believe?  I believe our students are stronger in their faith because of our convocation speaker series and the wide diversity of views that they have been privileged to hear in person over the last few decades.

The president of Liberty University, Jerry Falwell, Jr. actually spoke to this during his remarks at our 41st annual commencement exercises this weekend. You can watch those remarks here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_Uz82ZHAHg

By the way, many conservative evangelical leaders who are closer to Beck than me have told me that they believe Beck has had a born again experience recently.  I do not know his heart but our audience knows that he was speaking only for himself and expressing his personal opinions and beliefs, not those of Liberty University or even of Mormonism generally.  As Jerry Falwell, Sr., our founder, often used to say about speakers at Liberty who had different views than him, Liberty students are smart enough to eat the fish and spit out the bones! I believe that's as true today as it was in his day.

Thank you for your deep love for, and concern for, our institution. I hope this at least helps to explain our position - and it's a longstanding position - on guest speakers in Convocation.

Blessings,

Johnnie

As I said yesterday, the email that I received from Johnnie Moore is very similar to the one posted by Jonathan Merritt.  You can find that letter here.

I found Moore's email to be gracious and kind.  His love for Liberty and her mission is evident.  I don't question any of those things.  I heard Moore preach many times while I was a student at Liberty.  He loves Liberty University.  He loves the students.  He desires to see God do a great work in and through Liberty.  I am not calling any of that into question.

However, I must question the wisdom of some of the things he says and doesn't say in his response.

He does not address the reality that Beck's message was very different from that given by other secular convocation speakers.

Beck preached a Mormon sermon.  There is no other way to put it.  He stood up and said that he came prepared to say one thing, and God instructed him in his hotel room to say something else.  I stand before my congregation each week and claim to speak for God.  When I do, I call that preaching.  I attempt to unpack the truth of God for the people of God from the Word of God.

Also, as I said in my initial email, "[Beck] spoke of Joseph Smith as a Christian martyr.  He spoke of the 'Grand Councils' which is a Mormon heresy.  He said that we should 'Live in such a way that you can demand miracles. Expect miracles. Call down miracles.'  This too is contrary to the teachings of Scripture.  We do not demand anything of God.  He spoke of the atonement, but as you know, Mormons have a very different view of the atonement than Christians."

Moore said in his email that convocation is not a chapel service.  I hear what he is saying, but it is doublespeak.  Liberty has had men I respect like John MacArthur, John Piper, David Platt, Jerry Vines, Ronnie Floyd and others stand on the stage in convocation and preach.  They have a time of singing worship songs at the beginning of each convocation service.  If Beck was not preaching, what about these other men?  Are you going to tell them that they were not preaching either?

It is not hard to see why this would be viewed as a blurring of the lines.  It is not hard to see why this is troubling to those who believe that Mormonism is well outside of Christian orthodoxy.

This was a sermon.  It was unlike other messages I have heard given on the stage of Liberty University by secular leaders.  Again, had Beck given a political speech, I wouldn't approve, but I wouldn't have even sent my initial email.

I will further address the email received from Johnnie Moore in my next post.  Thanks for reading.

Liberty University and Glenn Beck

I wasn't going to blog about this.  I don't want this page to become a "watchdog" blog.  However, the more I ponder this situation, the more I am convinced that responding thoroughly and in public is the best thing for me to do.

It should be noted that I do not approach this situation as an outsider.  I spent three years living on the campus of Liberty University as a student in the School of Religion.  I completed my B.A. in Pastoral Leadership and Biblical Exposition in December 2009.  I was a freshman at Liberty for the final year that Jerry Falwell Sr. was alive.  I served as a Prayer Leader, Spiritual Life Director, and Resident Assistant on several different dorms on campus.  I am no expert on Liberty, and have been largely disconnected since graduating, but I am not ignorant of the way Liberty works either.

Liberty University holds convocation three times a week.  All resident students are required to attend.  This is basically a chapel service, though they do not use that terminology.  They typically host Christian pastors and leaders.  Some are certainly better and more respected than others.  However, on occasion they have other leaders outside Christianity.  These are typically political speakers, though some are businessmen and women and other secular leaders.

While Liberty has a long history of having secular leaders from various fields speak for convocation and graduation, I do not recall ever hearing one of these leaders present what could only be called a "sermon" when addressing the students.

In the interest of full disclosure, I do have a problem with the criteria used to select convocation and graduation speakers.  However, I recognize it as an area where there may be room for disagreement.  The recent message presented by Glenn Beck is very different though.  He did not give a political speech.  He presented a Mormon sermon.

