Glenn: Why are we more outraged by the Indiana pizza parlor than by Christians slaughtered in the Middle East?

April 21, 2015

WRITER

The Islamic State beheaded over 20 Ethiopian Christians in a video released last week - but how much coverage did you see about it on the news networks? It seems like the Indiana pizza parlor that refused to cater a (hypothetical) gay wedding generated more interest from the mainstream media and Christians alike than people being executed for their religious beliefs. Why is that? Glenn gave this important story the spotlight on Monday’s TV show.

Below is a transcript of the opening monologue of Monday's Glenn Beck Program

The video is 29 minutes long, carefully edited, but most importantly, it tells a story, a story that provides a window into the twisted, perverted vision behind the cold-blooded killers that call themselves ISIS.

When we said that they had a mission to end polytheism, what that means is Jesus and God, that is they don’t believe in the Trinity, and they believe that we are polytheists if you’re a Christian. And there is no arguing with them. I want to warn you, I’m going to show you something that is extremely graphic, but I think it is important that we watch at least a part of this video. We will see all kinds of things, but for some reason we always turn away, and that’s how the terrorists win.

For the second time this year, they have captured a group of 30 Christians, and they marched them straight into the seashore before shooting them. The text underneath labeled the captives worshipers of the cross, belonging to a hostile Ethiopian church. There it is there.

In February, ISIS labeled the murder of the 21 Egyptian Christians a message signed with blood to the nation of the cross. The latest video begins with a rant in Arabic about Muslim Christian history and then shows them destroying the Christian churches while declaring Christians will not be safe until they accept Islam.

VIDEO

M: And we swear to Allah, the one who disgraced you by our hands, you will not have safety even in your dreams until you embrace Islam. As Prophet Muhammad stated, our battle is a battle between faith and blasphemy, between truth and falsehood, until there is no more polytheism.

Why won’t we watch this? Why won’t we address this? We watch all kinds of stuff. We watch The Walking Dead, which is just as horrific as what I saw, but that’s not real. So, we watch The Walking Dead, but this is real. This is real. Good God.

The administration did mention Christians by name in their denouncement of the murders this time, something they failed to do in February, but then they called for a political resolution to the conflict in Libya. How do you find a political solution to people who just did that, considering that their goal is to end all worship of any other God besides Allah? That’s a final solution, not a political solution.

Despite the US airstrikes that have been going on for what, seven months now, ISIS continues to gain ground. Thousands of families have now fled Ramadi as US officials admitted the city is at risk of falling into the hands of the terrorists. The question that comes to mind for me is again, why doesn’t it seem that anyone cares? Why? Why does no one care?

When we talked about a Christian pizza parlor just the other day, Christians responded in large numbers when Christian-owned businesses are threatened for their beliefs. Here people are getting executed. Shouldn’t the response be exponentially greater when Christians are literally being beheaded and crucified, children being raped and killed every single day? Why is the response so mute? I don’t have an answer. I have this question, and I cannot find an answer that I’m comfortable with. I don’t know.

I know why China doesn’t care. They’ve been desensitized, trained not to value human life. We’ve seen the results of godlessness in their country. You remember this video? This child is hit by a car, killed, laying there in the streets forever. People walk by, drive by, and no one does anything. So, I get why China. The Middle East, I mean, they’re the perpetrators of this. Body parts are strewn about, chaos, poverty, death, murder, abuse, I mean, this is their everyday life. It’s been this way for thousands of years. They get this. This is what they live. This is nothing new for them.

Europe, why doesn’t Europe get it? Perhaps Europe is so secular, they’re worried so much about multiculturalism, and because they’re so far down that rabbit hole of offending somebody, God forbid Muslims, you’re in trouble. They rarely speak out against anything anymore, let alone Muslims rising up against Christians, or they’ll burn their cities to the ground.

So, I guess I can kind of see how the rest of the world doesn’t react to this, but I don’t understand us. It’s not an excuse. Christianity just isn’t their thing. Okay. I can explain the lack of major action from all of them, but what is our excuse? This is a really bad thought I had this weekend as I was sitting in a Greek Orthodox Church on Saturday. I met these wonderful Greek people, wonderful Greek Orthodox Christians, and I thought maybe we don’t react to these things because we don’t think of the Greek orthodox or the Coptic Christians. We don’t know what the Coptic thing is. Are they Christian?

Because would we care would we care if the victims were Methodist or Baptist or Catholic or Mormon? I guarantee you we would. Is the president right, is it race? If the victims were white instead of Arab or black, would we care more? I thought maybe it’s we’re too far removed from our creature comforts here in America. It’s just not even real to us, and we don’t have the energy to care about anything happening half the world away because our world is burning down here.

