RADIOJanuary 01, 2024

How Christians should respond to PERSECUTION from Biden AND their own Church

Under the Biden administration, traditionalist Catholics and conservative Christians of all kinds have increasingly become targets of the government. And some churches themselves are also starting to turn on traditionalist Christians. So, how should people of faith respond to this increase in persecution from outside AND within the Church? Glenn speaks with former presidential speechwriters Alex Torres and Joshua Charles, who have co-authored a new book, "Persecuted from Within." They argue that modern-day Christians should learn from those who came before them. And they also discuss the recent removal of Catholic Bishop Joseph Strickland by the Pope and how bizarre it is that Joe Biden — our second Catholic president — is targeting Catholics.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: Well, let me say hello to a couple of people. Alec Torres. He was the former speechwriter for President Trump, and my good friend and former co-author Joshua Charles. He's also a former White House speechwriter. And he is the coauthor of Original Argument. The Federalist case for the Constitution.

Adapted for the 20th century, which is something we put out. I don't even know.

Joshua, how long was that? 2008, '9?

JOSHUA: 2011. That was over 10 years ago, Glenn. Thank you for the opportunity, did a lot of things. Thank you.

GLENN: No, you're extraordinarily talented.

So, guys, tell me. And I guess, Alec, if you want to start, tell me about Persecuted From Within.

ALEC: Persecuted From Within is a book that is really rooted in something that Josh and I were noticing. That if you are good, faithful, traditional Catholic. Just good, faithful, traditional Christians.

All around you, people are -- you're under attack.

People don't like you.

The state doesn't like you.

And, frankly, we saw in our own church. A lot of people in our own church don't like us.

And they're trying to crush us.

So we wanted to know how to respond to that. We wanted to figure out, how do you act as a Christian. A good person of faith, in response to institutions that you love, persecuting you.

And we thought of a better way to do that, than to look at great historical figures. Really, monumental Christians from the past, who had to live under pretty terrible circumstances.

Frankly, circumstances, that are oftentimes worse than our own. And learn the lesson straight from them.

GLENN: You cover one of my favorite guys.

Fulton sheen. The archbishop from New York. Who I didn't know about, growing up.

I found out about it, probably in 2008.

And I think he was one of the greatest guys ever.

I don't think of him as persecuted.

But he's a part of the book. How do you look at him?

And what did you learn from him?

ALEC: Well, he was persecuted in a way that was a little hidden. What happened with him. It was his cardinal at the time.

It was -- this is an interpersonal dispute. Bishop Sheen was in charge of distributing charity to the poor. And Stulman gave him a bunch of things from the government to distribute to the poor. And when Stulman asked Sheen to pay for it, Sheen said no.

So you think that's a small matter.

But it actually made the cardinals livid against Sheen.

And he found revenge, moved him out of his position. Cut him off from his TV program. And sent him off to work at Rochester, where he was totally ill suited for his role. He had to do it. Because it was his boss essentially.

He was under the cardinal. He looked at this great figure.

Media personalities.

Invited to these big events at New York.

And, boom, pretty much a failure, when he was sent over to Rochester.

All because he refused to take money from the poor.

And give it to his boss.

GLENN: Joshua, you're having this persecution.

A lot of people are questioning the way their churches are behaving.

Because we're in a time of great change. And I think most of our churches have gotten fat and sassy.

And are too timid to take on the real gospel truth. And how it applies to our lives.

A lot of people and a lot of faiths are having this problem.

In the Catholic Church, you just had something up heard of happen here in Texas.

Where the pope got involved, and kicked somebody out.

VOICE: Yeah. Bishop Strickland, who is a friend of mine. Right before COVID, I was able to spend some time with Bishop Strictland, in what we Catholics call a Eucharistic adoration. Where we pray for what we believe is the body, blood, and soul of our Lord, our Eucharist.

And we did that for what's called a holy hour. And I will say, the bishop is the real deal. We went from dinner.

He wears his garments everywhere he goes. He's a humble, shepherd of the Lord. And I think in his reaction to the situation, we see how many of the things that Alec and I write about in this book, reacted. And we cover about 2000 years' worth of saints.

And Bishop Strictland has asked Catholics, he's asked them to pray for Pope Francis. He's asked them to not engage in reviling. But he's also spoken the truth, about some of the issues, that are going on in the church.

And, frankly, that's the sort of behavior that many of the saints engaged in, in this book.

One that comes to mind is St. Athanasius, who was the great bishop of Alexandria. He was reviled and booted from his dioceses, multiple times. He was exiled five times through Alexandria. There was one time, some soldiers coming to pick him up, that were being sent by the emperor, who was coordinating with some Aryan bishops. And he just barely made it out.

