BOOK REVIEW: America's Secular Challenge - Herbert London

As the effects of and depression from Mistake '08 begin to wear off, my mind swirls with questions, issues, imperatives, responsibilities, and choices.

Often I imagine I must write a book on all of this, especially radical Islam, but the jumble of thoughts won't coalesce: hard and soft jihad, terrorism, taxes, America's socialistic drift, family, finances, deeply held spiritual concerns, children and grandchildren, collapse of traditionally democratic Europe, AIDS, political malfeasance, Sanctity of Human Life, absence of godliness, voter ignorance, biblical ignorance, and public ignorance ... to name a few.

But my main concern has been the continuing rise of secular humanism - a menacing cultural, geopolitical, and philosophical hydra - among our people, and its debilitating affect upon our will to defend ourselves.

Well, Herbert London (bio below) has had the same concerns and written a 97 page book which expresses them better than I ever could have.

From the Hudson Institute web site (CRIB's emphasis):

In this timely and wide-ranging book ... London argues that the pervasive culture of secularism in the United States is an inadequate response to the challenge of radical Islam. As London explains, in the so-called war of ideas, our reflexive belief in relativism has handicapped our ability to thwart the inroads of fanaticism.

Taken together, traditional religion, multiculturalism and cultural relativism, materialism, and the belief in scientific rationality as the ultimate arbiter of human value underwrite a view of life that is ill-equipped to meet the challenge of a zealous enemy with totalitarian ambitions. In undermining the traditional roots of America, secular humanism has destroyed the West’s only beliefs worth defending.

This anemic remodeling of our culture has left us exposed in the monumental battle against ideological forces with radical global ambitions. America’s Secular Challenge is a sobering wake-up call and a battle plan for the political and existential trials of the twenty-first century.

Author's Bio:

Herbert I. London is president of the Hudson Institute, a world renown think-tank in Washington DC. He is professor emeritus and the former John M. Olin Professor of Humanities at New York University. And he was responsible for creating the Gallatin School of Individualized Study in 1972 and was its dean until 1992. This school was organized to promote the study of "great books" and classic texts.

[...]

In 1989, Dr. London was one of the Republican candidates for Mayor of New York City. In 1990 he was the Conservative Party Candidate for Governor of New York garnering more votes than any third party candidate in the state's history. ....

Order your copy of this must read book here. Look, it's only 97 pages, who can't read 97 pages of really readable counsel. And for $18.00, the content cost less than 20 cents per page. And if you are a believer in American traditionalism and exceptionalism you would be wise to read America's Secular Challenge.

I actually made copious notes to prepare for this review but have decided the above is sufficient to the purpose here. If you have questions, leave a comment or email me.

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PROPHETIC VOICE: Unless we repent ... !

Chuck Colson is wincing at the message of a ...

... new book, unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity . . . And Why It Matters.

And what people think is what they believe ... until they are shown otherwise.

[David] Kinnaman and [Gabe] Lyons spent three years polling young, unchurched Americans to find out what they thought about Christianity. Millions of young people, they discovered, see us as judgmental, hypocritical, anti-homosexual, too political, insensitive—and boring. Ouch!

I know what they mean; many believers (myself included) see contemporary Christians in this same way. Why?

Because they are! (Let me qualify my opinion by narrowing the sample size to "western" Christianity.)

As the authors write, “Many of those outside of Christianity . . . reject Jesus because they feel rejected by Christians.”

And it's not just unbelievers who feel rejected by believers; far too many believers feel rejected by believers.

Not more than a half an hour ago I was discussing (with a member of my church) the Christian wounded found lying on the highway of Christian service. I told him it wasn't non-believers passing them by that bothered me, but the believers who walked by pretending not to notice (I can't bring myself to admit they actually do not notice; consider the implications if true).

I have an opinion about this ... I believe it is a direct result of two aberrant lay-theologies: Hop-a-long and Get-a-long theology.

The former refers to that theology among lay Christians which says, "I'll visit here, but not get involved, that way I can hop-a-long when I see something I don't like." These are your pew sitters and church hoppers.

The latter refers to that theology among moderately committed church-goers; which says, "Why can't these church leaders just go-a-long to get-a-long? Why do they have to take the bible so seriously? Who are they to judge? People don't want that." These are your self-righteous, stealth-liberals; the ones who surprise everyone when they vote to throw the pastor out based on unfounded accusations.

Colson has his own opinion ...

Sometimes we do come across as judgmental, anti-homosexual, and excessively politicized. And all too often, when others misrepresent Christianity, we do not know enough about our own doctrines to explain the truth. Yes, we draw millions into our churches on Sunday, but let’s face it: We draw them in by offering therapeutic services that make them feel better, but not be better.

