Richard Beck on Glenn Beck and Holocaust

Richard Beck has posted a very fine here's-my-problem-with-Glenn-Beck post over at his blog.

In it he writes:

I'm critical of Glenn Beck because one of the most formative spiritual and theological experiences of my life was my confrontation with the Holocaust. I vividly remember, as an adolescent, when I fully discovered what went on at places like Auschwitz. I don't think my faith has, or will ever, fully recover from the damage of that realization. How could God have let that happen? How could ordinary human beings allow this to happen to their friends, co-workers and neighbors?

I have to agree; having walked through the concentration camp in Dachau, I find the notion of naming political adversaries "Nazi's" more and more unfathomable.

It's been about eight years since I was at Dachau, but everything about it was vividly etched in my mind. I remember the small museum where they showed a documentary about the history of Dachau; I remember walking through the oven rooms; and I remember walking through the "unused" gas chambers.

I also remember reflecting on my feelings from that visit to Dachau years later when I read Elie Wiesel's heart-rending words:

Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night... Never shall I forget the smoke. Never shall I forget the little faces of the children, whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky.

Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever.

Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams into dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never (32).

Richard Beck's post included this video from The Daily Show, which demonstrates Glenn Beck's propensity to use Nazi imagery to describe those he disapproves of:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Back in Black - Glenn Beck's Nazi Tourette's
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

In the context of having read Richard Beck's article, all the Nazi language becomes even more inflammatory and enraging. In fact, the same can be said for his ongoing (one-sided) row with Jim Wallis. I can't believe that Glenn Beck has had the gall to equivocate Wallis with Joseph Stalin (even if only by implication) because Wallis has not, nor will he ever, exterminate 3 million+ people. As I've written before, Glenn Beck makes himself into a fool when he speaks in such all encompassing terms.

At the end of the day, Glenn Beck's habitual use of Hilter and Stalin as similes for political opponents does two things: 1) It makes the notion of civil dialogue impossible, even dangerous, and 2) It makes a mockery of the actual victims of Hitler and Stalin.

May God give us grace to see the lie of Glenn Beck's political narrative.