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Piety & Politics: The Right-Wing Assault on Religious Freedom

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"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.

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.

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.

In his new book, Piety and Politics, Rev. Barry Lynn explains the Religious Right's relentless attack on church/state separation and why separation is necessary. He gives examples of the Religious Right's attacks and explains why they are invalid.

Rev. Lynn starts by explaining what religious freedom is, pointing out that "religious freedom is for everyone and every group-period... all are equal in the eyes of the state." He also states that despite the Religious Right's assertion that we are a Christian nation, "... nowhere does the constitution state that the country is Christian. In fact, the constitution contains no references to Jesus Christ, Christianity, or even God for that matter. The fact that above the signatures is the phrase 'in the year of our Lord' is purely stylistic and not theologically significant".

He also points out that church/state separation is important because it means that "no one can force your children to pray in public schools against your wishes" and later states "mandatory, taxpayer-supported religion is the antithesis of religious freedom. No one who is forced to support religion against his or her will is truly free."

As in the opening chapter, Rev. Lynn uses subsequent chapters to dismantle religious right claims concerning religion and public education, religious icons and public property, faith-based initiatives, sex and sex education, and censorship because of religious principles.

Rev Lynn is a fully ordained United Church of Christ minister who received his master's degree of divinity in 1973 from Boston University School of Theology. His plain, conversational tone makes for easy and enjoyable reading, explaining his views and relating facts in a way that everyone can understand. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is confused about the issue of church/state separation, and for anyone who wants a clear explanation of the battle being waged around it.

The Religious Right is determined to convert the nation to its tunnel vision mind-set - that is - sexophobic, homo-phobic, science-o-phobic, secular-phobic, Harry Potter-phobic, to name only a few of their neuroses. They want to use federal courts if states won't help and state courts when blocked by the feds. They use as their guide cherry-picked verses from a patchwork theological document written during the bronze age. Although they could have cherry-picked verses of help and love, they prefer the mean-spirited ones. Somehow in the past couple of decades they have managed to gain a toehold in the upper echelons of US politics.

Author Barry Lynn is a devout Christian, a minister, an attorney, a radio talk show host, and is director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. With a couple of decades of scrapping with the Religious Right under his belt, he is uniquely qualified to educate us about the ridiculous political scenarios in this country masquerading as religion. The Constitution is not safe around these fine gentlemen and it is time to reaffirm the importance of a government that is completely secular and neutral to religious matters.

Fortunately, our judges (regardless of who appointed them) seem to have a good handle on the issue. True to form, the Religious Right has made attempts to render the judicial branch impotent.

Of the two excellent books recently written roasting the Religious Right, this one is more comprehensive. "Religion Gone Bad" by Mel White covers the same data and is more polemic than Lynn's. White's issue is more personal, covering the Religious Right's gay bashing in more detail. I heartily recommend them both and Merry...uh...I mean Happy Holidays!

A few years back I was listening to a news report about how first time homeowners were struggling with the complexities involved in buying their initial home. The report stated that the Bush Administration was planning on using members of its faith-based initiative to help buyers navigate the confusing maze. HUH??? What does the church have to do with offering information on buying a home? I was already aware that Bush was attempting to allow faith-based groups to discriminate in hiring despite being government funded which made this kind of handoff of government responsibility even that much more offensive. As bad as I thought it was, it was far worse and far more cynical than I ever imagined.

Rev. Barry Lynn has long been vilified by the Religious Right but the truth is he may be about the best friend Christians have. The author writes, "church-state separation has been a great boon to religion". Among industrialized nations the United States has been rather unique in its continuing observance of expressed religious faith. The United States was also groundbreaking in its establishment of a secular government. Coincidence? Barry Lynn's argument is that it is America's secularism that has allowed religion to thrive. In most European countries the churches are subsidized by the state. As Rev. Lynn states, "They want for only one thing: congregants" So why is the Religious Right so eager to kill the goose that laid the golden egg. Lynn believes that the ultimate goal of the Religious Right is to create a theocratic state with themselves in charge. I have to respectfully disagree. As little respect as I have for Dobson, Robertson and the now deceased Falwell I really doubt they believe they are going to somehow take over the American government. A much more likely scenario is that the church would be consumed by the government.

