• Glenn Beck hosts rally in Old City of Jerusalem

    By Rich Shulman

    I guess it wouldn't be reasonable to expect Glenn Beck to go to the Holy Land without stirring the pot.

    As AP reported:

    Beck's unabashedly pro-Israel, anti-Muslim rhetoric has endeared him to some on Israel's far-right. But religious figures and left-wing politicians have come together in an unusual alliance appealing to Israelis to shun his embrace.

    Religious Jews are worried he is here to spread the Christian gospel, while dovish Israelis reject Beck's support for West Bank Jewish settlements and his criticism of peace efforts.

     Full story.

    Conservative Christian radio & television evangelist Glenn Beck hosts a rally near the Western Wall, on August 24 in Jerusalem's Old City, Israel. The event, under the slogan 'Restoring Courage', was attended by hundreds of his evangelical Christian supporters, whilst many who oppose his right-wing views protested outside.

    Ammar Awad / Reuters

    Protesters opposed to U.S. conservative broadcaster Glenn Beck's "Restoring Courage" rally, hold placards during a protest outside the venue of the rally in Jerusalem's Old City August 24. On the fringes of Jerusalem's most volatile holy sites, Beck declared his support for Israel on Wednesday at the rally showcasing fundamentalist Christian backing for the Jewish state. About 30 protesters from the anti-settler group Peace Now were opposed to the rally.

    Uriel Sinai / Getty Images

    Actor Jon Voight attends a rally near the Western Wall of Conservative Christian radio & television evangelist Glenn Beck, on August 24 in Jerusalem's Old City, Israel.

    Comment

    Show more
    Explore related topics: , , , , ,

  • Nicholas Kamm / AFP - Getty Images

    People gather at a rally dubbed "Restoring Honor," to show support of the U.S. military, organized by conservative radio and television commentator Glenn Beck, one of the de facto leaders of the Tea Party movement at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 28. The rally has attracted controversy because it is being held on the 47th anniversary of civil rights legend Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, at the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, where King spoke.

    Church and state

    How do you feel about the messages on these T-shirts? How do you interpret Thomas Jefferson's idea of a "wall of separation" between church and state? While there are references to God on our money, on our government buildings, in our oaths, etc., at what point do such references infringe upon the free exercise of religion as put forth in the First Amendment? Do you think the ideas our forefathers put forth kept only variations of Christian faiths in mind? If so, should all references to God be removed, or would you like to see the United States formally declared a Christian nation? Has the evolution of religious belief changed our social fabric? For better or worse?