Let's be clear.  Mormonism is not a denomination under the umbrella of Christianity.  Mormon theology teaches that God used to be a man on another planet and even now has a physical body.  Mormons also teach that we can become gods.  The Mormon Church teaches that Jesus and Satan are brothers, and that Jesus is the product of God the Father's sexual relationship with Mary.  I trust this is enough information to convince you of my point that Mormonism is not within the boundaries of orthodox Christianity.

With this bit of background, I want to share with you the text of the email I sent to Jerry Falwell Jr. and Johnnie Moore.  Jerry Falwell Jr. is the President and Chancellor of Liberty University.  Johnnie Moore is the Senior Vice President for Communications with convocation falling under his direction.

Dr. Falwell and Rev. Moore,

My name is Adam Blosser.  I am a graduate (B.A. in Pastoral Leadership and Biblical Exposition, Class of 2010) of Liberty University and the Pastor of Drakes Branch Baptist Church in Drakes Branch, VA.

I am writing to express my concern over Glenn Beck’s recent sermon at Liberty University’s convocation.  I regret that I have to do this over email.  I wish that I could sit down with the two of you over a cup of coffee.  I hope you will find the tone of my email to be one of gentleness and respect.

Glenn Beck was the commencement speaker the year I graduated.  Mitt Romney was the commencement speaker the year my wife graduated.  In the interest of full disclosure, I opposed the decision to have those men speak at commencement.  However, I also recognize that Liberty has a long tradition of bringing in non-Christians to speak at graduation.  It is typically a time for challenging the graduates as they move on in life.  I also recognize that many non-Christians have been given the opportunity to address the students in convocation.  This happened on many occasions while I was a student at Liberty.  I have not written to you on those occasions because, while I disagreed with those decisions, I did not consider those situations to be the same as what recently happened when Glenn Beck spoke in convocation.

I am writing now because Glenn Beck was given a platform to teach Mormon theology to the students of Liberty University without, to my knowledge, any public rebuttal or refutation of the things he said.  He was given a table with a Liberty University table cloth on which to place the religious items that he brought with him.  In his sermon he clearly equated Mormonism with Christianity.  I watched the entire message this morning via video.  He spoke of Joseph Smith as a Christian martyr.  He spoke of the “Grand Councils” which is a Mormon heresy.  He said that we should “Live in such a way that you can demand miracles. Expect miracles. Call down miracles.”  This too is contrary to the teachings of Scripture.  We do not demand anything of God.  He spoke of the atonement, but as you know, Mormons have a very different view of the atonement than Christians.

I recognize the potential benefit of exposing students to Mormon teaching.  That is not why I am writing.  Had Beck stuck to conservative politics, I would not be writing this letter.  Unfortunately, he delivered a message that he claimed was given to him by God to share with the students of Liberty.  When he finished, a prayer was said and the students were dismissed without any refutation of the heresy that had just been spoken from the stage in convocation.

The responsibility of protecting sound doctrine belongs primarily to the church.  However, that responsibility also belongs to all believers and even to the largest evangelical university.  I was filled with disappointment as I listened to the words Beck spoke and watched as students clapped.  A wolf in sheep clothing was allowed to speak to the students of Liberty University unfiltered.

The Benny Hinn fiasco a few weeks ago was a mess.  Liberty responded promptly.  Not all of my questions were answered then, but I was glad to see Liberty respond quickly.  This situation demands a similar response.  Dr. Falwell, you have been quoted in a CNN interview as saying that Liberty has no official position on Mormonism.  It is time for you to take a position.  Mormons desire to have their faith equated with Christianity.  The enemy would love nothing more.  It is essential that you, in your position of influence, take a stand for truth on this issue.

I really need to hear from both of you what you believe about Mormonism.  Is it a denomination within the bounds of Christian orthodoxy, or is it the heretical fringe group that the Christian church has recognized it as since its founding?  If the latter, was anything said to the students about the heresy Beck taught?  If not, why not?  Also, what was the agreement for this convocation message?  Was Beck given complete freedom?  Was he supposed to stick to conservative politics, but instead embarrassed you in front of your students?  I am not demanding an answer.  I do not have that right.  I am asking these questions for my own peace of mind, and maybe even to challenge you as brothers in Christ as you think through this issue.

Thank you both for the time it took you to read this and respond.

God bless, 

Adam Blosser

I hope that sharing this letter demonstrates several things: 1) why I am concerned about this situation, 2) my love first for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and second for Liberty University, and 3) a way to express concern and sharp disagreement in a way that is honoring to Christ.

I will be writing more on this issue.  I did receive a response to my letter, and will be sharing that in a future post.  I have not compared it word for word with the response received and posted online by Jonathan Merritt, but it is at least very similar.  Glenn Beck has also discussed on his radio program the criticism Liberty has received over his sermon.  I will address that as well.

Thanks for reading, and God bless.