Glenn Beck is a Douche

First, let me state that Glenn Beck is a worthless blowhard that does not belong on any network. He makes flimsy arguments, and in true one-sided pundit fashion, he only ever has guests on to support his worldview to his sheep-like audience. On the off occasion that someone of a differing opinion joins him on screen, he treats them just like his network’s papa bear, Bill O’Reilly, and never lets them get a sentence out edgewise amid all of the interruptions, sour looks, and instant, fallacious refutations.

Glenn Beck is to logical discourse what the bubonic plague was to medieval longevity. He wouldn’t recognize a concrete argument if it sat on his face. I get douche chills in my spine just watching this short segment.

As with many examples of fundamentalist ideology that I present, this one is also replete with more flaws and fallacies than can reasonably be addressed given my limited time resources and the internet’s limited bandwidth resources. But as always, I’ll touch on a few of the more glaring cases.

“90% of us believe in God yet we seem to be pushed around by 10%”

This type of ignorance can only come from being deeply ethnocentric, as a fair amount of religious folks tend to be. When exactly have Christians been pushed around? It seems to me that when you send your children to a public, government-funded school, it doesn’t really matter what your opinion is on any matter, because in the end, the government will dictate the agenda for said school. Don’t like it? Send your kids to private school. Then they can pray all day long, have Bible study, do stations of the cross, play wholesome Christian sports, and learn to be a bigot in entirely new and creative ways.

“blah blah some people want to remove God from this country altogether. Right here. This nation under God.”

We have only officially been a “nation under God” since 1954, when that phrase was legislated into existence after pressuring from religious groups. To quote the Rev. George Macpherson Docherty:

“These words [‘under God’] will remind Americans that despite our great physical strength we must remain humble. They will help us to keep constantly in our minds and hearts the spiritual and moral principles which alone give dignity to man, and upon which our way of life is founded.”

Riiiight. Or they will be used by religious fanatics to insist that this country has been officially blessed by an all-knowing God, thus making us his second group of chosen people.

“You can’t even use the word ‘prayer’ in school.”

Wrong. You are wrong. The decision of the judge in Illinois did not ban prayer from schools, or ban the use of the word ‘prayer’ in schools. Children can do whatever they like during moments of silence. If they want to pray, that should be something that they would have wanted to do with that time anyway. They should not need to be instructed on the various ways in which 30 seconds can be used. Leave them to their imaginations. I’m sure toddlers can figure it out on their own. If their depth of faith is so great that they want to submerge themselves in prayer, they will do so. If they want to color, they will do so.

“Are the children of atheists so fragile that the idea of prayer could actually warp their minds?”

No they are not. Children of atheists, for the most part, already have a good foundation in logic and critical thinking. However, all children are extremely impressionable, and were it not for their parents dictating to them what they must believe to go to Heaven after death (another concept they probably haven’t even fully come to terms with) they wouldn’t even espouse such beliefs.

That’s it. I’m spent. I’m only 1:17 into this video, and I can’t suffer any more. What is your favorite piece of ‘wisdom’ from Glenn or Jimmy Dobs in this video?

13 thoughts on “Glenn Beck is a Douche

  1. If you can suffer through the beginning, near the end of the segment Dobson talks about interviewing Ted Bundy before his execution. Bundy told Dobson all about how pornography turned him into a bad, bad man.

    This struck me as particularly funny. Ted Bundy was a master of manipulation. I doubt he wanted to warn people about the dangers of pornography. I think he told Dobson exactly what he wanted to hear, knowing that 20 years later, Dobson would STILL be quoting him. I guess children aren’t the only impressionable ones…

  2. I was a fan of being visually assaulted with the word ‘prayer’. It made me want to have a moment of silence in which to reflect upon the suave, erudite social commentary or Mr. Beck. Truly, he is a god amongst anchormen.

  3. The thing that pisses me off about this is their ability to tear apart atheists without any argument. This allows their lies to be perpetuated without response. They frame atheists in a horrible light without any regard to their actions.

