Customer Reviews

Last Crusade

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Barbara Victor's editorial reaction to a political revolution that has occurred in the United States over the last three decades draws strength from first-person interviews and experiences with people of all stripes. It is a book from which both religious and secular can learn. Or, one can chose to interpret it in support of whatever one favors.

Victor's bias is the inappropriateness of religious dogma driving political governance. Those on a frenzy of self-feeding, absolute certitude are dangerous be they Islamic fundamentalists, Christian fundamentalists, or whoever.

It is interesting that a political cartel is subverting the deliberate structure of the American democratic republic and calling itself patriotic. Somehow, that which made the United States great for 200 years is no longer appropriate and is deemed weakness. We are in the process of no longer being "a Government of the People, by the People, and for the People" but instead "a Nation under God." I suppose it does sound better. However, separation of church and state was installed by wise Founders to unite a diverse populace into a great nation, unity considered critical to survival of the Republic. Consequently, We have had the freedom to be a God-full people who could trust in God without fear of intimidation by the God of others.

Victor believes what has been happening in the United States in her lifetime is not in Our interest. The Founding Fathers feared that the greatest threat was from within, the potential of a single, powerful group to dominate governance, quite simply the breakdown of democracy when 'ins' are more worthy than 'outs.' Democracy is fragile, and most have failed. The brilliance of American democracy is the complex mechanism of safeguards built into the Constitution. Some of Us still cherish the notion.

Victor believes the United States is in peril. Even Righteous special interest cannot be given the nation. This book is her educated and experienced interpretation. She should be able to express her opinion without being labeled a conspirator. The book is well-done and important. Brava!

This is a fascinating history of the rising influence of evangelical Christians in American politics. There are 80 million born-again Christians of voting age in the United States, including George W. Bush, who became President only because he gained their support.

Author Barbara Victor is not an evangelical herself, and her book suffers from an anti-Christian bias. She reports on Christian influence as though it is a bad thing. She mentions powerful Christians, wealthy Christians, and influential lobbyist Christians as though someone should stop these people having influence because they are Christians. But from the Christians' view, of course, a strong Christian influence will ensure a better society. For them, it is a good thing.

Even though I disagree with the author's fears, and her bias, I think this is a good book for Christians and non-Christians alike. I learned a lot from her research. I learned about Christian people and organizations I had never heard of before, and it made me realize there is a lot more good going on in the world than I thought.

As we would expect in the rapidly changing world of politics, some of the information Victor presents is already out of date in the short time since the book came on sale in 2005. Some of the key players have died, some have retired or stepped down because of illness, and some of the support has changed in some areas. Even so, it is still a reasonably up-to-date account of evangelical influence in politics. I think it is good reading for anyone who wants to find out some little-known facts about why Christianity has become a growing influence in American politics since Ronald Reagan's election in 1980.

Barbara Victor has written about MADONNA (GODDESS, Inside Madonna ) or about the plagued Burmesian politician Aung San Suu Kyi (The Lady: Aung San Suu Kyi: Noble Laureate and Burma's Prisoner), she investigated to the topic "marital force" (Getting Away with Murder: Weapons for the War Against Domestic Violence ) as well as about Islamistic female suicide assassins (German: SHAHIDAS, the daughters of terror; English: ARMY OF ROSES - Inside The World of Palestinian Women Suicide Bombers -- also as a TV documentation ). Now Barbara Victor starts to discuss the fundamental American Christian crusade, which spreads from Washington (The Last Crusade: Religion and the Politics of Misdirection). The book author and journalist Barbara Victor worked for 15 years for the TV-channel CBS, in addition for U.S. News and World Report, Elle, Femme (she lives in Paris at times) or Madam Figaro. She has interviewed many important politicians in the Middle East and in the USA (among other things the legendary Libyan tent enthusiast Moammar Ghadaffi). So she splits gradually between the description of Islamistic rage on the one hand and on the other hand of mentioning the missionary Texan evangelicalism. Besides the inestimably dangerous foreign policy consequences an analysis is definitely worth what donation monies arises and is moved in the inner American cultural war. Barbara Victor lines up many involved by: the evangelical preachers Billy and Franklin Graham, the strictly religious John Ashcroft etc.- Next to the known backgrounds (the "immoral" Bill Clinton was brought into discredit by the moralists well versed in the Bible with his liberal political direction, there is order again now: against abortion is proceeded and against stem cell research or against the nature scientifically oriented biology lesson) - next to the known backgrounds there are discussed less known but nevertheless very informative topics: With God at their side (such an also interesting book title of the author Esther Kaplan) the religious right-wings have the veto power over the president candidates of the Republican party. One can absolutely comprehend in the course of the reading: The " September Eleven " is sorted as God's alarm call - and the Evangelicals (Bush belongs to these people all the time) feel now particularly motivated, to support Israel against the Islam. (Evangelicals support ideologically and financially [ annual approx. a billion Euro ] for example the incorrigible settler movement which was not easy to send away of the Gaza-era.) Mainly well known for their lively rhetoric regarding a war against the evil ones has to be said at the side, moreover, the influence of these 80 million U.S. fundamental Christians will also noticeably gradually in Africa and Latin America and perhaps one will soon have to add that: also in Europe ...

