Home
/
RELIGION & LIBERTY ONLINE
/
Rev. Ben Johnson discusses Black Lives Matter on ‘The Lars Larson Show’
Rev. Ben Johnson discusses Black Lives Matter on ‘The Lars Larson Show’
Dec 24, 2025 6:26 PM

Why would a movement dedicated to black advancement want to dismantle the family, when fatherlessness is associated with every social malady from poverty and crime to delinquency and low self-esteem? Is the racially tinged socialism promoted by Black Lives patible with the U.S. Constitution? And why does BLM demand that America pay reparations to nations where terrorists have attacked U.S. soldiers or civilians?

I had the privilege of discussing these issues and more on Tuesday, August 11, on “The Lars Larson Show.” The nationally syndicated talk radio host graciously called my Acton Powerblog article “one of the best reviews” of Black Lives Matter’s political agenda.

Other topics during the segment included the exploitation of tragedy for political gain, flawed measures of disparate impact, and why BLM’s policies would “strangle the one form of government that has created the most inherently equal, equitable society in human history: the United States of America and our Constitution.”

Larson’s radio program originates from Portland, Oregon – a city with a history as the epicenter of left-wing riots long predating the current outbreak of Black Lives Matter/Antifa violence. This interlocking history of radical violence is perhaps best exemplified by the arrest earlier this week of Demetria Hester at a riot at which “[c]ommercial grade fireworks and a mortar were used against Portland Police Bureau officers.” In May 2017, Hester had been harassed by Jeremy Joseph Christian, a white supremacist Bernie Sanders supporter who went on to murder two men on a Portland train. (This June, a judge sentenced Christian to two consecutive life sentences.)

“Portlanders need to send a strong message that enough is enough. This is not forwarding the goals that are going to lead to better es for people of color,” said Portland Chief of Police Chuck Lovell.

That’s doubly true of an organization dedicated to channeling justifiable anger into promoting a collectivist system of resentment and government-sponsored plunder.

You can listen to Larson and I discuss why people of faith should not support the Black Lives Matter political manifesto below, or listen on the SoundCloud page.

TheLarsLarsonShow · Ben Johnson – If anything, BLM’s “demands” are more expansive and government-expanding

riot in Portland, Oregon, on August 9. bgrocker / . Editorial use only.)

Comments
Welcome to mreligion comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
RELIGION & LIBERTY ONLINE
Russian Bishop: Stalin Fans Need to ‘Sober Up’
HilarionMetropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, a high ranking bishop of the Russian Orthodox mented on a new poll that showed a growing number of Russians are viewing the rule of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin in a positive light. ments amount to a verbal cup of black coffee for those intoxicated with Stalin (1878-1953), one of the most murderous dictators in history. Stalin, who blew up Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior in 1931, was described by historian Robert Conquest as a...
Dangerous Nonsense from Climate Change Activists
No sooner had your writer reported on the metastasis of the sustainability movement from universities to the munity than it came to his attention that activists were doubling down on efforts to bankrupt the economy and sentence capitalism to the dustbin of history. Because: Social Justice. This latest head scratcher is scheduled to take place in the Acton Institute’s own Grand Rapids’ backyard, and will feature a sustainability event in a Grand Valley State University facility named after an Acton...
Citizens United Protects Secretive Progressive Donors, Too
Should corporate donations to political causes remain private or shouldn’t they? Your writer would argue for the former as he holds the U.S. Supreme Court nailed it with its Citizens United decision. Progressive shareholder activists, naturally, disagree. Except, that is, when incredible secrecy suits progressive social and political ends. The Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility, for example, asserts Citizens United is the worst kind of travesty against all things they desire made transparent – as does ICCR member Walden Asset...
Why Conservatives Should Be Wary of Big Business
During Holy Weekthe CEOs of two quintessential Red State and Blue panies—Wal-Mart and Apple—joined together to publicly chastise state legislatures for allowingcitizens to have too much religious freedom. Apple CEO Tim Cook opposed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) passed in Indiana while Wal-Mart CEO Doug McMillon opposed similar legislation in Arkansas.The heads of panies that do business with countries mit actualhuman rights violations on a daily basis were concerned about states protectingreligious believers who might hypothetically—someday, somehow—act in a...
What Exactly is ‘Religious Freedom’?
Over the past few weeks the American media has revealed two important truths: (1) Religious freedom has e a surprisingly divisive and controversial topic, and (2) very few people understand what is meant by the term “religious freedom.” Is religious freedom merely the liberty to attend worship services? Is the freedom limited to internal beliefs or does it also apply to actions taken in the public square? Should religious freedom ever trump other societal goods? Joseph Backholm of the Family...
Radio Free Acton: A Primer on Religious Liberty with Ryan T. Anderson
On this edition of Radio Free Acton, we talk with Ryan T. Anderson, William E. Simon Fellow in Religion and a Free Society at the Heritage Foundation, about what exactly we mean when we say “religious liberty.” Is it simply the freedom to worship and order one’s private beliefs, or does it entail something more robust than that? We also discuss Religious Freedom Restoration Act legislation in Indiana and elsewhere, and the media’s open animus toward supporters of such legislation....
Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Apple Tree
Today is the 70th anniversary of the execution of Dietrich Bonhoeffer at the Flossenbürg concentration camp. I’m privileged to offer a brief reflection on Bonhoeffer’s life and legacy over at Public Discourse. I’ve been working on Bonhoeffer’s thought for over a decade now, and I’m often struck by the depth of his conviction and insight in such troubled times. One of the things about him that I try to highlight in the Public Discourse piece is how Bonhoeffer’s courageous action...
What We Can Learn From the ‘Homeless Coder’
On his way to work in 2013, tech entrepreneur Patrick McConlogue walked past a homeless man, Leo Grand, who was exercising with aheavychain. McConlogue took this as a sign of Grand’sinternal drive and motivation and decided to try an experiment: The idea is simple. Without disrespecting him, I will offer two options: 1. I e back tomorrow and give you $100 in cash. 2. I e back tomorrow and give you three JavaScript books, (beginner-advanced-expert) and a super cheap basic...
Myths, Lies, and Free Enterprise
Does free enterprise hurt the poor? Is it unfair and driven by greed? Did it cause the Great Recession? In this brief video, AEI president Arthur Brooks answers these questions and more about free enterprise. ...
Discrimination for Me, But Not for Thee
In today’s Acton Commentary, “The Logic of Economic Discrimination,” I take up a small slice of the larger controversy and discussion surrounding religious liberty laws like the one passed recently in Indiana. My point, drawing out some of the implications of observations made by others, including Ryan Anderson and Shikha Dalmia, is that anti-discrimination boycotts depend on discrimination. Or as Dalmia puts it, “what is deeply ironic is that corporate America was able to wield its right not to do...
Related Classification
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.mreligion.com All Rights Reserved