There's a very good reason you won't be seeing Glenn on 'Real Time with Bill Maher' anytime soon

October 05, 2014

Writer

In an interview with Dan Gibson in Tucson Weekly, Gibson asked Bill Maher about his vocal opposition to radical Islam and Glenn's invitation to come on TheBlaze TV for an open and honest conversation on the topic. Glenn's 5pm show has become a place for strange bedfellows to find common ground, but in the interview Maher didn't seem too eager to have that conversation with Glenn. Instead, Maher downplayed the similarities between his opinion and Glenn's on radical Islam and made several assumptions about Glenn's point of view.

Below is an excerpt:

DG: I saw that after your Charlie Rose interview that Glenn Beck offered an open invite to come on his internet show or whatever it is now to have a civil dialogue about Islam. Is it possible for you and Glenn Beck to have a civil dialogue about Islam?
BM: Of course! We could have a civil dialogue about anything. Glenn Beck has had an open invitation to appear on my show for years. I would reiterate that invitation. Glenn Beck, come on my show and I'll come on yours.
DG: That seems like a fair trade.
BM: I've heard that a lot about Glenn Beck and I walking hand in hand about Islam. Not really. First of all, Glenn Beck is a Christian. A serious Christian, although Mormons aren't really Christians, wink, wink. Glenn Beck is more on the Ann Coulter page that what we should do is conquer the Middle East and convert them to Christianity. That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying all religions are stupid. Islam just happens to be the one right now, in this century, that's most dangerous and violent. Christianity was the one that was dangerous and violent in the 14th century and the 15th century. In the 16th century, Christians were slaughtering each other by sect, Protestants and Catholics were cutting each others heads off, just the Shiites and the Sunnis are now. But we had a reformation and that's what Islam needs, a reformation. That's what I'm saying and that's different than what Glenn Beck is saying. But, hey, I get where he's coming from.

After reading the interview, Glenn posted a response to Maher's comments on his Facebook page:

It is funny that Bill comments on my POV when he doesn't know my POV. Sorry to disappoint him but, while I wish everyone, including Bill Maher himself, could find the joy I have found in my faith, I am a man who actually believes that everyone must and will find their own way. If Bill wanted to know sincerely about my faith, I will send the boys with the bikes over :)
But I am not waiting for that call.
In the meantime I hold up his right to believe what he does, as I do the right of all Muslims. UNLESS IT INVOLVES KILLING PEOPLE WHO DISAGREE WITH YOU. I have been holding up people like Zuhdi Jasser for many years now. He is Muslim and a Martin Luther style reformer. I support him without any idea of "baptizing him".
Penn Jillette and I have been down this road years ago. He really disliked people of faith. He doesn't now. He still doesn't believe in God, but he doesn't feel he needs to call others stupid. It was beneath him and he is so much better than that. I admire him for the man he is and has become on this issue.
I think it is time we stop playing this game of my way or the highway. Or, "I love you in hopes I can get a leg up and make you see the light of my answer so then I can 'win'."
There is no winning in this game. We can move the world forward, but never in name calling and belittling others. It was played in the beginning and will be played until the end.
I think Bill and I disagree on this: I believe people who call God Allah are not stupid nor are billions of others on this planet that believe in God and worship him faithfully. Bill does. If I were like Bill I would then have to claim something else I do not believe: That people like Bill or any of my atheist friends are stupid for not believing in God.
Why can we not all understand the Classic liberal that most of our founders did.
I do not need to change you nor you me. We can live side by side, worship in different ways and RESPECT one another?
Why can't we stop calling each other names? I know this is hard for many people to swallow from me. I do not claim to be perfect. In fact far from it. But everyone needs to start somewhere. I am trying to change my ways and be a better man. It begins with listening to others and not claiming to have all of the answers. It begins with humility and a willingness to admit to being wrong.
I have been wrong in the past and I am sure I will be wrong in the future. But I am really trying to make an effort.
This is why I won't accept an invite on his show. I want an actual discussion. One based in respect. One that I think can actually help reknit the fabric of our country and world,
I think Bill wants to discuss things but he also wants to "win" and he really wants a good show.
I don't blame him. I used to live somewhat in that world. Then I woke up. Times have changed. We need to be better men than most of us have allowed ourselves to become.
I apologize to Bill for putting those words into his mouth or heart. I do not know him and it is unfair of me to project my feelings on him especially in the same piece where I am asking him to stop making statements on what I believe when he clearly does not know what I believe.
I pray that he and others will see the sincere desire in my heart to move forward in a spirit of peace and reconciliation. Our way of life depends on it and our children will ask us why we didn't come together sooner when we all knew what was at stake.

'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 dangerous lie: Rights as government privileges, not God-given

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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