Focus on the Family website yanks Glenn Beck interview

WorldNet Daily reports that Focus on the Family’s interview with conservative talk radio and TV host, Glenn Beck, was recently yanked from the ministry’s CitizenLink website because they received many complaints that the ministry made it appear that Beck was Christian when he is actually an active Mormon.

The WorldNet Daily piece stated,

Karla Dial, the freelance reporter who did the interview for Focus, even says in the prologue, "These days, Beck is hoping to spread a more eternal sort of gospel through his new book, The Christmas Sweater." Those comments, among others, drew the criticism of several Christian apologists, who argue that Beck's gospel and the evangelical gospel are not the same.

Focus on the Family, however, did make this statement after yanking the Beck interview from their website,

"You are correct to note that Mr. Beck is a member of the Mormon church, and that we did not make mention of this fact in our interview with him," the receptionist said. "We do recognize the deep theological difference between evangelical theology and Mormon theology, and it would have been prudent for us at least to have pointed out these differences. Because of the confusion, we have removed the interview from CitizenLink."

Beck made this statement on his website:

The Christmas Sweater is a story about the idea of Christmas as a time for redemption and atonement. Whatever your beliefs about my religion, the concept of religious tolerance is too important to be sacrificed in response to pressure from special interest groups, especially when it means bowing to censorship. I'm humbled and grateful that hundreds of thousands of people from different faiths have read the book and have appreciated its uplifting message for themselves. At a time when the world is so full of fear, despair, and divisions, it is my hope that all of those who believe in a loving and peaceful God would stand together on the universal message of hope and forgiveness. -glenn

It’s disappointing that Focus on the Family had to be pressured before giving a prepared statement –that Mormonism is not compatible with biblical Christianity– to a receptionist to read to those who called with complaints, but at least they did do the right thing.