Faith and Politics: How the "Moral Values" Debate Divides America and How to Move Forward Together

As a 19 year old college student who is a currently a philosophy major and agnostic, I found this book extremely interesting. I grew up with a family of christianity and a sibling who and will pursue it for the rest of life itself, so needless to say it takes alot to get my attention on the subject. After reading the first chapter alone I was absolutely blown away at what I was reading. Danforth may be too little too late but at least he made an effort period. His concepts, to me, display the truth about politicians using christianity for profitable gain in any form possible (in a nutshell). He spends much time clarifying his points with text from the bible and making an attempt to interprete their purpose in politics today. The fact that he's a republican is even more impressive that he had the guts to write such a novel. Please understand... This book was not written to give answers to all the problems. It figures that people would despise this book because it doesn't give an answer, and typical at that. As a famous artist once said, "Computers are useless because they only give you answers". This book is the inbetween. We as people have become computers only interested in finding the answer ALONE not concerned with the thought process that it takes to GET to the answer. With that mindset, we will never find the answer. It is the INBETWEEN that is the most vital. To myself, this novel provides yet another vital step to understanding faith and politics in attempt to reach that answer that we seem to try to find. Bravo to Danforth.

If someone had said I'd be reading a book on politics and religion, much less buying it, from a former Missouri Senator who is (or was) a Republican, as I'm a lifelong Democrat, I'd have told this person that he or she was not right. Anyway, this excellent book by the former Senator, and Episcopalian minister, is "on point", with its analysis of how religion and politics have been [both] misued; especially by the "far right", i.e., fundamentalist, so-called, "Christians". In analyzing the problem, Mr. Danforth gives concrete examples of how this divide: between fundamentalists and the rest of us, weakens our nation. Further, he offers a "path" to "reconciliation". I'm guilty as the next, characterizing people of the GOP, as he says: "nuts", because they wouldn't agree with me on many issues, e.g., war, poverty, abortion, and others; which he does not "shy away from" these issues, which is good. Many might feel he has betrayed his "GOP"/"Republican" principles, but he has (to me) attempted to distinguish his views from his colleagues of a more "conservative" ilk. Compared to today's Republican party, which been "hijacked" by a right wing element that is stronger than than even the one that elected the late Ronald Reagan in the 1980's to the Presidency. Familiar names, from those times, e.g., Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and others, have become even more radical, and who see anyone, e.g., a moderate, or G-d forbid, "liberal" Republican (not to mention Democrats and Independents) as "godless". He rightly says this does not help our country (the U.S.), much less contribute to "true" "Moral Values", e.g., which his book, and the one I plan to read (soon) by Robin Meyers, on the "Religious Right", point out is a favorite "buzzword" of the neocon, intolerant, practitioners of religion [particularly where it relates to politics]. He right says too, that to "hate" anyone, which I'm guilty of but am trying to change [though I don't "hate" anyone, even if I disagree with them], merely on religious and political differences, is wrong. People can agree to disagree without resorting to maligning people (especially those of us who call ourselves Christians. An excellent book, highly recommended to anyone who is willing to put the partisanship and the religious disagreements to one side, to move our nation forward, on those things on which all can agree (and there are some things, surely, that we can).

This seasoned politician and man of faith demonstrates from his own experience how faith-based certainties applied to hot-button political issues have stymied the process of compromise that is essential to enact legislation which is truly beneficial to society. Yet he is certain that believers who walk humbly before and in service of a God who, according to such belief, is infinitely more wise and knowledgeable than they are will promote understanding among all who partake in the political process, thereby engendering the compromise that gets the job done.

The first politician who proclaims a faith without wearing it on his sleeve in some time. I wish he was running for President in 2008.

Danforth, who has led a very interesting and impressive life, delivers a very frank criticism of how religion--and Christianity, in particular--has imposed itself on today's most pressing public issues. While I don't necessarily agree with Danforth's assessment on how much blame Republican politicians and religious conservatives deserve, "Faith and Politics" did make me pause and reconsider the direction in which the Republican party is going.