George W. Bush has been characterized as perhaps the strongest ally that Christianity has ever had in the Oval Office. The truth is the Bush Administration has used religion more cynically than probably any administration ever. The faith-based initiative was nothing more than a sop to try and woo evangelicals and finally make some headway with black voters. Bush continually used religious issues and his own purported faith to try and shore up his base and push his agendas while religious leaders like Dobson and Robertson promoted policies important to Bush and the GOP. I can remember Dobson presenting a wish list to the GOP that included eliminating the capital gains tax because I guess that's what Jesus would want.

The author writes a much needed defense against claims by Rev. Jim Wallis that the ACLU and Rev. Lynn's Americans for the Separation of Church and State are nothing more than the flip side of the Religious Right. I wrote in a review of `God's Politics' that Rev. Wallis was way off base in his attack on secularism which was a real shame because he presents himself as a bridge between fundamentalists and moderates.

Rev. Lynn's point is that it is the struggle that makes the church strong. In fact struggle is an integral part of the Christian faith. As the author writes, "Why should they give more on Sunday if they already paid taxes to support religion?" Are churches going to work harder to attract members when they're supported by the government? It wasn't secularists or atheists who pushed for separating Church and State. It was Christians who hated having the government write prayers or give tax money to other denominations or ban certain beliefs. The people who dreamed of a wall of separation between church and state lived through the results of their union. Perhaps secularists and atheists should lobby for the wall to come down. It's likely to be the easiest and quickest way to render Christianity irrelevant.

I notice that Amazon is selling Piety and Politics paired with Letter to a Christian Nation in the Best Value section. I found Piety and Politics far more readable than Sam Harris's angry polemic. Between the two this is definitely the one to get.

First let me say, the Rev. Barry Lynn writes very clearly and logically, so following his argument is easy. He explains what the First Amendment is, what it tries to accomplish and why we need it.

The simple truth is that most religions think they have the real truth, the whole truth and all of god's will, and hence everyone must believe in Jesus, Allah, the angel Moroni, Krishna or whoever. Even unbelieving atheists have a tendency to think they have "the real truth." The problem is, with everyone "knowing" the only and final truth, how do we live together without constantly arguing with one another. Obviously, we must be tolerant of the other fellows belief and agree to look for what we believe in common, and not constantly fight and argue.

In this situation all faiths must be treated equally, and especially the government must not prefer, or push, or support any one faith in preference to any other. It is especially important no government body, i.e. no public body, school, court, administration, etc. favor the Christian religion, because Christians are the majority, which might easily overwhelm a minority faith.

The First Amendment simply implements this concept. It informs the government to stay out of all religions, don't push any, don't even think of favoring any, don't even say a public prayer, for all prayers are sectarian supported by one but not another faith.

"I blame the Religious Right not only for spreading lies about what happens to students who want to express religious sentiments but also for their failure to inform students of what their rights are."

Barry Lynn, who is the executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, makes the above statement early in the second chapter of this excellent book. He opens the chapter with a reference to a debate he had with Ernest Istook (R-OK). He describes Istook as "a leading proponent of adding a school prayer amendment to the Constitution." In this, he shows admirable restraint, given that many people refer to Istook, with very little preamble, as "a right-wing religious nutcase." In Istook's universe, supporting a school prayer amendment is a relatively moderate act. However, this is a review of Lynn's book and not a discussion of Istook's sanity.

Chapter 2 deals with Religion and Public Education, specifically the unnecessary conflict between the two. His first and historically very significant example is the situation faced by Ellery Schempp.

