Freedom of Religion Created a Free Relgious Market Place
930913
The notion of a consumer driven Christianity having invaded the Protestant-American church landscape is not a "new" phenomenon. As Nathan O Hatch clearly reveals, in his incredibly insightful and scholarly book "The Democratization of American Christianity",  that this consumerist impulse had its beginnings in post revolutionary America. That is, when an unbridled "freedom of religion" opened the door, for the first time, to the notion of religious "choice". And once the religious "choice" dynamic entered into the life of the church a religious "free-market place" was automatically created. And make no mistake, it is a market place with all the dynamics of a free market place (e.g. supply, demand, cut-throat competition and efficiency). And that so-called "free" religious market place has been with America for well over 200 years. Today, we are only witnessing its ultimate trajectory and extreme forms. Thus, the truth of the matter is, that the church had originally open the door to a present day rampant "consumer capitalism" long ago under the democratic impulse of "freedom". And so, we reap what we sow.
4229002
This book was extremely fascinating. Dawkins has some very compelling arguments that would make even the most devout religious leaders scratch theire head and ponder. I reccomend this book to anyone, regardless of religious beliefs. It's not a sin to read. I can't say enough about this book, other than the fact that I know that if everyone in the world were to sit down and read it, the world would be a MUCH MUCH MUCH nicer place for all  of us to live. My compliments to the author. This book will stand the tests of time.
1374408
Immigrants to the west will most benefit from this treatment to moderate the Christian's slavish admiration and the Muslim's fervent condemnation. For both faiths were  very unglamourous and bloody from inception in the case of Islam, and from the 3rd Century CE in the case of Christendom.
The Eastern empire benefitted from Islam's anti-idolatry and strict monotheism, evidenced by the rise of Arianism, and anti-image worship campaigns. Unfortunately, the stiff necked Catholic church won on both counts by asserting the trinity and reestablishing image worship. Christendom's wane today is a whimper and Islam's is spasmodic violence
111467
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.
97827
I have written a business case study about this Mosque that was published in the Journal of Applied Case Research, 2001, and has been used by many colleges. The American Muslim population is growing fast with an estimate of about seven to eight million, with roughly half of American Muslims born here. Also, more people are turned to religions. All of this makes this book a very timely publication. The book is written by one of the principal founders and it tells us in a very fascinating style how the idea of an Islamic center grew out of the concerns of a small group of middle class immigrant Muslim families, who settled in Nassau County, N. Y., in the late 1960's and early 1970's. In contrast to other Mosques, usually run by traditional Muslim clergy men, this specific Mosque has adapted a professional managerial style and has created an enriching educational environment to Muslims and non Muslims. Although the center has made a tremendous expansion since its inception, this progress itself becomes a controversy among some of the Muslim community with the traditional view of Islam, especially senior members, who consider the Center as too liberal. The book is an excellent resource for the average reader as well as a text for comparative literature and religious courses.
4461587
Though this is sold as a "business and economics" book, it has more God in it than a church. I don't need an employment book to tell me to pray for guidance any more than I need a Bible with pop-up ads for pawn shops in the Book of Matthew.
4203286
The members have been instructed to write good reviews to sell the religion. It's all a lie. A little research on the internet will tell you that, or if your just all ready educated you will see pretty quickly.
1823238
The language is plain and direct; no minced words about the author's thoughts. A little over the top in expressing views, but one cannot disagree with him if one does not accept the belief in an afterlife to begin with. He gives no margin for being a "little atheistic" or being agnostic; you either believe or you don't - period.
I do not regret having purchased it and having read it.
This book will never convert the religious; it will fuel arguments for the non-believers of the world - of which there are plenty.

