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Summary: one of the most thought provoking books I have ever read.
Review: Daniel Lapin puts into perspective what the culture war is all about.Those of us that are middle aged have witnessed this gradual slide toward a valueless society that has occurred over the last three or four decades. I believe it is time for people of all religious faiths to put aside their differences,and work toward the common goal of restoring america to greatness. Daniel Lapin quoted Edmund Burke,when he said,"All that is necessary for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.How true. This book is a must read for those of us who pray for a bright and meaningful future for our children and grandchildren.
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Summary: Most intellectual analysis of the problems facing America.
Review: This is a must read for anyone who may feel they understand America's problems. It is the most concise analysis of those divisive forces that spawn the "politically correct" movement. You will want to study at the feet of Danial Lapin.
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Summary: An Amazingly Insightful Book
Review: There are so many thoughtful ideas in this book that I could not name them all! Suffice it to say that it is an excellent writing which shows how American conservatism and liberalism impact every area of our lives. It also helped this reader, a Christian, to understand more about Judaism. Rabbi Lapin displays the ability to put himself in others' shoes to understand them, an act of compassion too often lacking in our supposedly "tolerant" culture. This is one of the best books I have ever read!
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Summary: Makes you stop and think about your values
Review: I think that the message could have been conveyed in about half the pages, but if there is anyone out there who wonders why are country is going down the tubes, this is an excellent explanation. You may not agree with Rabbi Lapin's stand on all issues, but it does make you stop and think again about your postion on the moral issues facing us today.
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Summary: Essential Reading for the Serious American Patriot
Review: The left will hate him, the right will love him. And it will be interesting to watch the left attack him for his convictions of consience (one of our most treasured liberties) which they call freedom of speech. Of course they only apply that liberty to themselves and what they have to say and not to conservatives or the right. Conservatives have no rights or liberties in their world. That is reserved only for themselves and their loyal followers. But in spite of their unequal treatment of American citizens, every American who truly searches for the root causes of our social problems should read and heed the wisdom of this book. Today in America as a direct result of the lefts distruction of our Founding Father's true vision, we live in a country where children are murdering children, mothers are murdering their unborn children, where hate and labels are readily applied by those preaching tolerance to those who do not conform to their ideals of the perfect sheepish citizen. Where anger and prejudice fill the eyes of every special interest group who point their fingers against honest, law abiding, patriotic, religiously oriented citizens. Be tolerant of deviance, give up your constitutional liberties or be outcast and condemned by the mainstream media and elitist movements. We have reached a place in history where those who disagree are no longer political opponents but enemies (Clintonspeak), and where special interest finatics are dividing our country into smaller and smaller groups of hate filled extremist. Where those embroiled in and most assuredly a part of the most rediculous scandals have become our heroes and candidates for our most (used to be) respected law making branch of government (Hillary and the Senate). America should pause and give Rabbi Daniel Lapin a fair and open minded reading. He has given us an above ground view of the problem infesting our nation and has put in in crayon for those so wrapped up in themselves that they add new meaning to the saying "professing themselves to be wise, they became fools." Too often people are so egotistically entrenched in their own liberal, tolerant, tunnel visioned, self righteousness that they tend to move right past the simple truth that religion can help solve many of our problems. These truths are right before there noses, but they fear the idea of allowing a devine rule book to guide them because it would take away their preferred self-gratifying individual devaint behavior. They allow themselves to be manipulated into buying a false philosophy simply because of who is selling it. It is always party loyalty, gender loyalty, race loyalty, generational loyalty or some other insane secular reason for turning away from the Spiritual, the Divine or God. They would rather believe that all left wing policies are right, good and honorable. Rabbi Lapin has opened the can and the foul odors of the failed social experimentation practices of the left are easily dectectable. The contents are spoiled and are no longer fit for human consumption. His call to finding our way back is a valid one and those who truly love this country should consider his thoughts and recommendations. Evil is the easiest road in the world to walk down. Look as us we have proven it. Walking back up the path and taking the right path will be difficult, but not impossible. Unless of course we ignor the warnings of wise men like Rabbi Lapin. This is a book for the age, for the new decade, century, millennium. Highy recommended.
