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Piety & Politics: The Right-Wing Assault on Religious Freedom
The Reverend Barry Lynn explains why the Religious Right has it all wrong.
In the wake of the 2004 presidential election, the Religious Right insisted that George Bush had been handed a mandate for an ideology-based social agenda, including the passage of a “marriage amendment” to ban same-sex unions, diversion of tax money to religious groups through “faith-based initiatives,” the teaching of creationism in public schools, and restrictions on abortion. Led by an aggressive band of television preachers and extremist radio personalities, the Religious Right set its sights on demolishing the wall of separation between church and state.
The Reverend Barry Lynn is a devout Christian, but this propaganda effort disturbs him deeply. He argues that politicians need to stop looking to the Bible to justify their actions and should consult another source the U.S. Constitution.
When the Founding Fathers of our great nation created the Constitution, they had seen firsthand the dangers of an injudicious mix of religion and government. They knew what it was like to live under the yoke of state-imposed faith. They drew up a model for the new nation that would allow absolute freedom of religion. They knew that religion, united with the raw power of government, spawns tyranny.
Yet the Religious Right now seems distrustful of those principles inherent in the Constitution, viewing the separation of church and state only as a dangerous anti-Christian principle imposed upon our nation. In reality, the separation between church and state has been an important ally to with the state out of the picture, hundreds of religions have grown and prospered. Religion doesn’t need the government’s assistance, any more than it is practical or appropriate for religious doctrine to be fostered in the government or taught in public schools.
As an explicitly religious figure speaking out against the Religious Right, Lynn has incurred the wrath of such personalities as Pat Buchanan, Jerry Falwell, and Pat Robertson, who once said Lynn was “lower than a child molester.” Lynn has continuously taken on these radicals of the Religious Right calmly and rationally, using their own statements and religious fervor to prove that when they attack the constitutionally mandated separation, they’re actually attacking freedom of religion.
In Piety & Politics , the Reverend Barry Lynn continues the fight—educating Americans about what is at stake, explaining why it is crucial that we maintain the separation of church and state, and galvanizing us to defend the honor of our religious freedom.
From the Hardcover edition.
In the wake of the 2004 presidential election, the Religious Right insisted that George Bush had been handed a mandate for an ideology-based social agenda, including the passage of a “marriage amendment” to ban same-sex unions, diversion of tax money to religious groups through “faith-based initiatives,” the teaching of creationism in public schools, and restrictions on abortion. Led by an aggressive band of television preachers and extremist radio personalities, the Religious Right set its sights on demolishing the wall of separation between church and state.
The Reverend Barry Lynn is a devout Christian, but this propaganda effort disturbs him deeply. He argues that politicians need to stop looking to the Bible to justify their actions and should consult another source the U.S. Constitution.
When the Founding Fathers of our great nation created the Constitution, they had seen firsthand the dangers of an injudicious mix of religion and government. They knew what it was like to live under the yoke of state-imposed faith. They drew up a model for the new nation that would allow absolute freedom of religion. They knew that religion, united with the raw power of government, spawns tyranny.
Yet the Religious Right now seems distrustful of those principles inherent in the Constitution, viewing the separation of church and state only as a dangerous anti-Christian principle imposed upon our nation. In reality, the separation between church and state has been an important ally to with the state out of the picture, hundreds of religions have grown and prospered. Religion doesn’t need the government’s assistance, any more than it is practical or appropriate for religious doctrine to be fostered in the government or taught in public schools.
As an explicitly religious figure speaking out against the Religious Right, Lynn has incurred the wrath of such personalities as Pat Buchanan, Jerry Falwell, and Pat Robertson, who once said Lynn was “lower than a child molester.” Lynn has continuously taken on these radicals of the Religious Right calmly and rationally, using their own statements and religious fervor to prove that when they attack the constitutionally mandated separation, they’re actually attacking freedom of religion.
