Blog
LatestArticlesVideos
Radio
LivePodcastSerialsStations
TV
Podcasts
The Glenn Beck ProgramThe Glenn Beck PodcastThe Beck Story
Fine Art
Real Estate
More
AboutCharityBooksSponsorsShopContact
SEARCH
Live Radio

©2024 MERCURY RADIO ARTS.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY POLICY

Live

Glenn's Show Prep

Kirk Cameron seeks to answer an age-old question: Why do bad things happen to good people?

August 21, 2013
Wilson

Writer

On radio this morning, Glenn spoke to actor Kirk Cameron about his new documentary Unstoppable. Kirk’s first film, Monumental, explored America’s founding principles, and his latest endeavor tackles a more theological theme that revolves around one of the most frequently asked questions: Why does God let bad things happen to good people?

Unstoppable is set to show in partnership with Liberty University at theaters across America for one night only on Tuesday, September 24 (information and tickets can be found here).

Read a rough transcript of the interview below:

GLENN: I am proud to call as a friend Kirk Cameron who is just a great, great guy. We worked with him on his movie Monumental, and we urge you to go see that. And if you haven't seen it yet, go rent it. Go buy it. Monumental, it's phenomenal. He's got a new movie out coming September 24th called Unstoppable, and it's based on the idea of, how can there be a God? How can he possibly let all these things happen? And where is your faith? Kirk Cameron, welcome to the program. How are you, Kirk?

KIRK CAMERON: Good morning. I'm doing great, Glenn. Nice to be talking with you.

GLENN: So tell me what tell me the motivation behind the movie that you've made.

KIRK CAMERON: Boy, you've still got me thinking about all these things you were just talking about before, before we started talking. I've got to switch gears here. The reason that I made Unstoppable was because this is this is something that's been gnawing at me lately because one of my very good friends, a 15 year old boy, Matthew Sangren, just passed away and died of cancer. In fact, last night I was in the emergency room with my grandfather who's just had a couple of heart attacks, and we're praying and we're singing and other families are weeping and wailing because of tragedy in their life, and this has just hit so close to home for me recently that I wanted to get to the bottom of this, of this faith wrecking question: Where is God in the midst of tragedy and suffering. And I'm trying to approach the subject without just an intellectual apologetic treatise connecting the dots between a loving god and the real existence of evil and tragedy but offering a holistic, emotional and spiritual answer that is nourishing to people's faith and helps them come out the other side of trials with their faith stronger rather than shredded and destroyed.

GLENN: I will tell you, Kirk, I am really concerned because I think we have such a lack of understanding, as a society and whole, a lack of understanding of who God is and how He works and how tragedy fits into that and everything else and, you know, just exactly what you're addressing. And I really, truly believe that with the dark days that could be on our horizon that they will be dark days because too many people will say, "Well, there can't be a God, and He's just..." and there will be others that say, "Well, He's angry at us" and everything else. No. No. God is there to comfort and to guide. And as we go astray, we will have the punishments ourselves because we are our walking on the wrong path will be our own punishment. He is always is there and He's always loving. And too many people I just saw it in our own circle of friends. Somebody passed away and they were inconsolable. The family was inconsolable. And Tania and I walked away and we said, you know, they claim they're Christians, but they don't really even understand the real† they will say, "Well, we're going to see him again," but they don't believe it. And that's the difference. If you really believe it, if you really apply it, tragedy can become something that is uplifting in a strange sort of way.

KIRK CAMERON: Well, I think that so much of what you're saying resonates in all of us. We understand that God has a plan for things and- but often we're just wrestling and struggling to understand what that plan is. And my approach in dealing with this question is I'm thinking, wait a minute. If maybe maybe I'm so close to my pain that I can't see past it. But if I could climb up into heaven's balcony and if I could have heaven's perspective on tragedy and pain, not just in my lifetime but throughout all of history, and I try to take you as a viewer back to the Garden of Eden where we have the very beginnings, the genesis of pain and suffering, and show you the murder of one brother by his other brother and go into the flood of the entire world and then through the nation of Israel, the crucifixion of the savior and the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, you see that the author of the story has allowed tragedy from the beginning and somehow he's been steering all of it to work together for good for those who love Him and produce in you the very apex of the heart toward others when they go through trials.

GLENN: Kirk, I'm going to send you a link to a Man in the Moon because you're describing much of what we just did in a completely different format this summer and you need to see it and watch it with your kids because you'll love it. Your movie comes out on September 24th, Unstoppable. It is a one night event. It's a Fathom event. Go to Unstoppablethemovie.com. See this incredible trailer at Unstoppablethemovie.com. Facebook and YouTube originally blocked the links to this originally, didn't they?