  4. I don’t know about anyone else, but I truly enjoyed being “assaulted” with the word ‘prayer’. If this guy Beck is so naive to think that a little word has athiests all over the planet curling up in the fetal position and sucking their thumbs while foaming from the ass, then he truly does belong on Fox News with Mr. O’Reilly.

    His uneducated arguments and child-like pandering makes this more of a comedy piece for me, rather then a mature debate topic.

  5. Why denigrate Christians and Jews, or Muslim’s for that matter?
    A real Atheist should care less what they want to believe in.
    You give Atheism a very bad name.
    I am an Atheist, and the last thing I would want to do is intrude in anyone else’s belief system.

  6. Hey, Doc – I don’t denigrate, but I do criticize religion.

    Why would I do that?

    Here are three reasons:

    1) Religious people – mostly Christians – prevent the federal funding of stem cell research in the US.

    2) Same people waste our time and resources and debating gay marriage and voting on it each election cycle.

    3) Same people think abortion is worse than war.

    Those are just three, and I could go on.

    These beliefs, mostly rooted in Christian ideology, are harming our society. And you don’t think we should even be discussing this because you don’t want to intrude, or give atheism a bad name?

    Really?!?

  7. These pundits like their one-sided arguments because they perpetuate that a majority opinion is right. Any dissent is dismissed outright because those who disagree are “bigots.” They operate like this because this puts anyone who counters their position with a rational argument on the defensive. The atheists become apologists by default trying not to offend the “majority.” As an atheist I feel that offending someone with an argument that proves what they believe is irrational is my right and duty. The only reason any religious person has to be offended by a rational argument is if they know that they have nothing to counter it. If their belief intrudes on rational discourse then they should be the one on the defensive.

  8. Excellently put, Andrew. I’ve never understood the reasoning for not engaging in debate because it might offend someone. If I tried to debate with someone that believed there was a leprechaun in their shoe, I should certainly not avoid engaging them because I might offend their irrational worldview.

  9. “What students would learn in American schools above all is the religion of Jesus Christ.”
    -George Washington.

    If I were to create a website with an idealogy such as your’s, I would abstain from posting the Glenn Beck video. For one, he has the absolute best ratings and views in television, or any mass-media production for that matter, history. And two, he is absolutely right and makes this website look bluntly pathetic. Which isn’t hard to do I suppose after reading your pessimistic posts. There is a reason to which Glenn is so well liked and respected. I believe the polls speak for themselves, as George Washington’s comments do as well. I’m an 16 year old kid, and I see things more clearly than you do. Thus, my prayers are with you and your readers.

    God Bless.

  10. You used the word “prayers” in your comment, which shows that you clearly do NOT see things more clearly that I.

    And while Glenn Beck may be first place in ratings IN HIS TIME SLOT. He is most certainly not number one, even on Fox News. Another pompous asshole, Bill O’Reilly, currently holds that spot. Again, by throwing yourself in with this crowd, you’re not helping your case.

    If you would like to live in a country where religion is entangled with government and education, I suggest Iran. Maybe your views would change a little. Having been to the Middle East myself, I have seen the tensions that exist and are a sole result of differences in religious belief. It is an unnecessary byproduct of a flawed, violent, corrupt, and intellectually bankrupt system.

    Good day.

  11. Saying that you think Glenn Beck is “absolutely right” doesn’t make it so. And the reason he is so well liked is the same reason that religion has a stranglehold on society. People like to hear things that they agree with. People like to get that warm feeling in their tummy when they think everything will be alright.

    Why waste your prayers on atheists debating on a website? Why not focus on widespread hunger and poverty instead?

  12. Brett, I accuse you of spreading false information with that George Washington quote. I doubt he ever said that, and I require a citation. When or where did he say it? If it’s true, I will happily apologize to you for doubting your word.

    What I think you’re referring to is a speech Washington made in Delaware in 1779. If so, that’s not what he said. Do some research.

    As you say, you see things “more clearly”. I believe you. I just don’t think the things you see are necessarily true. You don’t strike me as someone who wants to know the truth, or else you would have spent 30 seconds on Google finding out that Christians made up this quote to further a political and educational agenda.

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