Ron Smith
1781461
First, a big thank you to the author for writing this book.  The free market has been under attack from the left for a long time.  This attack even comes from within the Christian church where well meaning folks assume they are doing God's work in criticizing the free market.  In this book, the author counters the major myths about capitalism and demonstrates the compatibility of the free market with the Bible.  The author does this in a way that is engaging and accessible to the layperson.  Especially important is the way the author demonstrates that the free market is actually more beneficial to the poor than other economic systems.  This book really should be required reading for Christians to make them more informed about economics but also as a counterbalance to the misguided views of the religious left.
4882523
I bought this book two years ago, when it first came out and finally got around to reading it and I am delighted with the author's take on the place of religion in American life.  G. Jeffrey MacDonald is an intelligent voice in a noisy world of religiosity, and articulates a number of the problems with modern-day religion, even if masquerading as "that ol' time religion!"  It seems to me that he's right on target naming people's desire for entertainment as missing the point of the scriptures by stressing comfort at the expense of repentance.  Too, he sees the turning away from God-as Judge to Church as-therapy.  Some things get lost in that translation.  A totally unexpected fact from the Pew Research Center speaks, it seems to me, to a real decline in the meaning of Christianity:71% of Americans, predominantly Christians, said that torture of suspected terrorists was justifiable!  How dreadful.  Shame on us.
As a clergyman, MacDonald reflects on his experiences as an interviewee at a series of lay search committees, noting that the ideal candidate would make them comfortable and entertained.  With these observations he transitions into a discussion about what can be done to make things better.  He suggests that the clergy can bring about real change in their conduct of their day-to-day affairs, they can act as leaders and facilitators, challenging the laity to action.  Indeed, MacDonald suggests a return to a form of asceticism such as is practiced by Environmentalists, for example.
MacDonald is not without hope for us and for the churches.  He cites examples from four churches in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.  The details are worth considering, but too lengthy to include here.
As a church-goer, I found this analysis interesting and revealing and it has forced me to reconsider some things I have taken for granted in my church life.  Perhaps it is time for a general reappraisal of the role religion plays or should play in individual's lives and in society and maybe even take a chance on reformation.
144721
I read numerous reviews before I bought this book.  Because of the controversial nature of the topic I was very interested in the perspective of the reviewer.  Often this perspective was easy to guess but not always.  So to make this review more valuable to the reader I would like to state my background first.  I am a 50 year old active Catholic who has slowly become disillusioned by religion starting as a child when told my Protestant friend would not go to heaven.  For years I existed on "faith" since I personally could find no evidence that God existed.  As a Catholic there is also a good helping of "guilt" for good measure.  I am also a very strong Constitutionalist and believe that the only way to get along is to have freedom of and freedom from religion.  With the recent surge of religious fundamentalism and its effects on politics I have become increasingly concerned about what Dawkins calls the American Taliban and the push for a Christian Theocracy.  This actually scares me more than Al-Qaida. The words "Faith" and "Belief" have been morphed into the word "Truth".  This new "Truth" has caused me to do a lot of searching for answers for what really is true.

Richard Dawkins book was extremely helpful and was the first book I have read on the Atheist side of the fence.  I found Chapters 1 through 4 and 7 through 9 easy to read.  Chapters 5, 6, 7 and 10 were more scientific and a hard read for the average person.  I actually needed a dictionary at my side to get through those chapters.  I particularly liked the section in Chapter 3 on Pascal's Wager which I had mistakenly credited to Einstein in the past.

What I had found so interesting is that he expressed ideas that I had been developing in my brain for years, but did not feel free to discuss with others. (although he can state them more eloquently than I can).  The result is that I have been pushed from a 5 to a 6 on his scale of belief.

The book is not only preaching to the Atheist choir, but to all those who a truly open minded enough to form there own opinions about God and religion.  If you are in this category it is certainly worth purchasing.

Previous reviews stated that Dawkins was mean spirited and blamed religion for social evils.  I did not find this to be the case, and I found that he was as fair minded as someone who believes as he does can be.
885213
When practicing Kriyban's get wind of this book, there will be so much controversy that this Spiritual Light with be quickly darkened through social and political powers. Anyway to corner the market on profiting through God-given gifts which are Always FREE.

Blessings,

J.C.
4606204
When referring to the concept of liberty many are accustomed to one in which the focus is upon economic and social institutions. Gill expands upon this through his work with religious institutions and the resulting theory of religious liberty. In a world where so many issues are driven by religious conflict such a theory should be at the forefront of academic research.

