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the_history_shelf's review against another edition
5.0
The subtitle says it all. Nothing could be truer from my understanding - both spiritually and intellectually - of Jesus Christ that "fundamentalist" Christians pervert and invert His message. It's time to throw off the yoke of the Pharisees again and let TRUE Christianity reign over this bleeding and battered world.
blondereader's review against another edition
sad
slow-paced
0.25
Awful book, but not surprising. I know people like this. They only like people who agree with them. As soon as you indicate you do not and will not be convinced of their blasphemy, they call you a pig. So, this author doesn't like God, so he makes up a new god. He says he is all about love, but calls people he doesn't like the following:
racist
ill-educated because they live in rural areas
leaders of monotonous lives
abusive
hypocritical
judgmental
homophobic
devoid of love
I could go on. But if this author is all about love, where is his love when he talks about people he disagrees with? He doesn't want to be rejected by Christians who are saved, yet he rejects Christians who are saved. And by the way? He puts "saved" in quotes.
He went to one service at a conservative church so he could criticize the people, sermon, music, and everything else. He criticizes Christian bookstores by putting the word "Christian" in quotes. In other words, he doesn't think Christian bookstores are Christian. He says he can't find some Christian books in New York City, where apparently, he lives. Surprise, surprise. We need to pray for NYC.
Sadly, he will probably stay in New York, talking to people he calls "ex-fundamentalists" so he can continue to wallow in his own unloving ignorance. If he wants to look down on conservatives in his smug books endorsed by other arrogant people who agree with him, such as the heretical Spong, fine.
He says conservatives are all about reward and punishment. He has no right to judge the hearts of conservatives. The conservatives I know follow the Lord out of a true desire to follow Him. The author needs to talk to more conservatives with the "love" he claims to have.
Conservatives can rejoice in being persecuted for Christ's sake by this author, although we can be grateful he is persecuting us only with words and nothing worse. Even though this author hates us, we are commanded by the Lord to pray for him.
To God be the Glory! God is good all the time!
racist
ill-educated because they live in rural areas
leaders of monotonous lives
abusive
hypocritical
judgmental
homophobic
devoid of love
I could go on. But if this author is all about love, where is his love when he talks about people he disagrees with? He doesn't want to be rejected by Christians who are saved, yet he rejects Christians who are saved. And by the way? He puts "saved" in quotes.
He went to one service at a conservative church so he could criticize the people, sermon, music, and everything else. He criticizes Christian bookstores by putting the word "Christian" in quotes. In other words, he doesn't think Christian bookstores are Christian. He says he can't find some Christian books in New York City, where apparently, he lives. Surprise, surprise. We need to pray for NYC.
Sadly, he will probably stay in New York, talking to people he calls "ex-fundamentalists" so he can continue to wallow in his own unloving ignorance. If he wants to look down on conservatives in his smug books endorsed by other arrogant people who agree with him, such as the heretical Spong, fine.
He says conservatives are all about reward and punishment. He has no right to judge the hearts of conservatives. The conservatives I know follow the Lord out of a true desire to follow Him. The author needs to talk to more conservatives with the "love" he claims to have.
Conservatives can rejoice in being persecuted for Christ's sake by this author, although we can be grateful he is persecuting us only with words and nothing worse. Even though this author hates us, we are commanded by the Lord to pray for him.
To God be the Glory! God is good all the time!
el_entrenador_loco's review against another edition
challenging
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
wholcomb's review against another edition
5.0
The book did a great job laying out the path that led to the current view of religion and the Bible by the fundamentalist branch of Christianity. The example/metaphor he had at the end of the book, to me, really hit home as to what Christianity should be. It is about doing out of love what you believe is right not because of the reward or punishment.
tora76's review against another edition
4.0
When I first realized how long ago this was written, I was kind of bummed out, but it turned out to be really not an issue at all. This gives a good look at the history of fundamentalism in the US from its beginnings to the late '90s when the book was written. Obviously things have only gotten worse since then, so I am interested in reading something more up to date that deals with the same subject. Although the author seems to believe that all religions are good, it did feel like he thinks everyone should be some sort of religious, which was annoying and is the main thing that kept me from giving it five stars. It's really engagingly written and although I was raised in a fundamentalist church myself, there was a lot I wasn't aware of outside of my own church, so I learned a lot.
kellyholmes's review against another edition
4.0
It's easy to assume that all Christians think and act like the most extreme of their faith when all we see in the news media and entertainment is the extreme. Yet this book reminded me that there are Christians out there who believe that love is what it's all about -- not rules, not doctrines, not literalism. Love.
astrido's review
5.0
I read this book shortly after leaving a Christian group that came close to those the author is describing. This was over twenty years ago.
Even though this book isn't perfect and I don't necessarily agree with everything... it was such an important book to me at that time and is still on my shelf. It helped me to understand more about the kind of worldview I had been involved with and lived in/with for too long.
Even though this book isn't perfect and I don't necessarily agree with everything... it was such an important book to me at that time and is still on my shelf. It helped me to understand more about the kind of worldview I had been involved with and lived in/with for too long.
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