The latest organization to criticize Glenn Beck for his claim that churches preaching social justice or economic justice are using code words for Communism or Nazism is Bread for the World.

The anti-hunger group based in Washington, D.C., not only issued a statement denouncing Beck's comments, it set up a petition aimed at gathering support against Beck's views. Spokesman Brian Malone says the petition has already gathered 8,500 names and hopes to reach 35,000 by the end of the weekend.

“It shows where people's minds are and what people are thinking,” Malone told me. When the petition is complete, he said Bread for the World will present it to Beck with a copy of a Poverty and Justice Bible.

The petition was launched after Bread for the World issued the following statement late Thursday in response to Beck's comments from March 2:

Recently Fox News Host Glenn Beck urged his audience to leave their congregations if the church mentioned “social” or “economic” justice. Beck told his listeners and viewers that the terms are code words for communism and Nazism.

“Jesus called us to care for 'the least of these,' social justice is central to the Gospel,” said Rev. David Beckmann, president, Bread for the World. “No matter where you fall in the political spectrum, it is impossible for biblically-literate people to deny the thousands of verses in the Bible about hunger and poverty.”