He basically covered his face. And went through a crowd and escaped. So there were some pretty harrowing stories.

And Athanasius, the phrase was (another language), Athanasius against the world.

And he found support in Rome, and in other parts of the world, particularly in the West.

But he stood firmly for the truth, unwaveringly. But to do so, he had to experience persecution within the family, as we say.

And that's one of the great lessons of these things, is that to follow Jesus, Jesus says we must take up our cross, and the cross includes not only being on a path from external enemies -- you know, pagans and heathens, and what not. But from members of the family, so to speak, within the church as well. As Jesus himself was. From Judas, to the denial of Peter. And many of the problems the apostles addressed in the early church. There's all sorts of issues, those issues have never changed.

But many of these great saints face, as Alex mentioned, challenges that many of us couldn't even imagine. I think we're in a very trying time period, don't get me wrong.

But many of. You know, Joan of arc, for example. She's covered in this book. She was a lay woman, and she was killed.

She was unjustly brought to a trial. Her canonical rights to appeal to the Pope, for example, were denied. And as a result, she was executed. But she went to her execution, faithful, praying to God.
And she remained a Catholic.

And so, you know, that's the great story of these saints. Is that they do things that are quite literally, otherworldly.

And I think that's what is so inspiring. Either the Christianity thing is a complete fraud, or it's otherworldly.

And it actually gives its followers something that they could never give themselves. That's this peace. And the fortitude in the face of extraordinary persecution.

And the same, by engaging in this. By suffering in it.

They find the humility that ultimately takes us to heaven, frankly.

GLENN: I was just talking to Megyn Kelly.

And, you know, I don't just -- I could be wrong.

But I don't think that you guys wrote this, because of the persecution that's going on right now.

I have a feeling that you're thinking, that it's going to get much, much worse.

I could be wrong. And I would love to hear your opinion on it.

VOICE: I think so, yeah.

VOICE: Yeah, definitely.

GLENN: So Megyn and I were talking about what's coming. They put Donald Trump in Jail, or whatever.

There is a -- there is going to be a moment, where people have had enough.

And when that happens, persecution and the government will just come down hard.

So what is the -- what is the -- the things that we can pull from your book, that tells us what to do. And what not to do.

VOICE: I think in -- when we're facing -- you know, a lot of institutions turning against us, perhaps most terrifyingly our government in America. Because the amount of power it has. We've seen attacks by religious people, especially Catholics.

Even in the last few weeks, frankly.

It's holding on to truth. Especially the truth of our faith, matters more than anything else.

That gives strength, that can overcome any of these difficulties.

When other people are crumbling or being manipulated, or fallen to the wayside, it's our faith that allows us to be able to get through, even great difficulties and circumstances, we really never had to experience in our generations. And make it through in the end.

Time and time again, when it looked like their circumstance -- they themselves were imprisoned or martyred or, you know, shut up and away from the public fear. Would have their rights to speak, their liberties taken away from them.

They really did cling to their faith.

And God saw them through.

That's what is so wonderful about these stories.

You think looking at the history of persecution as great Christians would be a depressing subject.

But in a way, it's actually quite inspiring.

Seeing, their strength and how we can imitate that. And you can see how God is always with his people. When you're faithful to God, God is faithful in greater abundance, than we ever could imagine.

GLENN: What do you guys think we're facing? Especially as Catholics. You guys are -- we have a Catholic president. Only the second time in history.

The last time we had one, and the first one was JFK.

And now, we have a -- a Catholic president, who seems to be going after the Catholics. It's bizarre.

VOICE: Well, Glenn, this is a topic I've been pondering for really since COVID. I came into the Catholic Church in July 2019. And then so my first Easter was in 2020. And, you know, we -- we know that was a somewhat eventful year. And masses around the world were canceled for Easter. And what I discovered in the church fathers and in many of these great saints. Is this articulation, that I said before, that persecution comes not only from the outside, but from within.

And as we all know, those of us who have any family issues, which I'm sure all of us.

That's the hardest thing to deal with.

That's exactly what the saints dealt with. And, frankly, President Biden. I hope he repents.

I hope he comes back to a faith. He's clearly violating it.

And, frankly, we have many shepherds who aren't calling him on it.

And they will be held to a very high standard. On the day of justice.

We Catholics believe that every single one of us, wants to answer what we did, and what we failed to do, to Jesus Christ on the day of judgment.

And the people who have the highest standard for behavior, will be bishops, will be priests, and will be the pope.

And the pope has to go to confession.

