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’
Jan 12, 2026 5:51 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
The Amy Foundation
One of the speakers in the afternoon yesterday at the Maranatha Christian Writers’ Conference was Bruce Umpstead of the Amy Foundation. He spoke a bit about the Amy Writing Awards, which recognize “creative, skillful writing that presents in a sensitive, thought-provoking manner the biblical position on issues affecting the world today.” Check out some of the winning pieces from the last few years here. He also showed us his Amy Foundation blog, “The Best Christian Journalism on the Web,” whose...
Your Best Life Now: a review of Joel Osteen’s best-seller
In my Sunday School class, we finished Exodus last week. Between books, I often do miscellaneous lessons or a topical study. So, before we start Numbers next week, I did the only thing on my miscellaneous docket: a book review of Joel Osteen’s Your Best Life Now. Now, why would I bother to read Osteen’s book (I already have, more or less, my best life now!)—and why would I devote the time to talk about it in my class? First,...
Combat and Conversion
U.S. Marines pray over a fallen soldier “Foxhole conversions are not real Christian conversions,” and, “It is virtually impossible for Christians to serve in the military and remain faithful.” These are the words of a professor I experienced in seminary. It always seemed odd to me a professor at a Wesleyan – Arminian seminary wanted to keep people outside of saving grace. But quotes like these can be attributed to a fear in associating religion with the affairs of state....
The Christian Publishing Market
Some notes from a talk by Sally E. Stuart, author of The Christian Writers Market Guide: Publisher blogs are increasingly prevalent (for example, IVP).Authors are sometimes expected to provide fully developed marketing plans.“Secular” has e a pejorative term, now the preferred term is “General.”There is a move toward digital publication and dissemination, due petition, postage, printing costs.Christian booksellers are facing petition with decreasing margins, in part because Christian books are ing popular in mainstream outlets like Barnes & Noble, Amazon,...
Moral Claims and ‘Green’ IT
Here’s a PCWorld piece wondering whether the “green” trend in information technology is a fad or a fixture, “Green IT: Popularity Due to Savings or Morals?” One beef I have with the piece is that it presupposes a conflict between “morality” and “efficiency” concerns. Isn’t it a part of morality to be concerned with waste and economic stewardship? These need not be contrasted in such a way, as is evident by the words of Brian Cobb, senior vice president for...
Democracy in Iraq
In this week’s Acton Commentary, I examine the (non)necessity of promoting a democratic government in post-invasion Iraq. I haven’t written much on Iraq in this or any other venue, for a number of reasons. But this piece is one that I’ve been waiting to write for a long time, and was really only waiting for the proper occasion. That prompting came a few weeks ago when U.S. Rep. Peter Hoekstra from Holland, MI said, “The mission for us is not...
Helping the “Bottom Billion”
Richard John Neuhaus is calling it “one of the most important books on world poverty in a very long time.” It’s Paul Collier’s The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries Are Failing and What Can Be Done About It. Neuhaus’s discussion is thorough so I won’t reiterate. Suffice it to say that I’m intrigued by the book’s arguments. I’ve always thought the question of when to intervene militarily—self-evidently one of the key foreign policy questions—is also one of the thorniest...
Maranatha Christian Writers’ Conference
For the next few days, Ray Nothstine and I will be attending the Maranatha Christian Writers’ Conference in Muskegon, MI. As there’s something of interest to pass along and occasion permits, we’ll keep PowerBlog readers updated throughout the week. There’s some excellent background on the thirty year history of the conference in this last weekend’s Grand Rapids Press, “Area woman’s passion became ministry.” ...
Giving and the Rise of Volunteerism
Whenever an ex-president releases a new book there is considerable buzz in the media. When Bill Clinton released a new book in Chicago this week the buzz was more than considerable. President Clinton’s new book, Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World (Knopf 2007), is sure to provoke good and important discussion. My hope is that those who love him, as well as those who despise him for whatever reason, will take a long look at his central...
Global Warming Consensus Alert: Could This Be The End of Science?
If there’s one thing that I’ve learned from supporters of climate change alarmism, it’s this: Science = consensus, and consensus = TRUTH. Well, it appears that science and truth have taken another hit: A new analysis of peer-reviewed literature reveals that more than 500 scientists have published evidence refuting at least one element of current man-made global warming scares. More than 300 of the scientists found evidence that 1) a natural moderate 1,500-year climate cycle has produced more than a...
Related Classification
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.mreligion.com All Rights Reserved