Standing for Christ in a Modern Babylon

by Marvin Olasky

The media portrayal of conservative Christians in the wake of terrorist attacks is frightening. Instead of distinguishing biblical Christianity from Islamic fundamentalism, liberal journalists lump them together. Coming from an East-Coast, leftist background, Marvin Olasky understands this antipathy. Yet he argues that God can change the hearts of those journalists even as he changed Olasky's own heart. In this book Olasky examines the phenomenon of "Christophobia" in the mainstream media. He critiques the equation of groups such as the Taliban with conservative Christians. And he dispels myths about Islam and its history that drive the current media coverage, building a case for how different Christian and Islamic conservatives really are. This book is for conservative Christians who are tired of being beaten up by the media. It can also be given to journalists to help them understand Christianity better. After all, God may use a compassionate presentation of the facts to change their hearts.

Paperback

First published May 1, 2003

About the author

Marvin Olasky is a senior fellow of the Discovery Institute and an affiliate scholar at the Acton Institute. He also chairs the Zenger House Foundation, serves as a Zenger Prize judge, and is the author of 29 books. From 1992 through 2021, he edited World.

Reviews

[Sharon Barrow Wilfong · Rating 3 out of 5]

The most upsetting part of the book is where Olasky, very accurately, points out how, since the 9/11 terror attacks the media has been lumping all conservative religions together. Or rather the conservative elements of those religions. The liberal factions are just fine, according to the press.

The media downplays Islam's fundamental and basic tenets of faith and instead portrays terrorists as people who have twisted Islam to suit their own heinous purposes. In other words, Islamic terrorists are deviants of Islam.

On the other hand, they take fringe Christian groups, who, although rant and rave, haven't actually performed attacks of terrorism, and try to portray them as mainstream Evangelical Christians.

Olasky attempts to provide Christians with the tools needed to understand the reality in which they live and also what is effective and what is not effective in countering these unmerited attacks on the reputation of their faith.

[Rebekah Shank · Rating 5 out of 5]

"In our touchy society less cannot be more; it is better ethically to give rather than receive, but it is essential politically to add rather than subtract."