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VIA: AJC.com

Glenn Beck, a popular conservative and Fox News television personality, is famous for sounding political alarms and giving teary-eyed chalkboard lessons. Most often, his bizarre lectures are aimed at political liberals.

Last week, however, Beck fixed his sights on a new target: socially conscious Christians.

On his radio show, the host told his churchgoing followers to comb their church Web sites for the terms “social justice” or “economic justice.”

“If you find it, run as fast as you can … Now, am I advising people to leave their church? Yes!” Beck said.

Many churches and Christians use “social justice” to describe ministries to the poor, oppressed and suffering. Beck calls this term a “code word” for Communism and Nazism.

Later, on his Fox News television broadcast, he held up two cards — one bearing a Nazi swastika and the other, a Soviet hammer and sickle.

Beck contends these two ideological regimes also flew the social justice banner. Many Catholic, Protestant and Mormon leaders later condemned these comments.

Perhaps most glaring is how deeply Beck’s remarks conflict with what is known about the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.

Jesus spent his known adult life healing the sick, ministering to the poor and promoting social justice. He told us to love our neighbors and care for “the least of these.”

It’s hard to believe that Jesus would oppose the food pantries, clothes closets and anti-poverty ministries of many Christian churches.

Beck’s statements are fundamentally opposed to what the Bible actually states, and fly in the face of Christ’s own life. It’s armchair theology at its worst.

Read the full story here.