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How the Republicans Stole Christmas: The Republican Party's Declared Monopoly on Religion and What Democrats Can Do to Take It Back

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Bill is mad as hell and he's not going to take it anymore. A lifelong Catholic, Press believes the Republican Party hijacked religion in the 2004 election: "Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Muslims and Buddhists... all out in the cold" since Conservative Christianity took over the Republican Party. If that's not bad enough, the Liberals offered no resistance, standing by while Conservatives established the moral code of the country, the Jesus who stood up for the poor and suffering made an advocate for the wealthy and powerful, tackling gays, guns and abortion with enthusiasm. Long familiar as a Liberal political commentator, Press felt the sting of the last election, the division of red and blue states and the exclusivity of one party unpalatable to the country in general. Rather than become entrenched in bitterness and complaints, in this book Press challenges his fellow Democrats to take back their ownership of social issues and moral responsibility. He tackles all the hot issues in these chapters, debating each, supported by quotes from politics and scripture: the separation of Church and State, the death penalty, abortion and stem cell research, gays and lesbians.

Beginning with the 2004 election and the many issues now before the public, Press is certainly incensed, but his discontent reads more like a deep, personal outrage than the current issues that have created such a cultural divide in the red and blue, let alone the black and white. Quoting Robert Kennedy: "What is objectionable, what is dangerous about extremists, is not that they are extreme, but that they are intolerant." In a country built on freedom of speech and religious worship, perhaps this is the cruelest cut of all, that the differences of faith cannot find common ground. Press quotes spokespersons for the Right, their mission clearly articulated: "Our goal is a Christian nation... we are called by God to conquer this country. We don't want equal time. We want plurality." (Randall Terry, Operation Rescue). Citing FDR's prayer for the troops prior to the invasion of Normandy, the former president calls forth the blessings of a compassionate and loving God, an argument that Democrats also have a proud heritage of God-fearing and religious leaders.

Making the historical case for separation of Church and State, Press bolsters his case with the words of Jefferson, Madison and Everson vs. The Board of Education. In an essay Madison opines, "Strongly guarded... is the separation between Religion and Government in the Constitution of the United States." In 1833, Madison again argues, "In the papal system, government and religion are in a manner consolidated, and that is found to be the worst of government." You can't expect a book with this title to be unpartisan, but Press makes valid points that can be discussed by rational people, although there are doubtless some topics that will never lend themselves to compromise. Not much has changed in the divisions of the country, but the recent catastrophes put a different perspective on priorities, where human tragedy has been revealed on such an enormous scale that it dwarfs the one-upmanship of either party. Then again, we're about to have hearings for the next Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Luan Gaines/ 2005.

Finally, a US citizen who can verbalize with clarity, the lessons Jesus wanted us to learn. How can George Bush & the "moral majority" ignore the teachings of Christ & have the blessing of the American people. The word "Morality" does not just address sexual preference. Materialism, the use of power, greed, coveting our world neighbors assets, murdering innocent citizens of other countries is what God will call us on when our time comes. This book motivates Christians who believe in the US Constitution and the teachings of Christ to stand up and be heard, then counted!

Having managed to come across an early review copy of this title, I must say I'm suitably impressed with the research which went into this title. Mr. Press outlines the 'mandate' the republican majority seems to believe they received with the election and then the re-election of President Bush. He also outlines several contentious issues which the republicans have used throughout the decades to push religion into the public sphere where it is forced on those who do not agree with their views. Or forced on individuals who are not 'believers' in the sense of a true religious belief. Through exhaustive quotes of our founding fathers, of whom George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin are just a few, and exhaustive research on biblical texts, Mr. Press has concluded rightly that our country is NOT a Christian Nation as the fundamentalists would have us believe. And even more singularly, Christianity desires to maintain it's necessary distance from influencing the government as well.

Press laments that the religious reich has distorted 'Christianity' and 'values' but he does not call for a religious theocracy of his own inside this book. Instead, his work is powerful because it has the reader question 'what would Jesus REALLY do?' were he to come back to modern America.