It's the same coin, just the other side.

Colson says, the book ...

unChristian providentially challenges us at the very moment many are waking up to the need to clean up our own house. Once we do this, we will be able to reach out to those outside the faith and—in a loving, non-judgmental way—offer them the glorious Truth.

I agree with that assessment, only it too is too weak. I read "loving, and non-judgmental" as more compromise and subtle doctrinal capitulation: he is basically suggesting we treat our brethren with velvet gloves so we can all get-a-long.

Where is the doctrine of body discipline in the western church today? Where is the dctrine of chastisement and correction in the church today? Is there no place for these?

If not, perhaps we should take the scissors to ...

"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."

2 Timothy 3:16-17

I don't know where you are on this milquetoast bell-shaped curve but I'm fairly certain of where Peter and Paul would be ... not to mention Jesus.

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Christianity, Church decay,
Chuck Colson, Discipline,
Religion, Unchurched

ROBERT SPENCER: A Constant Voice of Opposition to Fundamentalist Muslims!

Thank the Lord for those who are willing to stand in the gap!

Academics don’t write books with titles like The Truth About Muhammad: Founder of the World’s Most Intolerant Religion and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (And the Crusades) without expecting some harsh criticism, and Robert Spencer has heard it all. [Front Page]

In spite of global opposition to his message author Spencer continues to grow in popularity; a fact evidently impossible without the Internet.

The percentage of internet sales for my books are significantly higher than most," he says, "many bookstores don’t sell them and people are afraid to talk about it, but there’s this whole underground on the internet that I would liken to that in the Soviet Union. Whenever there’s a straightjacket [sic] that stifles freedom of thought, people are going to react. The internet has shifted public opinion because it’s given the opportunity for the truth to be known. [Brussels Journal]

Spencer's journey to truth has both a sour and sweet path ...

... reading the Koran for the first time was certainly an eye-opener. “I was surprised to see that there was indeed religiously sanctioned violence in it, as well as some others things which I found disturbing. But it was all intriguing, because I was entranced by the shorter, poetic chapters. I thought it very striking that this beauty could co-exist with clear mandates for warfare and violence against unbelievers.”

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As In the Days of Noah
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Books, Catholic, End Times,
Islam, Jihad, Robert Spencer

BOOK REVIEW: Thunderstruck; Erik Larson, Crown Books, 2006

I've been out of the Best Seller's market for awhile, so I didn't know who Erik Larson was, or that his book was a NYT's best seller. Nor did I know anything about the book itself.

I am not an employee of Crown Books (the publisher) nor am I associated with them or Erik Larson (the author) in anyway; I've received no compensation for this review. In addition I purchased the book at my own expense.

And I'm glad I did. One of the best books I've read since reading Michener or King or L'Amour.

Why did I buy it? I liked the cover art.

Of course I'm a history nut and this is historical fiction at its best. Can't say anything about the book because it would foil the ending for some of you.

I am going to approach this review in a clinical way, using my own focus factors for rating it; I'll using five ratings to convey my opinion: very high, high, ho-hum, low, very low.

REVIEW

Personal/Moral Offense factor: very low
Worldview/Agenda factor: low
Readability factor: high
Attention/Interest factor: very high
Fog/Confusion factor: very low
Historical factor (if applicable): very high
Educational factor (if applicable): high
Novelty factor: high
Finish factor: high
Overall Rating: On a scale of one to ten - an eleven; if you're not a history fan you may not see it my way ... but, then, I don't really care!

FACTOR KEY

Personal/Moral Offense: did the author include material I found personally or morally offensive?
Worldview/Agenda: did the author use his tome to push an agenda or personal worldview?
Readability: how did the text flow; did I have to stop and go back little or lots?
Attention/Interest: Was I grabbed early on and held there to the end?
Fog/Confusion: did the author write more than needed? was his style or plot line confusing? did I feel uncertain about where the author was going at any time?
Historical: Since I read lots of historical stuff, were there a lots of historical goodies for me to munch on as I read? (Note: full coarse meals earn "very high" ratings)
Educational: did I learn anything I did not already know or had forgotten?
Novelty: did the author present novel approaches in his plot and people?
Finish: did the author leave me hanging? did I feel cheated after sacrificing my valuable time to read his stupid book? In other words, did he finish his effort in a valiant way?
Overall Rating: the author's final grade; a one is an "F", a five is a "C", and a ten is an "A."

Read more reviews on this book.

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Captain Canuck
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Hitting the Ground Running
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Book review, Erik Larson,
Thunderstruck