KIRK CAMERON: Yes, they did. And we don't know if that was something that happened internally or simply a result of the safety mechanism that you can press on any video: Hey, click this if you want to report it as spam or unsafe. And if enough people click that, well, they could shut it down. So we had a few million people let Facebook know that they wanted to see it and they put it back up. So we're thankful for that.

GLENN: What a Christian way to answer that question.

STU: (Laughing.)

KIRK CAMERON: You know, it's the Kirk Cameron versus Facebook headlines that I'm standing in line to see.

GLENN: Kirk, it's always good to talk to you and it's always good to see you, and I hope we see you here in a couple of weeks when this is out and we'd love to do something again and try to encourage our audience to see your work because it is it's truly inspiring and it's good to see a good man of faith stand up and speak the truth as much as you do. Thank you very much.

KIRK CAMERON: Well, thank you. It's a pleasure to be talking with you guys and please keep up the good work.

GLENN: You got it. Kirk Cameron, Unstoppablethemovie.com.

Are Gen Z's socialist sympathies a threat to America's future?

NurPhoto / Contributor | Getty Images

In a republic forged on the anvil of liberty and self-reliance, where generations have fought to preserve free markets against the siren song of tyranny, Gen Z's alarming embrace of socialism amid housing crises and economic despair has sparked urgent alarm. But in a recent poll, Glenn asked the tough questions: Where do Gen Z's socialist sympathies come from—and what does it mean for America's future? Glenn asked, and you answered—hundreds weighed in on this volatile mix of youthful frustration and ideological peril.

The results paint a stark picture of distrust in the system. A whopping 79% of you affirm that Gen Z's socialist sympathies stem from real economic gripes, like sky-high housing costs and a rigged game tilted toward the elite and corporations—defying the argument that it's just youthful naivety. Even more telling, 97% believe this trend arises from a glaring educational void on socialism's bloody historical track record, where failed regimes have crushed freedoms under the boot of big government. And 97% see these poll findings as a harbinger of deepening generational rifts, potentially fueling political chaos and authoritarian overreach if left unchecked.

Your verdict underscores a moral imperative: America's soul hangs on reclaiming timeless values like self-reliance and liberty. This feedback amplifies your concerns, sending a clear message to the powers that be.

Want to make your voice heard? Check out more polls HERE.

Civics isn’t optional—America's survival depends on it

JEFF KOWALSKY / Contributor | Getty Images

Every vote, jury duty, and act of engagement is civics in action, not theory. The republic survives only when citizens embrace responsibility.

I slept through high school civics class. I memorized the three branches of government, promptly forgot them, and never thought of that word again. Civics seemed abstract, disconnected from real life. And yet, it is critical to maintaining our republic.

Civics is not a class. It is a responsibility. A set of habits, disciplines, and values that make a country possible. Without it, no country survives.

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Civics happens every time you speak freely, worship openly, question your government, serve on a jury, or cast a ballot. It’s not a theory or just another entry in a textbook. It’s action — the acts we perform every day to be a positive force in society.

Many of us recoil at “civic responsibility.” “I pay my taxes. I follow the law. I do my civic duty.” That’s not civics. That’s a scam, in my opinion.

Taking up the torch

The founders knew a republic could never run on autopilot. And yet, that’s exactly what we do now. We assume it will work, then complain when it doesn’t. Meanwhile, the people steering the country are driving it straight into a mountain — and they know it.

Our founders gave us tools: separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, elections. But they also warned us: It won’t work unless we are educated, engaged, and moral.

Are we educated, engaged, and moral? Most Americans cannot even define a republic, never mind “keep one,” as Benjamin Franklin urged us to do after the Constitutional Convention.

We fought and died for the republic. Gaining it was the easy part. Keeping it is hard. And keeping it is done through civics.

Start small and local

In our homes, civics means teaching our children the Constitution, our history, and that liberty is not license — it is the space to do what is right. In our communities, civics means volunteering, showing up, knowing your sheriff, attending school board meetings, and understanding the laws you live under. When necessary, it means challenging them.

How involved are you in your local community? Most people would admit: not really.

Civics is learned in practice. And it starts small. Be honest in your business dealings. Speak respectfully in disagreement. Vote in every election, not just the presidential ones. Model citizenship for your children. Liberty is passed down by teaching and example.

Samuel Corum / Stringer | Getty Images

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Start with yourself. Study the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and state laws. Study, act, serve, question, and teach. Only then can we hope to save the republic. The next election will not fix us. The nation will rise or fall based on how each of us lives civics every day.

Civics isn’t a class. It’s the way we protect freedom, empower our communities, and pass down liberty to the next generation.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

'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