The bishops have to go to confession. And to the extent, that they failed to amend their conduct before they died, they will have to answer to the biggest boss.

And so -- but what we saw with all these saints, is that the subtitle of the book is called how the saints endured crises in the church.

And I will say, that there is this idea that there's this Judas element within the church. Throughout its entire history.

Throughout its entire history.

It can't go away.

It will be resolved. But when Jesus comes back.

Jesus warned about it. The apostles warned about it.

Some have called it the antichurch.

And it's basically the dark side of the church.

And these saints exhibit an astounding level of humility, when they're faced with this kind of persecution.

So, for example, I joked with some of my White House colleagues. That the thing that sucks about being Catholic. Is we can't complain about suffering.

What I meant, there's this idea of the Catholic faith, of redemptive suffering. The idea is that through his cross. Prior to the Lord's cross and his death and resurrection. Suffering was basically meaningless. It was futile.

It was the affect of the fall. And what not. But after the cross. Every single human being, if they follow Christ, can join their suffering, and it becomes fruitful. It becomes fruitful for the salvation of others.

It becomes fruitful for the salvation of their own soul.

So it's futile and meaningless, which suffering oftentimes feels like.

Through Christ and his suffering, becomes meaningful.

And that's what so many of these things show. Stephen Colbert, I don't think he's the most -- the paradigm of the orthodox Catholic, per se.

But he has a beautiful line in an interview with Anderson Cooper, where Anderson Cooper was mentioning all these horrible tragedies that happened to him. And he basically said, how did you get through it?

And Stephen Colbert basically said, in the Catholic faith, God does it too. And that's essentially what you see in the lives of all these saints with affirmations. And St. Thomas Moore.

They were laymen. They were priests. They were bishops. They were monks and nuns.

They come from all sorts of walks of life. Sometimes they're having to criticize popes.

Sometimes they are having to be persecuted by their bishops or their cardinals, that Alex talked about.

Sometimes, they're literally being executed.

Or like Joan of Arc, or they're being exiled from diocese and on the run, like St. Appearnatius.

So they're dealing with all these things, but they know that they can join their sufferings to Christ. And these things. To say, we believe are in Heaven, praying for all of us. Reaping that the most possible fruit that human beings can ever reap, for the salvation of the world. And that's what their suffering did, by joining into Christ.

GLENN: Joshua, thank you so much.

Alex, the same.

The name of the book is Persecuted From Within. Written for Catholics. But I don't think it's probably just for Catholics.

It is for everybody. And I think we all need to look at how we are going to behave, in times of persecution.

Because I do believe it is coming. Again, persecuted from within.

Thank you so much, guys, God bless.

THE GLENN BECK PODCAST

Why Your Actions Matter More Than Words in the Eyes of God

Glenn Beck and Eric Metaxas expose the spiritual crisis gripping America’s churches — a moment they compare to Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s warning before World War II. As the culture descends into moral confusion, too many Christians retreat into silence, claiming faith while refusing to act. Together, they argue that true belief demands courage — that “faith without works is dead” — and warn that neutrality in the face of evil is itself a form of complicity.

Watch the FULL Interview HERE

The American Dream is in CRISIS - How Freedom Was Replaced by Comfort

The American Dream used to mean freedom and the chance to build your own life through hard work, faith, and independence. But today, it’s been replaced by comfort, consumption, and debt. Glenn Beck breaks down how America traded liberty for lifestyle, why socialism is gaining ground, and what it will take to reclaim the real American Dream before it disappears for good.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: I don't know if you saw the visualizing the American dream, Stu.

You know, what the American dream actually is, is that you can forge your own way.

You can -- you know, you can have a scrap of land, and grow your own food if up.

You can, you know, go to school. Not go to school.

You can find a job. If you're qualified for it, you have an equal chance of getting it, you know, based on merit.

But the percentage of Americans who say the American dream is retirement is 86 percent. Health care, 86 percent. Owning a home, 85. Raising two kids, 78. Owning a car, 72. Vacations, 71. Pets, 66. A wedding, 55 percent. That's the American dream, I can get married.

The American dream, if that's what you think, they've now estimated, the cost per household over the cost -- over the lifetime, retirement is $1.6 million. Owning a home now, 30-year mortgage, 20 percent you want to, is $957,594. Owning a car, buying and finance to begin with new cars every ten years is now $900,000 over your lifetime. Raising two kids to 18, plus four years of public college, $876,092. Two kids. Health care, over your lifetime, spending from ages 22 to 85, $414,000. Vacations, annual vacation from '22 to '85, $180,000. One dog and one cat for 11 to 13 years is $40,000!

That's more expensive than a wedding. The engagement ring, the ceremony, and the reception is now estimated to be $38,200.

There's a reason socialism is doing well. You look at that, and you're like, wow. I mean, if that's the American dream. And for a lot of people, that is the American dream!

That's not what the American dream is supposed to be, but, you know, once -- you know, once Woodrow Wilson and FDR got a hold of us and they started advertising, it became stuff instead of freedom. It became stuff. And, you know, when there's a new report out. Let me see if I have that.

There's a new report out now that shows, first time home buyers made up just 21 percent of the home purchases. That's the lowest on record.

The typical age of repeat buyers hit an all-time high of '62. The median downtowns, reaching 23 percent.

The highest since 2023.

And also, where is it?

The last one is -- the median age for first time home buyers, in 1981, it was 29 years old.

I'm sorry. Yeah. Twenty-nine years old. In 2021, it was 33 years old.

What is it this year?

Median age, first time homeowner, forty.

You're 40 before you can buy any kind of home. That puts these things that people want, dream about, out of reach, until you're 40?

You know, 29 is one thing. But if you're not seeing -- you're not seeing your life really kind of settling down until you're 40, I -- I can understand why you're like, you know what, this system doesn't work.

Because you've never seen it work. It's betrayed you.

Or so you've been sold. It's betrayed you.

And everything is being pushed out of your reach. And when you're young, the one thing you're not is patient.

And at 40, I can see why people are not, you know, yeah. Well, socialism is neat because capitalism isn't working. How would you respond to that?

STU: I mean, it's more lengthy than we have time for. But I would say that the response to, you know, you thinking that you want a home is not to embrace an ideology that murders 100 million people.

That's not -- that's not a good answer to the problem that you think you have.

GLENN: But they're not learning that anywhere.

They're not -- that is our responsibility! To teach those things. Because they're not learning it anywhere.

Glenn Beck Warns of 3 Economic Outcomes That Could Change EVERYTHING | Ep 467

Socialism is spreading fast among America’s youth, and the shocking election of Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani for mayor in New York City marks a major cultural and economic shift. Glenn exposes how runaway debt, record home prices, AI job disruption, and the collapsing stake in capitalism have led many Millennials and members of Gen Z to embrace socialism and communism. He reveals the three possible economic futures for 2026: two that are disastrous and one that could change everything if the Trump administration’s global financial overhaul succeeds. Plus, Justin Haskins, president of the Heartland Institute, joins to reveal some terrifying truths about why young Americans are embracing socialism from a poll he conducted with Rasmussen Reports.

Glenn Beck warns: We're already in World War III

"The world doesn't understand yet. We're already in World War III," Glenn Beck warns. "That foe is not China. That foe is militant Islam." Glenn explains the battle we're currently facing and what's to come if we don't wake up soon...

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: From New Jersey, it's Brian. Hello, Brian.

CALLER: Hello!

GLENN: Hey.

CALLER: Yeah. Thanks for taking the calls today.

GLENN: Sure.

CALLER: Yeah. I'm worried that we are headed towards another French Revolution-style because we have entire generations. Or actually people just not being heard by their representatives.

GLENN: Hmm.

CALLER: And it's not just here. It's around the world.

GLENN: Uh-huh.

I -- actually, I had scheduled for this time, I'll just do it some other time. Talking about what's happening in -- in England.

I think England is headed for a Civil War. And -- and it's very close.

I mean, you can't put 4,000 people. 4,000 people, in jail, or try them for hate crimes. And speech crimes.

You can't -- you can't do it. In England!

You can't do that in one year. And expect people to just put up with it!

You can't -- you know, we're -- we're -- America doesn't understand yet.

The world doesn't understand.

We're in World War III. We're already in World War III.

I don't know when it becomes a hot war. Or even a war that we on our side recognize. But we are in World War III. And that -- that foe is not China.

That foe is militant Islam, period. And, you know, when we have a situation to where people are -- when the government is just like, no. It's not a problem.

It's not a problem. You know. You've got illegals all over.

It's not a problem.

It's not a problem.

It is a problem. Don't tell me what -- what the problems are not!

Because we're the ones living it!

You're the experts, who keep telling us, no. It's going to work out fine.

And it doesn't work out fine. And it just gets worse and worse.

Oh. We can spend this money. No. It looks like we can't spend this money. Oh, we can afford this. No. It looks like we can't afford this.

You know, if we do this with Ukraine, it will work out fine. No, it didn't, did it? These endless wars, all of this stuff, don't tell me what the problem is. Listen to the people and start talking to the people. Honestly, this is the reason why I'm doing this today. I -- I need to hear from you.