All forms of fanaticism are ugly, dangerous and evil. Barbara Victor's is no different. Ms Victor is an anti-Christian fundamentalist. Her book is essential reading for anyone who wishes to understand the inner-workings of a zealot's mind.

She pulls numerous 'rhetorical fast ones' to present a deliberately false picture in the reader's mind, and oftentimes in doing so, her black propaganda runs directly in tandem with that of Al Qa'eda and encourages the enemy to kill American soldiers at time of war.

Ms Victor informs us on p.24 that "It is a tragic irony that the Christian media campaigns so tirelessly against pornography ... [while] US soldiers in Iraq were generating vast quantities of sadistic pornography as part of America's crusade for democracy". This reads like something written by an Al Qa'eda spin doctor. It is a classic example of the bratocratic values that permeate western media. At time of war, with the lives of US Coalition soldiers on the line, we simply can no longer afford the luxury of indulgence of such behaviour. Ms Victor and her bratocratic colleagues really do need to be forced to face their adult responsibilities.

Intriguingly, in her next paragraph, she states "As we shall see, the media, when covering the war, have taken to marching in sync with the Bush doctrine that combines state and church". Leaving aside her polemic over 'the Bush doctrine', anyone with half a grip on reality would by utterly bewildered by her statement. Needless to say, untrue to her word, she does not say how the media has been acting as a Bush cheerleader over Iraq.

Elsewhere she claims that George W Bush has mobilised the United States in a war against Islam. I dont know. Maybe she's forgotten how in the wake of 9/11 President Bush and his Administration bent over backwards to stave off revenge attacks against American Moslems? Maybe she's forgotten how Presdident Bush stood shoulder to shoulder with American Muslim leaders in the Washington Mosque and declared "Islam is about peace" and that the terrorists who attacked America did not represent Islam? Or maybe there's no lie too big for her to tell to discredit a Christian American President, even if it means promoting enemy black propaganda that gets Americans killed?

On p.92 she states "Enmity between Christians and Muslims dates back to the Crusades of the 11th Century". Maybe she's unaware that Muslims invaded Spain and much of Europe in the 8th Century? Oh, but hold on, in the same paragraph she mentions that Spain was invaded but she doesn't give a date. Yep, it's the Christians to blame for the enmity Moslems feel towards the West. Hey, let's not just do away with the State of Israel, let's do away with Christians as well, then all will be fine with our Moslem friends.

Once more Barbara Victor gives credence to Al Qa'eda black propaganda that gets Americans killed. At the end of Chapter 2 she equates Christian fundamentalism with Islamic fundamentalism. Honest introspection may lead Ms Victor to come up with a far more accurate equation.

While Barbara Victor produces a grotesque caricature of President Bush's Christian principles, her caricature of evangelical Christians is not entirely unfair, as oftentimes evangelical Christians are their own caricature.