The only thing that I come up with that I’m comfortable with is that we feel helpless, and we don’t know what to do, and so we do nothing. A, that’s not an excuse, not from Americans. Necessity is the mother of invention. We’re told all the time, “can’t go to the moon,” “oh, you can’t do that,” “can’t have the internet.” We always think our way out of the box. We’re always told we can’t do it, and we do it. What are you talking about?

There are soldiers right now, we’ve shown you soldiers, American soldiers who have joined the fight, not for ISIS, but against ISIS, going over there on their dime risking their life because they just couldn’t take it anymore. There are churches that are clothing and feeding the Christians over there, people, I’ve talked to them just in the last week. So, I don’t buy into the fact that we don’t know what to do, because—I’m sorry to out my wife on this, and I don’t lecture her on this because she’s the normal one; I am the oddball. She won’t watch those videos.

I can guarantee you if the TV were on at my house today and she was at home, she turned it off before we got to that video. I don’t want to put that in my head. And yet, well watch The Walking Dead. They win if we don’t watch it. They want you to look away. They need you to look away. Did you hear what he said? We will haunt you even in your dreams.

I don’t know why we don’t care. But I don’t believe in coincidence, so let me share a story. Yesterday, I taught Sunday school. It was Matthew 15. Jesus feeds 4,000 people, and prior to that, he has an interaction with a Canaanite woman. Canaanite woman, Gentile, not even supposed to be in that area, just don’t talk to the Jews. Gentiles didn’t talk to Jews back then. So, she comes up to Jesus and she says hey, I need a miracle. The disciples tried to chase her away. She says Jesus, just heal my daughter.

Jesus responds in a really un-Jesus sort of way. I mean, he’s not the Jesus that I know. First, he’s silent. He ignores her, and she’s like hey, dude, I need a miracle. He’s, I guess, testing to see if she would push a little harder. She did, and so then he pushes back. And he reminds her of his primary mission which was tending to the house of Israel. I’m here for the Israelites. That doesn’t sound like Jesus.

And then she persists again. She pushes back, and then he really pushes back, and he says it’s not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs. Is that Jesus calling this woman a dog because she’s not a Jew? What? Why is Jesus treating her this way? And as usual, the answer is he’s teaching us a lesson—not her, not her, the disciples. Have you ever seen anybody treat somebody really horribly and you’re like, “Dude, what are you doing?” And then you realize oh crap, that’s what I’ve been doing the whole time.

He’s teaching the lesson to the apostles. That’s what you’re saying. You’re calling her a dog; chase her away. She’s not a dog. And her faith was even greater than the disciples and the Pharisees. Her answer to him was even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table. Jesus honors this woman that he’s not even supposed to talk to. He heals her daughter, and her story is etched in the Bible. And she becomes one of the first Gentiles to enter the kingdom, something that at the time Jews didn’t even think was possible.

Later in the chapter, he’s being followed by 4,000 Gentiles. They’ve come a long way. They’re exhausted. Many are sick, they’re seeking healing. He’s like oh geez, the doctor is in, but he says I’ve got to feed them. The apostles were like we don’t have stuff. Are you kidding me? I’ve already fed 5,000. How much do you got? What do you got? Show me what you got. We’ll feed 4,000. The disciples doubt that he can feed so many. They still didn’t get it, but again, he does a miracle and feeds them.

One thing about Jesus is economy of miracles; he just doesn’t waste miracles. There’s always several layers of a point in his miracles. He’s already fed. Why is he doing the same magic trick? He’s already fed 5,000. It’s not as great. He fed 4,000 this time. Last week it was 5,000. Why did he do it? Because last time he did it to the Jews. This time he did it to the Gentiles. The whole point is to see people who are completely different than you, to reach out beyond your comfort zone, to reach out to the outsiders, in some cases people who society considers dogs.

So often we cry out for justice. We raise our hands on Sunday. We call for the enemy to be crushed, but then we retreat into our humble abodes, castles by global standards, and go about our daily lives. And we get busy, honestly busy, wrapped up in our own day and our own chaos, honestly busy, and we forget that the second part of justice is mercy and compassion. That’s our job, to show mercy, to have compassion, to kindle it in our heart and the hearts of others.

ISIS sent a message to the followers of the cross. You want to know the worst reason? I mean, I’ve come up with some really bad reasons on why we don’t hear it, but I just want to ask you, could it possibly be that the deafening silence is precisely due to that reason? It’s a message for those who actually follow the cross and not those who just say they’re following the cross.

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

PHILL MAGAKOE / Contributor | Getty Images

Kirk’s tragic death challenges us to rise above fear and anger, to rebuild bridges where others build walls, and to fight for the America he believed in.