In Piety & Politics , the Reverend Barry Lynn continues the fight—educating Americans about what is at stake, explaining why it is crucial that we maintain the separation of church and state, and galvanizing us to defend the honor of our religious freedom.
From the Hardcover edition.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 28, 2024
THE HEAD OF "AMERICANS UNITED" DEFENDS SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE
Barry W. Lynn (born 1948) is an ordained United Church of Christ minister, and is the Executive Director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
He wrote in the Introduction to this 2006 book, "I've spent nearly my entire adult life defending the separation of church and state from Religious Right attacks. Their history is wrong. Their analysis is wrong. Their attacks on church-state wall are wrong... Their agenda for America is wrong. They have hijacked Christianity and claim to speak for all people of faith. They don't... It's time to rally all Americans around that standard. And when I say all Americans, I mean everyone... That's what this book is designed to do. The separation of church and state is in trouble. It needs your help." (Pg. 3-4)
Later, he adds, "This book speaks to why faith does not need state support. I won't make a specifically theological argument. It is my belief that Jesus Christ did in fact support church-state separation (see Mark 12:13-17), but if he had remained silent on the subject, I would still contend for that division." (Pg. 11) He suggests, "Religious groups must use moral persuasion and good arguments to convince people to voluntarily adopt their positions on matters of faith and personal morality." (Pg. 25)
He observes, "The Christian nation argument suffers from several flaws---fatally, that 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." (Pg. 26) He notes, "separation of church and state was not the brainchild of forces opposed to religion. Rather, it was the heartfelt desire, and eventually the demand, of devoutly religious people... who were weary of being told by the government that their religion was unimportant, unpleasing to God, and even corrosive." (Pg. 33-34)
He is opposed to "nonsectarian prayers" in the public schools, which "manage to combine the worst of both worlds. Seriously religious people don't recite such pabulum." (Pg. 53) He suggests that "By using the term ('faith-based initiative') to apply to long-standing or existing programs, the Bush administration can claim that its faith-based initiative really isn't anything extreme or even a departure from current practices, when in fact it is." (Pg. 119)
A provocative and challenging book, this is also a very important one, for anyone even remotely interested in church/state issues.
Barry W. Lynn (born 1948) is an ordained United Church of Christ minister, and is the Executive Director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
He wrote in the Introduction to this 2006 book, "I've spent nearly my entire adult life defending the separation of church and state from Religious Right attacks. Their history is wrong. Their analysis is wrong. Their attacks on church-state wall are wrong... Their agenda for America is wrong. They have hijacked Christianity and claim to speak for all people of faith. They don't... It's time to rally all Americans around that standard. And when I say all Americans, I mean everyone... That's what this book is designed to do. The separation of church and state is in trouble. It needs your help." (Pg. 3-4)
Later, he adds, "This book speaks to why faith does not need state support. I won't make a specifically theological argument. It is my belief that Jesus Christ did in fact support church-state separation (see Mark 12:13-17), but if he had remained silent on the subject, I would still contend for that division." (Pg. 11) He suggests, "Religious groups must use moral persuasion and good arguments to convince people to voluntarily adopt their positions on matters of faith and personal morality." (Pg. 25)
He observes, "The Christian nation argument suffers from several flaws---fatally, that 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." (Pg. 26) He notes, "separation of church and state was not the brainchild of forces opposed to religion. Rather, it was the heartfelt desire, and eventually the demand, of devoutly religious people... who were weary of being told by the government that their religion was unimportant, unpleasing to God, and even corrosive." (Pg. 33-34)
He is opposed to "nonsectarian prayers" in the public schools, which "manage to combine the worst of both worlds. Seriously religious people don't recite such pabulum." (Pg. 53) He suggests that "By using the term ('faith-based initiative') to apply to long-standing or existing programs, the Bush administration can claim that its faith-based initiative really isn't anything extreme or even a departure from current practices, when in fact it is." (Pg. 119)
A provocative and challenging book, this is also a very important one, for anyone even remotely interested in church/state issues.