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Summary: This book ignores history
Review: Rabbi Lapin asserts that the founding of America was a result of Judeo/Christian faith and principles. One would assume that would mean that the leaders of the revolution (Jefferson, Washington, Franklin etc.) were devout Christians inspired to fulfill their religious duty. But, in reality, Jefferson, Washington and Franklin were not even Christian - they were Deists (they believed in God through reason, not revelation or faith) as were many of the intellectual leaders of the time. George Washington wrote in the Treaty if Tripoli, 1796: "The government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion" Why would a new government founded on religious principles turn around and separate religion from goverment? Why doesn't the Constitution even mention God? The secular, pro-reason philosophy of the Enlightenment which was at the root of the revolution in down-played. Instead the Rabbi offers as evidence of religious roots among other things, a numerology lesson on the Great Seal of the United States (secret religious message).
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Summary: A thought-provoking compendium of insights
Review: Rabbi Lapin brings to the reader his insights into the present status of the culture war. He describes not only its origins, but its manifestations, permutations and devastating consequences on our diginity, our spirit and our nation. His main point is that this country was founded on the principles found in the Bible; and that the Bible is a living document which is essentially the "owner's manual" left by God for us to follow. Every page contains an insight and a thought-provoking statement. I found it impossible to put down. The book could stand a bit of judicious editing, however: the author's use of "impact" in the popular, incorrenct sense is only on of the several jarring instances of poor usage; but these are just quibbles.
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Summary: AMERICA's REAL WAR is the truth our country needs!
Review: In his excellent book, Rabbi Daniel Lapin carefully explains an urgent message that each and every American should be exposed to. In very articulate and awesome terms, Rabbi Lapin engages in a discussion with his reader that you do not want to miss reading! AMERICA's REAL WAR is one in the hearts and souls of it's people, and this book is superb ammunition for fighting the war!!!
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Summary: Modern Religious Fundamentalism Revealed.
Review: For those who seek to understand the religious right in America there is no clearer expression of the essence of this movement than Rabbi Daniel Lapin's "America's Real War". The good rabbi analyzes the "culture war" going on in America which he views as a Manichean war of the powers of light versus the powers of darkness. America is suffering from a variety of cultural diseases caused by left wing and liberal ideas. "Ideas have Consequences" the rabbi says and when showing the consequences of liberal thinking the rabbi is at his best. He argues that modern public schools have no problem propagandizing for any secular moral viewpoint even when those moral views are repugnant to the general population. The rabbi cites "Heather Has Two Mommies", the infamous lesbian advocacy textbook placed in public schools, to prove his point. But let someone put God into the moral equation and the school board quickly removes the textbook. His demonstration of the persecution of modern Christian thought is clear and well argued. If schools can teach morality then why not teach the morality accepted by most people? However, when the rabbi attempts to show the Christian roots of the founding of America he collapses into a level of argument that calls to mind the worst parodies of religious illogic. America was founded on Christian principles, states the rabbi, but only Old Testament Christian principles. "But" you exclaim "Old Testament Christianity is Judaism!". Exactly! The rabbi cites no uniquely Christian sources at all, not the Catholic church, not Luther or Calvin, not even Christ himself. It seems that America is a Jewish product with Christianity reduced to being the conduit that brought the Old Testament to North America. I, who am an atheist, must take exception to the short shrift given the rich philosophical heritage of the Catholic Church by the author. He implies that it had no effect on the founding of America. Had Thomas Aquinas not resurrected the philosophy of Aristotle and rescued reason from the death grip of faith there would never have been a Renaissance much less an Enlightenment. America was, and could only have been founded during a philosophical period where reason prevailed. The philosophical hallmark of the Enlightenment was the extolling of the power of human reason. But for Rabbi Lapin this is insignificant since he recognizes no influences outside of the Old Testament. The stretches that the rabbi makes to assert the "Christian" roots of America can best be illustrated by his discussion of the Great Seal of the United States. To show its true significance the rabbi invokes Hebrew numerology. If one assigns numbers to each of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet one can arrive at the value of a word by adding the