In the 1950s, along with other children at his school in Abingdon Township in the Philadelphia suburbs, Schempp was daily compelled by law to listen to ten verses--broadcast over the public address system--from the King James version of the Bible, and to recite the Lord's Prayer. Schemp and his family were Unitarians and made well known their position--that government should impose religion on no-one. In the era of McCarthyism, that was not a popular position and, for the Schempps, led to the death by hanging of the family cat, to regular barrages of rotting fruit aimed at their house, and to allegations that they were communists.

The Schempps filed a complaint, unsuccessfully at first, but upheld on appeal in Abingdon Township School District v. Schempp (1963). Lynn does not immediately mention the case, itself, preferring to deal, at that point, with the attempts by the irascible and self-aggrandizing Madalyn Murray O'Hair to take sole credit for getting prayer "kicked out of the schools." Unfortunately, despite the historical record showing that many people stood up to the government and its practice, then, of imposing prayer on children, O'Hair's loud claims have led many Americans to believe that all prayer is prohibited on school premises. The complicity of the Religious Right in perpetuating this myth is what gives rise to Lynn's statement at the beginning of this review.

Lynn does acknowledge O'Hair's contribution, in a parallel case in Baltimore, which was the basis for her exaggerated claim. He also points out that her well-known self-inflicted status as "the most hated woman in America" didn't help matters generally.

The book is well structured and starts with the basics, with Chapter 1 addressing the issue of what religious freedom is and what it is not. Having answered, in the Introduction, the question of "why . . . a nice minister like [him] support[s] the separation of church and state," he says, "I support complete religious/philosophical freedom for all and believe that only the separation of church and state can give us that. Falwell and Robertson want to see a state based on a religion--theirs."

In subsequent chapters, Lynn takes full advantage of his experience as a church/state separationist to pique our interest with his discussions (with many examples) of religious icons and public property, faith-based initiatives (which he characterizes as "paying for piety"), religion and politics, sex and sensibility (which deals with the war on our private lives waged by the Religious Right), and religiously motivated censorship.

Given that he's decided to make his case by means of a book-length proposition, it's fitting that he ends it with a conclusion with the title "Saying No to Theocracy."

We're left with no doubt about where Barry Lynn stands. Those who agree with him and who read his book are better equipped to make their own case.

Lest I forget to conclude with the obvious, let me say that I cannot recommend this book too highly.

`Piety & Politics' by The Reverend Barry W. Lynn is a catalogue of, as the subtitle states, `The Right-Wing Assault on Religious Freedom', from his position as director of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. For starters, let me say that I am in almost 100% agreement with everything Dr. Lynn says. He makes a far more reasoned and levelheaded case against the extremes of American fundamentalist Christians than the archly polemical `Letter to a Christian Nation' by Sam Harris. It is even superior, albeit far less broad in scope than Tony Campolo's `Speaking My Mind'. My agreement with the good Pastor Lynn may have something to do with our both having been raised in that most Christian oriented of blue state cities, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, home of, among other things, the Moravian church in America and neighbor, in Allentown, of the most important Lutheran-oriented college in the country, Muhleberg College.

If I have any argument with Pastor Lynn, it is in the fact that he does not look deep inside the psyche of the `Christian Conservative Right' and explain its workings. But, before getting further along with that thought, let me say that what Lynn has accomplished is utterly necessary and quite valuable. It reminds me of a cross between Al Franken's cleaning out the Conservative Augean stables of misrepresentations and the strategy of the first Bill Clinton presidential campaign, where his media staff examined opponents statements and news in general under a microscope, and immediately replied to any and every misstatement or refutable claim. It is that kind of vigilance which must be maintained if we are to maintain both religious and personal freedoms.

One thing which strikes me as really unfortunate about this struggle is that while Christian scriptures and the U.S. Constitution agree almost perfectly in letting the state do its thing and letting believers get on with their worship, or freedom from it, the Christian Right Wing persists in forcing their brand of belief on various venues of the country at large. One must even puzzle over how this agenda became connected with the Republican Party, since my most favorable depiction of Republican doctrine includes the principle of expanding, not limiting personal freedoms.