Since the 1970's, the Republican Party is courting evangelicals (and vice versa) through highly loaded emotional imagery. Their coercion produces the racism, sexism, homophobia, and classism throughout in our society because 'nobody' wants to be against Jesus. These groups convince people that unless we do what they say, we will not be "Christian".

I read this book in the aftermath of Katrina--ironically when those groups are now silent about morality. The federal, state, and local governments (packed with 'their' people) are accused of neglecting predominantly poor African American people who could not just jump into their cars and evacuate. Meanwhile, FEMA came under public scrutiny because then-director Michael Brown delayed sending in aid.

This book argues that it is not what labels we call ourselves but how we treat other people who are less fortunate than ourselves which should really measure 'ethics'. We need to look out for the less fortunate among ourselves.

He also highlights discrepancies between the right's clamoring for 'tradition' and their attack on the constitutionally mandated wall of separation between church and state. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison (among others) knew that the establishment of an official state religion harmed all people and would undercut the foundations of a 'democracy'. They were religious, but recognized that their right to practice their religion ended with themselves. We commit the ultimate affront against tradition when we attempt to pretend they would endorse today's bible-thumping.

It seems as if a book like this has been a long time in the coming. Why do Republicans act like they have the moral high-ground when so much of what they really stand for is selfish, self-serving, and hateful. I loved Bill Press's book because it finally puts forward clear and thoughtful reasons why Democrats have many virtues to be proud of.

Politics is not irrelevant--People are losing their lives to poverty, lack of education, injustice, and war. Let's champion the values that Press puts forward in this book.

The political/religious atmosphere of recent years might give one the impression that there is only one way of thinking about the intersection of these two important entities. Press does a very good job of showing the moral grounding of progressive politics. The Democratic party has completely lost its way in understanding what their core values truly are--Standing up for the rights, dignity, and prosperity of every person in this country, not merely the elect few who have money enough to wield hugely disproportionate influence over everyone's future.

It's about time someone put this together. Press points out fairly comprehensively the way Christian people in this country have been mislead for many years now. The only reason I gave the book only four stars is because he does tend to revert to "Crossfire"-style hyperbole, etc. and I think this rhetorical style is somewhat distracting because his points are clear and stand on their own: for example, one can indeed actually count the number of verses in the bible that advocate for the poor, etc. and compare them to the number of references to homosexuality. God's emphasis is obvious. We Christians need to put our eyes on scripture and put our faith in the actual Word, and less on what others want us to magnify or gloss over; political liberals need to claim what's rightfully theirs in Scripture. They've gone far too long without confronting conservatives and Republicans with the reality of the Word and holding them accountable. I'm grateful someone mainstream is standing up and pointing this out.

No Christian who follows the gospel can accept W as a genuinely god-fearing man.

Real Christians do not

bear false witness by repeatedly lying to the nation that the war in Iraq has somehow made America safer when the 9/11 Commission showed no link between Saddam Hussein and 9/11, something Bush once admitted in a rare moment of candor.

favor the rich over the poor; re Bush's tax cuts that are primarily targeted at the wealthiest 2%, i.e., those who need them least. See the parable of Lazarus and Dives (in some translations, Dives, Latin for rich man, is so translated), what Luke says about attempting to serve both God and money, and Jesus' remark about rich men and camels.

Not surprisingly, Bush's energy bill also rewards rich companies: energy companies are among the most profitable in the US. But Bush's principles (i.e., his love of the rich) compel him and like-minded Republicans to include billions of dollars in subsidies to them. The same inversion of Jesus' values created a medicaid program for the elderly without bulk purchasing to keep prices down. Bulk-purchasing would aid the elderly, but cut into the profits of big pharma. No surprise that once again Bush favors the rich over the poor.

take actions to degrade the quality of air and water; God has made us stewards of the earth. It is our job to take care of nature and in so doing take care of ourselves. Even non-Christians should be able to see that.

make a show out of being religious. Jesus has a word for such people: hypocrites.

Selfishness, lying, failed stewardship, hypocrisy, and greed play no part in bible-based Christianity. They play a big part in Bush's political and personal life.

By their fruits you shall know them.