September 1, 2011
The Rev. Barry Lynn makes an excellent case for keeping church and state separate, as the framers of the Constitution so plainly stated two hundred years ago. Lynn is right when he points out the hypocrisy and scare tactics often used by the religious right. He is right when he calls Falwell and Robertson on the carpet for their insults. However, as a Christian, I found myself wondering what the point of being a reverend in the United Church of Christ is if his opinions on the Bible and religion bend towards the secular end of the spectrum.
If not for the fact that he pointedly identifies himself as a minister repeatedly in the book, I would've sworn he was agnostic. As a Christian, I feel that Lynn is wrong when he waters down biblical ethical principles because of 'tolerance.' There's an old saying: "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything." Too much tolerance leads in that direction.
Religion teaches that we are imperfect and are in need of a change of attitude and of heart. God sets the standards and we try to live up to them. In Lynn's religion, apparently, everyone's standards are malleable to the point that God, prayer, and redemption are rendered meaningless. I find that notion disheartening.
If not for the fact that he pointedly identifies himself as a minister repeatedly in the book, I would've sworn he was agnostic. As a Christian, I feel that Lynn is wrong when he waters down biblical ethical principles because of 'tolerance.' There's an old saying: "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything." Too much tolerance leads in that direction.
Religion teaches that we are imperfect and are in need of a change of attitude and of heart. God sets the standards and we try to live up to them. In Lynn's religion, apparently, everyone's standards are malleable to the point that God, prayer, and redemption are rendered meaningless. I find that notion disheartening.
March 9, 2008
Although I agree with practically everything Rev. Lynn discusses in the book, I felt like he tended to belabor the point with example after example after example. As it was, the book probably could have been edited down to half it's content, the other half returning jabs to the Religious Right leaders. In reading the book, it almost made me wonder if his aim was to make a sound religious argument for the separation of church and state or if he was just needing to vent his frustrations about the Religious Right.
Overall, I'm glad I read it and support Rev. Lynn's stance against the Religious Right. I'm also glad I'm done reading it, as it seemed to take forever to plow through 20-30 page chapters of pro-separation rhetoric.
Overall, I'm glad I read it and support Rev. Lynn's stance against the Religious Right. I'm also glad I'm done reading it, as it seemed to take forever to plow through 20-30 page chapters of pro-separation rhetoric.
February 9, 2010
This book has lots of really great points in it about why it's necessary to have a strong separation between church and state. Rev. Lynn backs up his claims that this separation protects the Religious Right's freedom of religion just as much as it protects everyone else's, and how mind-boggling it is that people in the Religious Right push so strongly for what is basically government-sponsored religion. I give the book 2 stars though, because it is totally "preaching to the choir." Anyone who gets past the introduction without being offended is someone who is open-minded to begin with, and the folks who could actually benefit from reading this book, never will.
June 8, 2012
Long winded, the king of the digression, but ultimately a thought provoking read.
Where Forrest Church provided the root of America's unique flirtation with the separation of church and state, Reverend Lynn shows how the fight to maintain that difficult balance is ongoing in the US today.
I don't always agree with him, but I can appreciate the point he is making. Take a 5 hour energy before reading.
Where Forrest Church provided the root of America's unique flirtation with the separation of church and state, Reverend Lynn shows how the fight to maintain that difficult balance is ongoing in the US today.
I don't always agree with him, but I can appreciate the point he is making. Take a 5 hour energy before reading.
March 30, 2014
Reverend makes a compelling case for separation of Church and State, as intended and legally bound in our U.S. Constitution. Unfortunately, the US religious right has undermined our liberty and equality the last 30 years. Theocracy in the US is their Conservative Right Wing agenda. How to counter that is in this book.
July 13, 2014
We need more of the religious people out there to be like Rev Lynn. He gets it in secularism and takes the fight straight to the Religious Right.
I'd love to see a follow up book.
I'd love to see a follow up book.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews