Book Review: Godless

I have strong political opinions but prefer not to discuss them, as politics serve more often to separate rather than unite. I do my best not to judge others for their political views, however difficult it might be for me to see their points of view, and hope that others will do the same for me. Respect for differing opinions is a sign of honor for another; yet I prefer not to test the limits of my own or someone else’s ability to show that sort of honor. Thus, I keep my own thoughts to myself most of the time.

Alas, my views will be quite obvious with this review. Reading Godless: The Church of Liberalism by Ann Coulter leaves little of my political feelings left to betray. It is not with shame I count myself among the conservative Christians of America. In fact, to get right down to it, I am an ultra-conservative, because I find that the beliefs of the conservative Republican agenda line up most closely with biblical values. Not perfectly, to be sure, but more closely than other political groups’ values.

So it is from a Christian perspective that I say that I really enjoyed this book. Coulter’s argument is that the liberal stand-which belittles Christians as Bible thumping radicals-, is a religion in itself. The chapters are organized around the following themes that make up what she believes is the liberal religion of Godlessness:

• Creation mythology (theory of evolution)
• Sacraments - abortion
• Holy Writ (Roe v. Wade)
• Martyrs (from Alger Hiss to Mumia Abu Jamal)
• Clergy (public school teachers)
• Churches (government schools, where prayer is prohibited but condoms are free)
• Doctrine of infallibility (as manifest in the "absolute moral authority" of spokespeople from Cindy Sheehan to Max Cleland)
• Cosmology (Big Bang, in which mankind is an inconsequential accident)

One of the most fascinating discussions in the book is where we end up as humans if we are indeed, as the government-run public schools teach, only animals. If we are no better than animals- not made in the image of a holy God- then there is no end to the atrocities that can be carried out- from abortion to euthanasia, eugenics to approval and/or encouragement of bestiality. As a matter of fact, many examples are given of leaders and philosophers in our time who actively push the ideas of infanticide and having a baby simply to harvest parts for other family members, among other unthinkable practices.

Ann Coulter is very intelligent and witty, and shamelessly makes herself a target for ruthless attacks by the media and liberal pundits. I am grateful to her for her willingness to be a target, as it has enabled me to think beyond the fact that I dislike an idea because it isn’t a Godly one, to the consequences that are inevitable when these ideas are carried to their completion. It has also helped me to open my eyes again to how far public schools have slipped away from parental control and how little parents have to say in the educating of their own children when it is left up to the state.

I would recommend this book to anyone, Republican, Democrat, Independent, or third party. Whether one agrees with the author or not, it’s an eye-opening read.

Cheers!

~Reese