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45 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Religious Freedom vs. Theocratic Tyranny: The Choice is Yours, October 5, 2006
This review is from: Piety & Politics: The Right-Wing Assault on Religious Freedom (Hardcover)
"Piety & Politics" is Reverend Barry Lynn's effort to educate the public on the dangers of church and state partnerships and the threat they pose to religious freedom. Lynn is an ordained minister for the United Church of Christ and he devotes considerable time and effort to defending church state separation He is also the executive director for the activist organization Americans United for Separation of Church and State and he wrote this book to explain some of the methodology of the Religious Right in its efforts to take control of government. Beginning with a chapter on the definition of religious freedom, the book offers separate chapters on some of the favorite targets of the Religious Right, such as public education, religious symbols, government- funded charity, church politicking, personal decisions on sexual matters, and the desire to censor undesirable books, movies, etc. Lynn selected these hot- button topics probably because they are among the most broad- based and the most often cited as areas where the Religious Right and its members feel strongly; so strongly, in fact, that they are willing to rewrite the U.S. Constitution in order to make their view of religion and morality the law of the land.
Barry Lynn is very well- versed on the church/state topic and he is very good at articulating his point of view. Many are familiar with Lynn and know him from his many appearances on television where he is often invited to share his perspectives. Often, Lynn squares off against one of the many pundits of the Religious Right effectively debunking the numerous myths perpetuated by these religious radicals and their followers. Lynn does exactly the same thing in this book. He writes about and sometimes quotes his political foes on the Religious Right- people like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson- throughout the book, allowing these men and others like them to show their true colors through their own words. Lynn doesn't need to degrade these men personally. He keeps his discussion on a respectful level and never resorts to name calling or other forms of immaturity. He allows the leaders of the Religious Right the opportunity to incriminate themselves on their own through their quotations and by exposing their political agendas. Most everyone is familiar with Falwell and Robertson and many have heard some of the absurd and often hateful utterances from these supposed men of the cloth. Lynn includes a few of the rude and often mean- spirited comments from these men and others on the Religious Right so that the reader can understand exactly what these people believe and the lengths they are willing to go in their efforts to convert the United States into an all out theocracy or at least a moderate version of a theocracy.
Lynn includes a few facts of history often omitted by Religious Right zealots in their pursuit of a theocratic state. He talks about the U.S. Constitution and its importance as a governing document. He doesn't, however, intend this book as merely a history lesson. The main point of the book is the present- day reality that Religious Right leaders are increasing their collective threat to the religious freedom of all Americans and that ordinary people need to wake up, realize this threat, and act accordingly. Like Lynn stresses over and over in this book, the law of the United States is the Constitution, not the Bible or any other religious text. The role of government leaders is to govern, not to play the role of national minister. Plenty of avenues already exist to spread the message of religion so it makes no sense that some want to use government, the vehicle of coercion and force, to further their religious goals. And the old argument that since the majority of Americans are Christian and should have their religion made into law is not only ludicrous, it also goes against the U.S. Constitution. The United States was founded as a constitutional republic and that means that all religions, even those in the minority, are still protected and cannot be subjected to forced coercion from the majority religion. Besides, churches already have a great degree of freedom and they don't even have to pay taxes. Why some members of the religious community would want to do anything to jeopardize this freedom is beyond reason in Lynn's mind and in the mind of other church/state activists. And the intermingling of church and state is a sure- fire reason to end religious freedom as we know it because if public funds are doled out to different religious groups (and other charitable groups, for that matter), it will subject their organizations and churches to government oversight and federal control.
Lynn writes this book very effectively. He includes an introduction explaining exactly what religious freedom is all about so that the reader has a solid basis for understanding the remainder of the book. He then offers chapters that cover some well- known areas of Religious Right controversy followed by a conclusion that pulls everything together with reminders on the design of American secular law and why it is very important that the United States never stray from its intended legal path. Lynn engages in effective persuasion- the same method he uses when he introduces others to the Christian faith. And Lynn feels persuasion is the method that all religions should use to gain converts. Governments are not and should not be in the business of saving souls. The job of elected bureaucrats is to enforce laws as they exist, not to play the role of clergy.
Lynn makes some interesting observations about religion and politics and what he says is practical, intelligent, sensible, and logical. Exposing members of the Religious Right isn't all that difficult when one considers some of the deceptive tactics and the dishonest means they use to reach their political and social goals. It is interesting, for example, how members of the Religious Right constantly speak of freedom and the elimination of government interference in economic matters yet they have no problem accepting- even promoting- government interference in personal decisions. This unusual give and take by religious radicals illustrates their dual nature and is often used to mask their true intentions. Like Lynn points out, Religious Right leaders often dismiss his and other critics' charges of the theocratic motives of the Religious Right as alarmist. But a quick look at the agenda proposed by the Religious Right shows that they are not really pro- freedom at all. They want to control what everyone does and they are more than willing to use the long arm of the law to make it happen.
Piety & Politics offers some excellent reading and some solid, sensible discussion of religion and public policy. Barry Lynn explains the threats, the deceptions, and the goals of the Religious Right and its leaders very clearly and he warns of the many repercussions if Jefferson's wall of separation goes the way of the Berlin Wall. Secularism is the foundation of the American government and it has served the nation well since the early days of the republic. Lynn explains with grace and style the threat of the Religious Right, its tactics, its motives, and why it must be stopped for the sake of religious freedom. This book offers an intelligent take on the importance of church state separation and why we all need to join together to make sure these religious radicals do not succeed at chipping away at the wall of separation between church and state. Not only is the intertwining of church and state a violation of freedom, it also runs contrary to the U.S. Constitution and needs to stopped for the good of all.
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33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Solid Case for Keeping Church and State Separate, October 26, 2006
This review is from: Piety & Politics: The Right-Wing Assault on Religious Freedom (Hardcover)
Judging by his enemies, the author is a giant. His book tends to harp a bit, with a recounting of his many appearances on broadcast media, how the extreme right hates him, and how separation is good. I would normally drop it to four stars for the harping, but the substance is the best I've seen. This is a solid five-star review of both the massive fortunes being accumulated by the evangelical right, all tax free and completely absent any government oversight or audit. The author is responsible for documenting 56 cases where the religious right has broken the law by supporting specific candidates, for which they should lose their tax exempt status.
The author provides a clear and thoughtful discussion of the intent of our Founding Fathers, and why a theocracy, which is what we have in effect (but see my review of Tempting Faith, which may destroy the blind faith of the right in the Bush-Cheney regime), reduces religious freedom and tolerance.
Indeed, the author blasts Senator Lieberman (I-CT) for his constant use of religion to justify laws and positions. I believe the author would concur with Rabbi Michael Lerner's "Left Hand of God," to wit, we should strive to be people of faith, and live by our faith's tenets, but NOT mingle state funds and church funds, state regulations and church rites.
In historical context, the author discusses how protestant conservative churches grew and then tried to use the state to resist the influx of Catholics and other non-Protestant minorities.
The author discusses the hypocricy of the faith-based charities that want to be exempt from both taxation and regulation (e.g. hiring minorities), while taking money from the government under fomulas that are best questionable.
If there is a luducrous side to the nutty right-wing evangelicals, it can be seen in their fear of Harry Potter films as promoting the occult. The author goes on at length to describes how "family friendly" is code for censorship of schools, libraries, and communities. By calling anything at all "lewd and obscene" the nutty right is censoring virtually all non-fiction and a great deal of science (see my review of Roger Shattuck's "Forbidden Knowledge: From Prometheus to Pornography.")
The author's bottom line is that the religious right is hateful and intolerant. On page 234 he states that the extreme right fears information while sensitive people of faith welcome information.
This is a really fine book, it says what needs to be said about the tax evasion and inappropriate political activities of the extreme right.
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21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
BE AFRAID, BE VERY AFRAID, October 12, 2006
This review is from: Piety & Politics: The Right-Wing Assault on Religious Freedom (Hardcover)
Reverend Lynn provides an iron-clad case for the defense of separation of church and state, which the Religious Right would like to see abolished. A core principal of our nation, church state separation is conceivably one of the most important of our American rights and one which makes us the envy of most of the world.
'Piety & Politics' is an excellent overview of the plot being perpetrated to transform America into a theocracy. One need only pick up a daily newspaper to find some compliancy from the White House or Congress towards that end. The Religious Right obfuscates the real issues of the day by deflecting media attention from the immoral war, stagnant economy, grossly underinsured populace and poverty and unemployment, to gay marriage, contraception and book banning.
Reverend Lynn's substance, style and wit make for enjoyable reading chock-full of food for thought.
For those who don't realize the colossal importance of our religious freedom, I highly suggest you read this book. When you're finished, you may want to visit [...] (Americans United for Separation of Church and State) to find out what you can do to stop the insanity and preserve our freedom.
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