Bill Press has written many books about politics and the theme of religion is a frequent occurrence in his writing. There is a good reason for this: Press spent many years in a seminary and he has a degree in theology. He knows a great deal about the Bible, its meaning, its contradictions, and its use/abuse by political leaders throughout the ages. And he wastes no time in this book going for the jugular; showing how Republicans- particularly those aligned with the Religious Right- have taken liberty with the Bible; seeking out passages and making narrow interpretations that fit their own ideology while completely ignoring the obvious messages about social issues that run contrary to the official party platform.

This book is a debunking type of book that clearly shows how Republicans often use Biblical quotes to support any number of their pet causes, like killing, hatred and/or phobia of people who enjoy certain lifestyles, and giving special breaks to rich people. Press doesn't just let his opinion suffice as a means of persuasion. He includes dozens of statistics along with specific passages from the Bible that show a different point of view, providing evidence that what the Bible says isn't as black and white as Republicans and Religious Right leaders would like you to believe.

One of the many things I like about this book is that the author fully admits that there are some Republican beliefs about Christianity that are more difficult to refute than others. With topics like abortion, the death penalty, and others it is very clear where Jesus stood on these issues (abortion is never mentioned in the Bible; killing is strictly forbidden except in self- defense). But with others, it takes more time and effort to show that the Bible isn't necessarily on the Republican side. One example is the issue of alternative lifestyles. Religious Right members like to point to certain, specific Bible verses that seem very condemning of homosexuality and Press admits that some of these do, indeed, seem very straightforward. But he then snaps back with other verses that, based on interpretation, seem to suggest that the Bible is indifferent toward homosexuality.

This book dedicates much of its space to the use of bible talking points to back its case but this isn't just a book about the Bible. It is also a book about religious freedom and the importance of church/state separation. With an issue like school prayer, for example, there is no direct biblical evidence to support or condemn. This is where the issue turns into a church/state argument and Press is firmly on the side in favor of church/state separation. Religious freedom and the anti- establishment clause have served both church and state very well and Press believes that this separation has actually helped churches grow and thrive.

When this book isn't taking on the Republicans over Biblical interpretation, it is taking on ministers and religious leaders who have made a pretty penny at the expense of their congregations. This is the focus in chapter seven and while the book doesn't spend as much time on this subject as the others, it is apparent how disgusted the author feels when ministers use religion to take money from poor people and fatten their own wallets. The book mentions a few specific individuals who are at the forefront of this swindle, and shows how many of them have sought to relieve themselves of guilt by looking for ways to Biblically and morally justify their selfish actions

Press takes time at the end of the book to recommend ways in which Democrats can regain the moral advantage they once held with the public and some of his suggestions will surprise die- hard liberals. He feels that Democrats are too uneasy talking about religion and this has been translated into indifference by Republicans, who have then exploited this as a means to gain support among the devout. Many Democrats feel that religion is a subject to avoid talking about because it is either too personal or they fear it is too divisive. Press feels this is a mistake, and he encourages Democrats everywhere to talk more openly about their faith in order to shake off this image that has been placed on them by Republicans; an image that many have equated with apathy, indifference, and even hostility toward all things holy.

"How Republicans Stole Christmas" is a very good analysis of certain issues often touted by Republicans as having a sound basis in the Bible and why their interpretations are often way off the mark. The book is written in an often humorous way and while it tends to get straight to the point, it keeps the tone on a respectable level. Press has strong opinions, but he refrains from name calling and he has no problem admitting that some Republican claims are stronger than others or that his own Democratic Party has made many mistakes in handling the subject of religion. It all makes for a solid piece of reading material and one that Democrats should take seriously if they hope to reverse the political damage inflicted by the Religious Right and restore themselves as the party for the moral and righteous.

I saw Bill Press promote this book on C-SPAN's Washington Journal. Someone called in and told Bill Press that he can't be a Christian because he supports abortion. But Republicans supporting war is ok? Is war Christian? Would Jesus support war? Republicans love to take the Bible and rip out all of the pages that don't go along with their twisted sense of morality and just keep the parts about hating the gays. They don't even take into account that Christmas is not a Christian holiday since Jesus Christ was against the celebration of birthdays. But that wont stop Republicans from saying they're more Christian than a liberal. Which is a very unChristian thing to say.