Ms Victor recounts how at one service she attended she was put on the spot by the preacher and asked to stand up so the congregation could pray for her salvation. Reluctantly, after a pause, she did so. Now, anyone who strives to ""Do unto others as you would have others do unto you"", ""with all your heart, mind and soul"", would have known not to treat Ms Victor like this. It was simply a psychological pressure technique to force faith upon her to sate the preacher's carnal appetite. That is why this reviewer is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Heart. It's a church Christians go to when the only doubts they've ever had about their faith have come through involvement in church life. The sort of bilge Ms Victor was subject to is one of the reasons why.

Another tendency she cites is the glib way people spoke to her of 'God talking to them'. In his book 'The Holy Spirit', Billy Graham estimates that 90% of 'Christian healers' are "charlatans". I think, at the very least, this figure can be given for those who claim 'God spoke to me' - or at the very least, they are severely self-deluded. They think about a matter and when a thought comes to their head they choose to believe 'God spoke to me' as it gives them religious kudos amongst their peers. Annette Lantos gave Ms Victor a very credible view of how you can distinguish between a normal thought process and actually hearing God's voice. As a Christian, the claims she made to Ms Victor I would not discount.

Ms Victor does however, go way overboard in caricature when she writes about the 3 evangelical Christians charged to take care of her during her stay with their church. One was an ex-stripper, one an ex-lesbian and the other a convicted child rapist. After giving a potted history of their salvation experiences, she segues into a rhetorical sleight of hand, typifying America's 80 million evangelical Christians as ex-strippers, ex-lesbians and convicted child rapists. For the alert reader, the cheap thrill Ms Victor must have got in getting that stroke down on paper is palpable.

Just quite how much of a down Ms Victor has on Christians and Christianity is revealed when she accuses the Revd Billy Graham (p.172) of going against his biblical beliefs for showing compassion to an aide to President Johnson caught in a homosexual act in an YMCA toilet. I dont know, call me a raving Christian homophobe nutjob if you like, but showing compassion to a man afflicted with homosexual desire is not a contradiction of Christian belief. But why let reason and decency get in the way of a good smear?

According to Ms Victor, separation of Church and State means separation of religion and politics. It does not. It means that under the US Constitution, unlike the British one, there can be no Established Church. How much the American people want religion and politics to mix is decided democratically. The corrollary of what Ms Victor has written is that she would like America to be like Iran where no Christian could ever stand for public office.

As far gone as Ms Victor is in her anti-Christian fundamentalism, she is not completely gone. She does at least have enough morality left to refer to Palestinians who strap explosives to children to use as bombs to blow up other children as "terrorists". She's not as far gone as a lot of her colleagues in that respect. Even for someone whose got it as bad as she has not even the people who are the human source of Judeo-Christian values deserve this to happen to them.

She really does need to make her mind up about President Bush though. Either he's a fanatical Christian nutjob for supporting the right to life and faith-based welfare programmes, or his support of a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine means he's faking his faith to win the Christian vote? You really have to be in the advanced stages of Bush Hatred Syndrome to dismiss the sincerity of President Bush's faith.

Ms Walter's does do a good job though in highlighting the pro-Israel one state solution a number of evangelical Christians appear to have and their steps to acheive it to usher in the return of the Messiah. The Lord does not need the help of anyone to make His prophecies come true. Those evangelical Christians who think fulfillment of the biblical prophecy of the Second Coming will be predicated upon their actions are guilty of the most enormous conceit. It is as if they believe God is made in their image and not they in His. It is the most grotesque caricature of the Christian faith. It is no wonder that so many people look at the antics of so many Christians and are convinced of atheism.

On the subject of End Times prophecy though, Ms Victor is highly selective.

My understanding of End Times prophecy is that before the Anti-Christ takes control, Christians will be 'raptured' into Heaven. Thereafter will follow the 'Tribulation'. 144,000 Israeli Jews will convert to Christ and evangelise the world. Those who accept Christ will face persecution and all manner of torture to make them renounce it. At the end of the Anti-Christ's seven year reign he will assemble an army to defeat God in Heaven, whereupon Christ will return in Glory with his army of Angels and wipe out that army and reign on earth for a Millenium with those who survived the Tribulation. After a thousand years the Devil will be loosed again to deceive the nations, there will be the final battle of Armageddon, when the Devil will be finally defeated, then shall be Judged the quick and the dead, Heaven and earth shall pass away, and those washed in the blood of the Lamb shall live with God for eternity in the New Jerusalem.

Ms Victor lends considerable weight to those Jews who dont convert to Christ 'being slaughtered', but mentions nothing of the period of Tribulation and how it will be the Jews who evangelise for Christ.

If Ms Victor continues on the path she is on, she will be amongst those who persecute and torture Christian converts, Jews and Gentiles alike, and then, like all followers of the Anti-Christ, face Judgement.

I got this book for 'Christmas' from my beautiful wife. Shock horror that we are still allowed to use the word or celebrate the occasion because it is actually for the celebration of Jesus Christs birthday. Now, Now, I am only joking, and all the non-christians out there don't have to picture me getting a flogging from you in your imagination just by you reading the introduction...OK, OK probobly not a good start to such a tough debate? but a little humour in this day and age really does go a long way. God bless Barbara Victor for her crusade to expose us evangelical Christians as all being hell bent on global domination, on crushing all in front of us, of oposing all religions and persuasions (got a book for you on the Ottoman Empire when you are free Barb). Yes, Yes if you couldn't guess I am one of the evil Pentocostal Christians who inhabit the planet (and no doubt who Democrats would like to get a vote from if I was in the USA)...only joking...yeeeshh...calm down...and I am only an Australian Pentocostal at that (who by the way knows the World capital cities better than most American Pents'(read the book...you will get the pun...) OK now to be serious...What a book, as mentioned, my beautiful wife got me the book for Christmas because as the saying goes'Keep your friends close but your enemies closer', sorry... I had to have a last laugh. Barb seems to have the nasties on with the 'Evangelical Right' as per penned in this book. I also gave the book one star not just because amazon only allows it as the lowest rate, but because I think she deserves at least one star for taking the time for writing a book. Off the front foot I must say that it was incredibly interesting reading, right from the introduction to the bibliography at the end. Yes, here it comes....the inevitable...'Unfortunately' it seems that the book comes across as more of one of the many books around at the present time on American politics and the use of Christianity for its whipping Boy. There is a very important and serious senario that must be addressed here, and that is if you are going to attack a religion you must have some incredible studies, scholastic work that is backed up by numerous other journalists (but preferably scholars) and groundwork into the area with serious fact. This comes with all world religions, not just Christianity or 'Evangelicals' as Barb seems to circle (dedicate to) in her book. She seems so quick to offer quotes and scriptures but upon looking further into her writings I find biblical verses misleading, out of context (as she accuses evangelicals as doing frequently), erronous scripture translations(after checking 7 translations of bible verses that words have been changed to alter meanings of scripture) and to insinuate that it is a 'Texan' translation of God's word. Look...I haven't written about suicide bombers or other sorry stories, or even any fiction books like Barb. I have however as a very studied person on numerous religions, cults and belief systems know that if you are going to bring forth accusations against a religion, that it takes a lot more than a few book signings and listening to one 'soldiers opinion' to base fact on (come on people...we all know that it takes a few people to verify a situation by word of mouth in any senario). I can (and will if needed) write a whole stripdown of the book only because I find it very lacking in any real substance, research or Scholastical truth particularly in the introduction of the book when Barb stating of the capture of Saddam Hussain to then Bush jr calling his mates to pray and when looking to back it up in Barb's bibliography (1-4) it comes up with 'Author Source' and thats all... As soon as I read that statement in the introduction and then checking the bibliography, I had a picture in my mind (no it wasn't a God vision) of Barb wading into a big swamp past the sign 'Warning! Please explain better or professional suffocation will occur'. Come on people, if we are going to critisize each other and accuse a peoples religious conviction in a printed book that is available worldwide it HAS TO be well researched and backed up with unbreakable facts if we are going to have any sort of legitimacy and not to be made to look like a joke and political donkey (like Michael Moore)...All this book achieves is to give the Bush haters and anti-Christian movement more ice castles to build in glory of their hatred of what they think ails the USA, but dont worry, the Holy Spirits fire will melt your castles!!! Oh calm down and have a laugh...I'm joking... Come on Barb, lighten up and when you are next in Australia call in for a glass of wine and a chat.