Product Description

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 instead: 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 religion: 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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #69871 in eBooks
• Published on: 2006-10-03
• Released on: 2006-10-03
• Format: Kindle Book
• Number of items: 1

From Publishers Weekly
As a minister in the United Church of Christ and executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Lynn has a significant stake in the battle for religious freedom, arguing that church-state separation has fostered "religious diversity and vitality"-fundamentalism included. But as a citizen who also respects the sanctity of secular law, he argues against using tax dollars for the imposition of specific religious worldviews on America's diverse peoples, whether through tax-funded, faith-based initiatives or abstinence-only sex-education. Religious freedom, Lynn asserts, means the "right to worship or not worship as you see fit," not a government obligation to boost religion. He grounds his legal arguments not in the Ten Commandments (which, he writes, "attempt to regulate religious behavior" along with civic conduct), but in the Constitution. In this political season, Lynn offers a sound alternative for Democratic leaders, who have sought to bridge perceived "values deficits" with religion instead of what the party ostensibly stands for: "a commitment to civil rights, civil liberties and economic justice."
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
An ordained minister now heading an organization aimed at protecting the separation between church and state, Lynn brings passion and a broad perspective to the national debate swirling around this issue. Providing a historical overview, Lynn points out that in the nation's early history, separation of church and state was supported by both religious leaders and politicians as a means of protecting institutions of faith from government intrusion. Lynn examines school prayer, gay rights, the teaching of intelligent design, and faith-based initiatives as leading issues in the current turmoil between concerns about American morality and secular government. Christian conservatives, including Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, show no respect for history and law--or diversity of faith--when they push for a government that reflects their particular brand of religion, Lynn maintains. Only by separating religion and government can the nation truly guarantee religious and intellectual freedom. Whatever readers' religious or political beliefs, they will appreciate Lynn's well-considered examination of this contentious issue. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
“For too long, quasi-Christian forces on the far right of the political spectrum have been bullying courts, legislators, and ordinary Americans under the guise of defending American values and religious freedom. It’s high time that someone from the real religious community stood up to them. Hats off to the Reverend Barry Lynn for pushing back with this cogent and timely antidote to intolerance.” —Ron Reagan

“This book is for the millions of proud Americans who are believers in a personal faith, freely chosen, and who wish to be left alone by the pretentious patriots who talk to God every day (and God talks back). God bless Barry Lynn, a man of certified religious belief, who wishes nothing more than allegiance to the one-of-a-kind First Amendment, which, far from discouraging believers, has promoted the many state-free faiths that have made the United States the most religious nation on earth. The First Amendment is pro faith while protecting atheists, agnostics, free thinkers, Teletubbies, and all the worthy ‘oddballs’ who have contributed so much to our nation’s multicultural bounty and who rely on the Bill of Rights to keep at bay the tyranny of the righteous, including the opportunists who pray every day for an America of one faith, theirs.” —Phil Donahue

“Piety & Politics is written by a member of the clergy who is also a prominent civil libertarian. Relying on common sense, as well as his expertise, Barry Lynn convincingly makes the essential point that mixing religion and government does not benefit religion. His sense of humor in detailing his decades-long engagement in the ‘culture wars’ makes for a terrifically engaging book.” —Nadine Strossen, president, American Civil Liberties Union

“The rise of the Religious Right as a political force has placed the separation of church and state at grave risk. Perhaps never before in Ameri...

Customer Reviews

Religious Freedom vs. Theocratic Tyranny: The Choice is Yours
"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.

Solid Case for Keeping Church and State Separate

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.

Understanding the attack on Church/State separation
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.