I need to know what's on your mind, so I stay focused and -- and clear on what America is saying.

Because I don't think -- look, you know, me taking phone calls is -- is not a true representation of anything, but it does give me a sense of -- of where you are, as an audience. Maybe not as America, but as an audience. And there are lots of things that concern me. But I want to hear it from you.
But I think you're right! We're headed for real, real trouble. All you need is real economic trouble.

You start getting real, true economic trouble. 1930s kind of depression stuff. And we're in Civil War.

Dan, Oregon. Welcome!

CALLER: Hello, Glenn. How are you?

GLENN: I'm great!

CALLER: Yeah. Good. It's been a long time.

I guess it's been over ten years, since I've had a chance to talk with you. I was one of your first insiders. I was listening to you, since you were in Florida.

GLENN: Wow. Wow.

CALLER: So it's been a long -- yeah. It has been. And I can't say I've enjoyed all of it.
(laughter)

GLENN: Neither have I!

STU: I can't say that either, I'll be honest with you.

CALLER: You know, you were talking on yesterday's show, reminiscing with Stu about how you guys started. And I remember those old shows. And, you know, at the end of the -- the fusion of entertainment and enlightenment.

STU: Hmm.

GLENN: Right.

CALLER: And there was a lot more entertainment. I remember I laughed a lot.

GLENN: Oh, yeah. I know. I know. Those days are long dead.
(laughter)

STU: There's nothing to laugh about now.

CALLER: Yeah. I -- I'm 78. I still work 40 hours a week. I love my job.

GLENN: Good for you.

CALLER: Been married for 55 years. I have seven kids.

GLENN: Good for you.

CALLER: I've got a daughter -- I've got a daughter who is in her 40s. And she has severe TDS. She -- we don't -- I mean, we're not cutting each other off. She hasn't done that at all. We're still very close as a family. But she was down visiting the other day, and got into a conversation with my wife. And I wasn't in the room. But Kathy said it was just like listening to one of those young people out on the street that was being interviewed by the news media. And she was -- and she was in tears about it. My wife and my daughter both.

And, I mean, I love her, and I continue to support her. She's a single woman, not by choice. She just never found the right guy.

GLENN: Yeah.

CALLER: And I really think that's part of the problem. Because she started reading -- back when Trump was first running, she started reading all of this stuff about him being misogynistic and all of this stuff.

GLENN: Yeah. Yeah.

CALLER: And it's just gotten worse. I -- I'm at a loss. I really am. Because I -- like, I see the country doing better. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. But I still feel like that at least right now, we're doing better as a whole. But what do we do about -- what do we do about our kids about -- she went to Portland State University for the last two --

GLENN: Oh, jeez, for the love of --

CALLER: Well, yeah. For the last two years, she went to -- she went to a little college in Idaho called Ricks for the first two years, and Utah State.

GLENN: Oh, yeah.

CALLER: And then she served a mission for our church in Brazil and came home, but then she went to Portland State University. And it just seems to have gone downhill from there.

GLENN: Yeah. Yeah. So, Dan, I think you are suffering from the same thing that almost all parents are suffering from. If you're not suffering from this, then, I mean, God bless you. You know, get on your knees and thank God. Because you are a lucky, lucky family. Everybody has in their family. I have it in my family.

And you have to ask yourself, what is your goal?

My -- what is your goal with your daughter? Your real goal?

CALLER: My real goal is for us to be united eternally. That's my goal. That's my goal as a father and has been to teach her --

GLENN: And how -- and how is that going to happen with politics?

CALLER: We just stay together as a family regardless of what politics does.

GLENN: That's exactly right. Exactly right.

I think we're in a place now where as parents, you can ask your kids, but it has to be honest. It cannot be trying to win. It has to be honest. How did you get there?

I mean, I remember. You know, we've talked about this before. And you didn't believe that before. What has changed?

Can you help me with that?

I would like to see what you're reading, or what that was.

And just ask questions. But they have to be honest. They can't be, you know, because I'm setting you up. Because I want to change your mind.

But keep a dialogue open with them. And just love them!

Just love them!

Because if you do anything else, you're going to drive them away. And then they're really lost. So just love them.

CALLER: Oh, I know that. Glenn, when she was young -- when she was young, I considered her one of the elect. And the Scripture says, that in the last days, even the elect are going to be deceived. And that's what I'm seeing. But everything you've said, I -- I am doing. I'm doing it that way. Because I know --

GLENN: Okay. Good. Then you didn't need to -- I appreciate it. I'm so glad you called me. But you didn't need to -- my advice, you already have it down. You're a very wise man.