Review of the book How The Nations Rage by Jonathan Leeman

I really enjoyed this book. I would recommend it to everyone and would like to read more books by this author. This book talks about rethinking faith and politics in a divided age. The author says on page 11 " I am concerned that sometimes we let principles of Americanism determine the way we read scripture, rather than letting scripture determine how we should evaluate principles of Americanism." On page 14 the author says " yet is it possible that all the contention and division Christians presently face is the catalyst God means to force some of us to rethink where our political hopes really life?... Conversions makes us citizens of Christ's kingdom, places us inside embassies of that kingdom, and puts us to work as ambassadors of heaven's righteousness and justice. Churches are the cities on hills, said Jesus. Not America.

On page 25 the author says " step one for understanding my claim that governments serve gods is seeing that our religion is bigger than what happens at church. Step two is seeing that our politics are bigger than what happens in the public square. In fact, our politics involve everything we do. " On page 33 the author says " God exists, and everyone has a primary responsibility to God for his or her conduct and behavior, and then to the state." On page 35 the author says " After all, who gets to decide which rights are right, or how to define equality, or which freedoms are just? Shall we affirm the right to an abortion, marriage equality, and the freedom to define one's own gender? Well the answer depends on what your God or gods say. Christians therefore find themselves in the peculiar position of wanting to say that rights, equality, and freedom are God's given gifts, but looking around and seeing people treat those gifts as gods or at least as Trojan horses that hide there real gods. In other words, when you define religious freedom apart from the God of scripture, eventually those terms will be used against the people of that God. Yes, that's the paradox of religious freedom."

On page 43 the author talks about LGBTG. My Christian faith does not treat every conceivable identity-construct as morally legitimate. Should we foster "acceptance, respect, and understanding" for those who identify themselves as thieves, adulterers or vampires? Not according to my faith." On page 82 the author says " Zach's refusal to support same-sex marriage would not be about imposing a Christian sexual ethic on others. It was about refusing to let the world impose its sexual ethic on him, which it was doing by asking him to endorse something God has not authorized government to endorse. It was about refusing to put his hand to anything that will provoke the judgement of God at the end of history."

On page 107 the author says " if abortion is a private decision, how can you require me and my tax dollars to pay for other people's private decision? That would make it a public matter, because it involves me and my tax contribution. Hence, there's a contradiction. " On page 183 the author says " ...several years ago President Obama's Affordable Care Act sought to require employers to insure employees for abortion. Churches and Christian organizations immediately objected, arguing on the grounds of religious freedom that it unjustly burdened the conscience to insure an employee's abortion...The real issue, for a Christian, is murder. We don't want the state to require us to fund something we believe is murder...."

On page 217 the author says " we should never stop asking what makes rights right. The answer for a Christian must be that rights are right because God said they are right. That's why human governments should respect our rights...When we disregard what God says is right, than anyone can which rights are right and which aren't. There is no rebuttal. There is no public and accepted righteousness or standard of right..."

Disclosure of Material Connection. I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, part 255. "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." Disclosure of Material Connection. I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, part 255. "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."