Gill expels the traditional belief that "when people behave under the influence of religion or religious institutions...they are not calculating the self-interested costs and benefits of their actions" (p. 28). Rather, by taking individuals preferences as a given we can apply the framework of rational choice which dictates that under such a set of preferences individuals will seek to achieve their goals in the least costly means subject to the constraints they face. What prior to had been considered a chaotic arrangement of religious institutions now may more appropriately be described as a functioning marketplace for religious salvation, each church attempting to offer products and services to their parishioners who may require varying degrees of religious participation.

Let us not forget the role of the state in either hampering or supporting these religious institutions. Gill demonstrates that "when competing ideas exist in society, it is often political interests that tip the balance of the debate in one direction or another" (p. 8). To the extent that both institutions are seeking to achieve their goals the Catholic Church is no less likely to engage in rent-seeking behavior than Boeing. While Gill enumerates the varying reasons why political leaders may be inclined to establish one religion above another or even engage in militant atheism no one can deny the resounding consequences these decisions have on society at large. Perhaps one of my favorite aspects of this text was its focus on the relationship between religious tolerance and economic growth.

If you are looking for something that fundamentally alters the way you view religion or liberty in general this book is it. Speaking as a former student of Gill's I can say without a doubt that not only is he an extraordinary teacher but a pioneer in his field. I can not recommend him enough. If you are student at the UW, TAKE HIS CLASS! You won't regret it.
3750164
Do you believe that faith and religion played an essential part in the formation of our nation and are a vital element to the sustaining of our liberty?  Alexis de Tocqueville thought so as he wrote Democracy in America in the mid 1800s and Os Guinness makes a compelling argument to support this in The Great Experiment.  This outstanding book is part of the Trinity Forum Study Series - which are all outstanding resources produced by the Trinity Forum.

Guinness does a remarkable job of making the study of government interesting and informative.  This book is a must for every Christian who desires to be a good citizen in America - to understand that the involvement of those with religious ideas and convictions in the public policy arena is absolutely essential for the health and vitality of our nation.  Guinness claims that the Founding Fathers understood this "eternal triangle of first principles" - that "Liberty requires virtue, virtue requires religion, and religion requires liberty, which in turn requires virtue."

The book does a great job of comparing and contrasting the American Revolution to the beginnings of other great nations - the winning, ordering and sustaining of liberty which our Founding Fathers took such great care to avoid so many of the mistakes of history.  Excellent excerpts are included from a variety of authors to support Guinness' argument that religion is absolutely imperative to the well being of our nation.

The Great Experiment is published by NavPress as part of their Bringing Truth to Life series.  This is a great resource for a high school or college aged student, especially those students interested in law and government.  It is an easier read than many of the authors Guinness quotes from, so from that perspective this is like getting parts of some of the great works on government without having to read thirty different books!  I've found this book in numerous places - online and in various bookstores for anywhere from $10 - $20.
4876730
This book fully explained the way of life to be expected in any non Muslim country, for all non Muslims.  Unbelievers are not allowed become a Muslim; instead,  they are given dhimmitude status, which is a much lower status and which includes punitive taxes, a continual bowing to the will and whim of any and all Muslims in that society.  No non Muslim religion is tolerated in sight or sound of any Muslim.  There is more.
Very interesting.
1522363
Mathew's book, blog and Facebook posts have helped peel away the condemning layers of religion. There is true freedom in growing in the grace and knowledge of the love of our Father God!
2597064
Great work of popular history with a conservative bent.  He refutes the idea that Bonhoffer was anti-religion based on the latter's discussion of 'religionless Christianity."  These statements by Bonhoffer, who was one of the most religious men to ever live, a man who was profoundly devoted to his savior, were exploited by the secular left who proclaimed him as some kind of secular prophet.

It's a very inspiring book and recommend it to all who seek to find comfort in their faith.  There was no one who was more wrapped up in his faith than Bonhoffer, a man who waged a clandestine war to defend and promote his idea of an activist Christianity.