So, while Pastor Lynn's story is one of vigilance, it does little to help us understand the opposition.
Therefore, I offer this as a suggestion for Pastor Lynn's next book.

Please be clear that a large part of Christian doctrine involves vigorously spreading the faith, a doctrine that is amply stated in scriptures. While some denominations are more militant about it than others, bringing in new members to the Lutheran or Baptist or Anglican, or Catholic or Orthodox or Pentecostal or Presbyterian confession is on everyone's agenda. And, routine aspects of even the most mild-mannered denominations (my Lutheran denomination, for example) sound pretty militant in their native habitat. Just today we had a hymn which commanded us to be `...soldiers of the cross, Lift high his royal banner. It must not suffer loss...! Pretty strong stuff from a tame corner of Pennsylvania. Let me join this with the fact that I lived through exactly the same public school bible readings, prayers, and Christmas pageants in High School as did Pastor Lynn. For all I know, we attended Liberty High School together, albeit not in the same class. All this was quite taken for granted and pretty comfortable for an obedient Pennsylvania Lutheran teenager. One can even believe that prayers are genuinely effective in focusing our mind on the task at hand, so they would seem to be ideal as a mental ritual to get the day off right. (Of course, as Pastor. Lynn more than adequately demonstrates, things are not so rosy for the non-Protestants forced to either participate in or embarrassingly abstain from such rituals).

So if the Christian faith includes a belief in taking its message to all nations, how can a fellow Christian, the Reverend Lynn, oppose the efforts of the good Reverend doctors' Falwell, Robertson, et. al. This is surely why true Christian believers accost Dr. Lynn with such anger at Cleveland airports. One can go even further and cite the Christian doctrine that justice comes only from God (See Romans, especially), so how can courts dispense justice without Christian underpinning.

The problem with this belief is that Christians don't have a monopoly on the divine source for justice, as the Greeks had this idea at least 400 years before Christ (see The Orestean Trilogy by Aeschylus). Our legal theory does, in fact base itself on both traditions in maintaining the DISINTERESTED status of judges.

The problem with Falwell and Co, as Pastor Lynn adequately demonstrates, is that they have an almost total disregard for the truth, and consider the most transparently fallacious ad hominom arguments to be OK, as long as it's for THEIR Christian cause. The one saving grace is that they underestimate the intelligence of the American public, most of whom can sense the perversity of their arguments for what they are. The use of the worst kind of dishonest tactics coupled to an honorable doctrine leads me to the conclusion that Falwell, Robertson, et. al. are NOT interested in advancing Christianity, they are interested in personal political power. As such, they deserve no respect from honest Christians. I am all for encouraging prayer, Bible study, stirring hymns, and Christian liturgy, as long as my audience has signed on to the fait which recommends these practices.

I thank God for Pastor Lynn's vigilance and his sharing this information with us so that we can better understand this dishonesty.

In Piety and Politics, the Rev. Barry Lynn makes an excellent case as to why the separation of church and state is so important for the overall health of these institutions. As Rev. Lynn points out, one need only look to other countries where religion and government walk hand in hand to see the negative effects each can have on the other.

Throughout, Lynn presents strong reasons why "religion, united with the raw power of government, spawns tyranny." Theocracies do not have the freedoms we, as Americans, cherish and religion does not need and infact suffers when the government is relied upon for support, both legislated and financial.

After a strong introduction that lays out the overall case for separation, successive chapters deal with several of the more specific area in which the Religious Right is attempting to break down the walls. From education to religious symbols to sound science, Lynn exposes the holes in the Right's arguments, provides strong arguments of his own and examines why we should all be concerned about these issues.

As a practicing Christian I am deeply grateful for writers like Rev. Lynn who are willing to speak up for the vast number of people of faith who believe strongly in the founders' foresight and wisdom in creating the first freedom, that of religion. I have no desire for the government to dictate what flavor or brand of religion will be the "chosen" one. I doubt that many people of faith do. Rev. Lynn's book provides not only great food for thought but also great words and information to use and share so we can all intelligently join this important debate and let our voices be heard.