I’ve only felt this weight once before. It was 2001, just as my radio show was about to begin. The World Trade Center fell, and I was called to speak immediately. I spent the day and night by my bedside, praying for words that could meet the moment.

Yesterday, I found myself in the same position. September 11, 2025. The assassination of Charlie Kirk. A friend. A warrior for truth.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Moments like this make words feel inadequate. Yet sometimes, words from another time speak directly to our own. In 1947, Dylan Thomas, watching his father slip toward death, penned lines that now resonate far beyond his own grief:

Do not go gentle into that good night. / Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Thomas was pleading for his father to resist the impending darkness of death. But those words have become a mandate for all of us: Do not surrender. Do not bow to shadows. Even when the battle feels unwinnable.

Charlie Kirk lived that mandate. He knew the cost of speaking unpopular truths. He knew the fury of those who sought to silence him. And yet he pressed on. In his life, he embodied a defiance rooted not in anger, but in principle.

Picking up his torch

Washington, Jefferson, Adams — our history was started by men who raged against an empire, knowing the gallows might await. Lincoln raged against slavery. Martin Luther King Jr. raged against segregation. Every generation faces a call to resist surrender.

It is our turn. Charlie’s violent death feels like a knockout punch. Yet if his life meant anything, it means this: Silence in the face of darkness is not an option.

He did not go gently. He spoke. He challenged. He stood. And now, the mantle falls to us. To me. To you. To every American.

We cannot drift into the shadows. We cannot sit quietly while freedom fades. This is our moment to rage — not with hatred, not with vengeance, but with courage. Rage against lies, against apathy, against the despair that tells us to do nothing. Because there is always something you can do.

Even small acts — defiance, faith, kindness — are light in the darkness. Reaching out to those who mourn. Speaking truth in a world drowning in deceit. These are the flames that hold back the night. Charlie carried that torch. He laid it down yesterday. It is ours to pick up.

The light may dim, but it always does before dawn. Commit today: I will not sleep as freedom fades. I will not retreat as darkness encroaches. I will not be silent as evil forces claim dominion. I have no king but Christ. And I know whom I serve, as did Charlie.

Two turning points, decades apart

On Wednesday, the world changed again. Two tragedies, separated by decades, bound by the same question: Who are we? Is this worth saving? What kind of people will we choose to be?

Imagine a world where more of us choose to be peacemakers. Not passive, not silent, but builders of bridges where others erect walls. Respect and listening transform even the bitterest of foes. Charlie Kirk embodied this principle.

He did not strike the weak; he challenged the powerful. He reached across divides of politics, culture, and faith. He changed hearts. He sparked healing. And healing is what our nation needs.

At the center of all this is one truth: Every person is a child of God, deserving of dignity. Change will not happen in Washington or on social media. It begins at home, where loneliness and isolation threaten our souls. Family is the antidote. Imperfect, yes — but still the strongest source of stability and meaning.

Mark Wilson / Staff | Getty Images

Forgiveness, fidelity, faithfulness, and honor are not dusty words. They are the foundation of civilization. Strong families produce strong citizens. And today, Charlie’s family mourns. They must become our family too. We must stand as guardians of his legacy, shining examples of the courage he lived by.

A time for courage

I knew Charlie. I know how he would want us to respond: Multiply his courage. Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins. Out of darkness, great and glorious things will sprout — but we must be worthy of them.

Charlie Kirk lived defiantly. He stood in truth. He changed the world. And now, his torch is in our hands. Rage, not in violence, but in unwavering pursuit of truth and goodness. Rage against the dying of the light.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck resurrects the 9-12 Project to support Charlie Kirk's family

Glenn Beck is once again calling on his loyal listeners and viewers to come together and channel the same unity and purpose that defined the historic 9-12 Project. That movement, born in the wake of national challenges, brought millions together to revive core values of faith, hope, and charity.

Glenn created the original 9-12 Project in early 2009 to bring Americans back to where they were in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. In those moments, we weren't Democrats and Republicans, conservative or liberal, Red States or Blue States, we were united as one, as America. The original 9-12 Project aimed to root America back in the founding principles of this country that united us during those darkest of days.

This new initiative draws directly from that legacy, focusing on supporting the family of Charlie Kirk in these dark days following his tragic murder.

The revival of the 9-12 Project aims to secure the long-term well-being of Charlie Kirk's wife and children. All donations will go straight to meeting their immediate and future needs. If the family deems the funds surplus to their requirements, Charlie's wife has the option to redirect them toward the vital work of Turning Point USA.

This campaign is more than just financial support—it's a profound gesture of appreciation for Kirk's tireless dedication to the cause of liberty. It embodies the unbreakable bond of our community, proving that when we stand united, we can make a real difference.
Glenn Beck invites you to join this effort. Show your solidarity by donating today and honoring Charlie Kirk and his family in this meaningful way.

