With God on Their Side: How Christian Fundamentalists Trampled Science, Policy, and Democracy in George W. Bush's White House

This is as detailed a compendium of the Bush Administration and the Religious Right's activities in recent years as is available. Their reach is astounding, ranging from social programs to science to war and peace! In almost every way one can think of, Kaplan documents the ways that the extreme right-wing Christian community, led by George W Bush, has used their anti-science, anti-intellectual and anti-reason point of view to shape policy, often to disastrous results. Many will superficially see this book as "anti-religious." This is not necessarily so; this book is anti-irrationality, and then, if the shoe fits, wear it. One could also write a book on the irrationality of some left-wing religious activists as well and that would be justifiable; but it is safe to say that at this moment in time, the Religious Right's embrace of a coming rapture, their belief in an inerrant bible and rejection of mainstream science in favor of Creationism and other pseudo science overwhelms the dangers posed by any other religious class in the US! This book is a must for those blissfully unaware of the ways that the fundamentalist religious beliefs of others can some day profundly change their lives. For those who already know, this is a great compilation with all the facts neatly assembled in one book.

Esther Kaplan is prescient. If this book had come out before the recent presidential election, and her thoughts had been widely diseminated, the American public would have a very different view of what was, in fact, happening in our country. On November 3, every democrat was running around screaming, "how did this happen?". Esther Kaplan already knew. The extent of intermingling between this administration and the hardcore right wing is novel, and bizarre, when one considers the dearth of media coverage on this very issue. Esther Kaplan gives the reader a map to who really controls this government and their plan. A must read.

This book documents the religious right's attack on America through George W. Bush's reign of terror. Even Ronald Reagan (who was the first modern president to court the religious right in order to win the Republican presidential nomination) never had attempted to divide America through religion to this extent. From John Ashcroft's tenure as Attorney General to the establishment of a White House office for religious outreach, this administration has reached new lows in religious zealotry. Good government policy has thus become defined as only what conveniently matches the Bush administration's own religious convictions. The unprecedented errors in government publications are allowed because the religious right honestly is not interested in having a realistic public policy discussion. They want to condemn and punish ANYBODY who does not share their totalitarian world view. This includes people of faith who WANT everybody to enjoy religious freedom. Bush may be sincere in his own religious convictions, but I cannot see this same belief system being of actual moral use if he is trampling the First Amendment rights of myself and other citizens--who are also a part of the America he is supposed to work for. For all Bush's fancy education, he has selectively forgotten that the First Amendment also protects the religious rights of other people, and also people who do not want to engage in any religious practices (organized or otherwise). The First Amendment was enacted because the framers had personal experience with theocracies in England and the colonies; a person who was outside of the state-sponsored religion automatically became less of a person, and (virtually) ceased to exist as a being. If the president of America is not interested in learning from American history, we are in deeper trouble than initially imagined.

In this journalistic masterpiece, Esther Kaplan makes it clear that Bush & Co. has just about succeeded in transforming the US government into a Christo-fascist juggernaut, endangering our freedoms and the welfare of the world. A lucid analyst and highly scrupulous reporter (and a most gifted writer), Kaplan describes, in harrowing detail, the Bush regime's ongoing subversion of American democracy. Here is the whole shocking story that should by now be known to every rational American, and yet the US press has steadfastly refused to deal with it: Bush/Cheney's religious war against Iraq, the "Christian Zionist" foundation of the regime's catastrophic Mid-East policy, Bush/Cheney's vast faith-based assault on science, the regime's fervent efforts to impose its puritanical morality on everybody else, the use of our tax dollars to support the proselytizing work of pro-Bush Christian groups, and on and on. Concerning the grave threat posed by Bush/Cheney, there are a lot of excellent books and documentaries available today (including mine, if I may say so). If you decide to buy just one (or just one more), get Esther Kaplan's book--and do it now.

Still looking for evidence to give your family and friends that George W. Bush has got to go? This book doesn't take cheap political shots, it just lays out all the connections between the Religious Right and everyday activities at the White House -- from John Ashcroft leading morning prayer sessions for the people who report to him at the Department of Justice to a battle over creationist psuedo-science books being promoted in a Grand Canyon park service store. It may seem like George W. Bush's major effects on American life has been in the area of foreign policy, but Kaplan's well-reported, well-written book shows how political appointees from the country's most conservative groups are filling advisory councils and approval committees -- and, often unseen, making shocking changes to our national policies about condoms, access to contraception, and healthcare research and funding. As even the Reagans know, this administration is hazardous to your health! I'd recommend this book to anyone who cares about the future of science policy, education, and health research in the United States -- which is probably everyone reading this review.