Mormons, other Christians decry Glenn Beck comments on social justice

SALT LAKE CITY — Fox News talk-show host Glenn Beck has outraged some Christians by asking them to leave their church if it preaches about "social justice" or "economic justice" — terms he believes could be code words for communism or Nazism.

At least one Christian minister is now calling for a boycott of Beck's TV and radio shows.

Beck said on his March 2 TV show: "I beg you, look for the words 'social justice' or 'economic justice' on your church Web site. If you find it, run as fast as you can. Social justice and economic justice, they are code words."

Beck also said: "Am I advising people to leave their church? Yes! If I am going to Jeremiah Wright's church (a reference to President Barack Obama's former Chicago pastor). If you have a priest that is pushing social justice, go find another parish. Go alert your bishop."

Beck is not the first to suggest the terms are being used as euphemisms. Others for years have argued that they are used by communists as substitutes for Marxism, socialism and collectivism, but many church leaders were angered by Beck's attack on them. Some Mormons also reacted strongly.

The Rev. Jim Wallis, who leads the Christian social justice group "Sojourners" in Washington, D.C., took strong offense to Beck's comments.

Wallis has begun a "Tell Glenn Beck: I'm a Social Justice Christian" campaign on his Web site, www.sojo.net.

"Glenn Beck recently told his listeners to leave any church that teaches social justice, and to report its pastor to church authorities," Wallis wrote. "Since Sojourners' mission is 'to articulate the biblical call to social justice,' we thought we'd better turn ourselves in. But before reporting to any church hierarchy, we're going to report ourselves to Glenn Beck."

He continued:

"Whether you're a church leader, a church member, or a church seeker, if you're a Christian who believes in the biblical call to social justice, we invite you join us … let him know that the biblical call to social justice is good news — not fodder for 'code word' scare tactics."

Wallis also stated on his blog: "What he has said attacks the very heart of our Christian faith and Christians should no longer watch his show."

He reported that more than 20,000 people have already responded to his Internet campaign and that at times, the site's server has been unable to handle the heavy traffic. Wallis said he would also like to debate Beck on this issue.