corresponding numbers. The Hebrew word for "one" adds up to 13, the number of original colonies. On the Great Seal is the inscription "E Pluribus Unum" which, as every school child (except Al Gore) knows, means "Out of many, One" referring to one United States formed from 13 individual states. To the rabbi this is a clear reference to the Hebrew numeralogic value of the word one. He also notes that both "E Pluribus Unum" and "Annuit Coeptis" have 13 letters, the pyramid on the seal has 13 levels, in fact there are 13's everywhere on the seal. All of this, the rabbi maintains, is evidence of the Hebrew roots of the founders' thinking. However, this interpretation poses problems. If the founders were so enamored of Hebrew why did they choose two Latin phrases to place on the seal? Latin was the language spoken by ancient Romans - the notorious persecutors of Jews. Further, no admirer of the Jews in his right mind would use a pyramid as an emblem for a country based on Old Testament principles since the pyramid is most closely identified with Egypt where the Jews were enslaved. The truth, as is well known, is that the seal is a Masonic symbol. The pyramid with the eye at the apex could not be mistaken for anything else. The rabbi ignores the fact that many of the founders were Masons because it does not fit with the theory that only the Old Testament influenced the founders. One becomes convinced that had the founders inscribed the pyramid with the words "masonic symbol" the rabbi would only have noted that the phrase contains 13 letters. Were numeralogical fantasies the worst violation of logic committed one could forgive them as a personal eccentricity. However, they are merely a part of what happens when reason becomes the handmaiden of theology. The rabbi proudly asserts on page 67 "I wouldn't renounce Torah Judaism regardless of the evidence ..." If you assume that this is taken out of context consider the following: on page 184 we are told that DNA evidence confirms the Jewish tradition of a priestly bloodline descended from Aaron. It seems that DNA tests showed that most of the people named Cohen, Katz and the like have a single common ancestor. "Science Verifies God's Design" states the rabbi. However, on page 54 the rabbi is both astonished and upset that the Peabody Museum has reclassified certain chimpanzees into the genus Homo which places them with man. The reclassification of chimpanzees is based on DNA research that suggests that a common ancestor of both chimps and men existed more recently than had previously been thought. The very same type of DNA test that the rabbi cites as supporting the Talmud also supports the theory of evolution which the rabbi emphatically denies. It appears that when science supports theology then it is true science, when it doesn't it is false science. Overall, the book is most illuminating in its revelation of the true soul of religious fundamentalism by one of its more articulate spokesmen. I highly recommend it to the religious right for whom it is intended and for atheists with a very good sense of humor.
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Summary: An outstanding and well-reasoned book
Review: I purchased this book on a whim and I have to admit I did not even read what it was about. Thinking it was a treatise on the war against terror, imagine my surprise when I learned that Rabbi Lapin was addressing the cultural war that America is engaged in. Consequently, it sat in my computer on MP3 format unlistened to for several months. It is an outstanding and well-reasoned book. Rabbi Lapin makes his points without belittling his opponents. His basic thesis is simple: The liberal left is out to de-Christianize the United States by removing any semblance of religion from the public life. Lapin argues that it is the belief in God and a strong moral sense of right and wrong that made this country great. Imagine my surprise when he argued that America was founded as a Christian nation. No, one does not have to believe in Christ to be a citizen, but that the traditional moral beliefs as stated in both the Old and New Testaments provide the moral foundation of right and wrong. In this war, conservative Jews, evangelical Christians and conservative Catholics have much more in common that binds them together than differences that separate them. Rather than fearing conservative evangelicals, conservative Jews ought to see them as allies and friends. I have long argued with my Jewish friends that their real enemies are not conservative Christians, but liberal secularist. If there is going to be persecution of American Jews, it will not come from the religious right but liberal left. For instance, it is the conservative Christians who support Israel, whereas secular leftists have more sympathetic toward Moslem extremist in the name of cultural diversity. His analysis of why Jews are so liberal was both insightful and fascinating. I have always wondered why American Jews have this propensity for liberalism, especially in light of the lefts sympathetic leanings toward Islamic extremists. I will take one issue with Rabbi Lapin. When one speaks of a cultural war, the object of war is to kill and defeat your enemy. When we come to the realm of ideas, I prefer to persuade people to my beliefs than to make war on them.
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