You can learn more about the 9-12 Project and donate HERE

The critical difference: Rights from the Creator, not the state

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) recently delivered a lecture that should alarm every American. During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, he argued that believing rights come from a Creator rather than government is the same belief held by Iran’s theocratic regime.

Kaine claimed that the principles underpinning Iran’s dictatorship — the same regime that persecutes Sunnis, Jews, Christians, and other minorities — are also the principles enshrined in our Declaration of Independence.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

That claim exposes either a profound misunderstanding or a reckless indifference to America’s founding. Rights do not come from government. They never did. They come from the Creator, as the Declaration of Independence proclaims without qualification. Jefferson didn’t hedge. Rights are unalienable — built into every human being.

This foundation stands worlds apart from Iran. Its leaders invoke God but grant rights only through clerical interpretation. Freedom of speech, property, religion, and even life itself depend on obedience to the ruling clerics. Step outside their dictates, and those so-called rights vanish.

This is not a trivial difference. It is the essence of liberty versus tyranny. In America, rights belong to the individual. The government’s role is to secure them, not define them. In Iran, rights serve the state. They empower rulers, not the people.

From Muhammad to Marx

The same confusion applies to Marxist regimes. The Soviet Union’s constitutions promised citizens rights — work, health care, education, freedom of speech — but always with fine print. If you spoke out against the party, those rights evaporated. If you practiced religion openly, you were charged with treason. Property and voting were allowed as long as they were filtered and controlled by the state — and could be revoked at any moment. Rights were conditional, granted through obedience.

Kaine seems to be advocating a similar approach — whether consciously or not. By claiming that natural rights are somehow comparable to sharia law, he ignores the critical distinction between inherent rights and conditional privileges. He dismisses the very principle that made America a beacon of freedom.

Jefferson and the founders understood this clearly. “We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights,” they wrote. No government, no cleric, no king can revoke them. They exist by virtue of humanity itself. The government exists to protect them, not ration them.

This is not a theological quibble. It is the entire basis of our government. Confuse the source of rights, and tyranny hides behind piety or ideology. The people are disempowered. Clerics, bureaucrats, or politicians become arbiters of what rights citizens may enjoy.

John Greim / Contributor | Getty Images

Gifts from God, not the state

Kaine’s statement reflects either a profound ignorance of this principle or an ideological bias that favors state power over individual liberty. Either way, Americans must recognize the danger. Understanding the origin of rights is not academic — it is the difference between freedom and submission, between the American experiment and theocratic or totalitarian rule.

Rights are not gifts from the state. They are gifts from God, secured by reason, protected by law, and defended by the people. Every American must understand this. Because when rights come from government instead of the Creator, freedom disappears.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

POLL: Is Gen Z’s anger over housing driving them toward socialism?

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A recent poll conducted by Justin Haskins, a long-time friend of the show, has uncovered alarming trends among young Americans aged 18-39, revealing a generation grappling with deep frustrations over economic hardships, housing affordability, and a perceived rigged system that favors the wealthy, corporations, and older generations. While nearly half of these likely voters approve of President Trump, seeing him as an anti-establishment figure, over 70% support nationalizing major industries, such as healthcare, energy, and big tech, to promote "equity." Shockingly, 53% want a democratic socialist to win the 2028 presidential election, including a third of Trump voters and conservatives in this age group. Many cite skyrocketing housing costs, unfair taxation on the middle class, and a sense of being "stuck" or in crisis as driving forces, with 62% believing the economy is tilted against them and 55% backing laws to confiscate "excess wealth" like second homes or luxury items to help first-time buyers.

This blend of Trump support and socialist leanings suggests a volatile mix: admiration for disruptors who challenge the status quo, coupled with a desire for radical redistribution to address personal struggles. Yet, it raises profound questions about the roots of this discontent—Is it a failure of education on history's lessons about socialism's failures? Media indoctrination? Or genuine systemic barriers? And what does it portend for the nation’s trajectory—greater division, a shift toward authoritarian policies, or an opportunity for renewal through timeless values like hard work and individual responsibility?

Glenn wants to know what YOU think: Where do Gen Z's socialist sympathies come from? What does it mean for the future of America? Make your voice heard in the poll below:

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism comes from perceived economic frustrations like unaffordable housing and a rigged system favoring the wealthy and corporations?

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism, including many Trump supporters, is due to a lack of education about the historical failures of socialist systems?

Do you think that these poll results indicate a growing generational divide that could lead to more political instability and authoritarian tendencies in America's future?

Do you think that this poll implies that America's long-term stability relies on older generations teaching Gen Z and younger to prioritize self-reliance, free-market ideals, and personal accountability?

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