The Baptizing of America: The Religious Right's Plans for the Rest of Us

by James Rudin

Book Overview

The Baptizing of America: Politics, Piety, and the Coming Theocracy exposes the systematic campaign by Christian fundamentalists to co-opt and take over every "room" of American society from the bedroom to the school room, hospital room, operating room, courtroom, work room, reading room and newsroom. This book focuses on the aggressive war currently being led by fundamentalist Christians to "baptize America." It is a battle that will determine...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1560258934
• ISBN13: 9781560258933
• Release Date: October 2006
• Publisher: Basic Books
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.4" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

A must read wake up call for all Americans!

The majority of Christians do not fall into the fanatical extreme right category, but many, unfortunately, don't see through the rhetoric and pretend to be holy acts, to see the extreme hate and intollerance that they actually represent. Everyone should read this book and wake up and take back our democracy and real religious values before they are swept away and we find ourselves living in a state not unlike that of the Taliban. This book, undoubtably takes an alarmist position that may not be totally justified at this time, but better to understand the real goals and beliefs of this extremist fringe of Christianity before they amass more power than they already have in our government.

Frightening Future

First of all Beth in CA, Mel Gibson is NOT a very nice person; a "fanatic" is more like it. Second, Allan in IA, "Christ" is hardly at issue here; the group of bullying, fanatical zealots that want to basically form their OWN dictatorship of this country and impose only THEIR 'morals' and 'beliefs' on everyone else is true frightening to contemplate. Rabbi Rudin has done a meticulous job showing the lying, scheming and other evil deeds this group does to reach their "ends"; which are the LAST thing a supposed "democracy" should ever have to tolerate. He clearly defines what is coming for very "at-risk" groups such as Jews, Gays and Lesbians, and basically anyone ELSE who dares disagree with them and their "edicts". The Evangelicals are apparently the MOST dangerous; they want nothing LESS than "extermination" for the mentioned groups; a truly frightening "future" for this country to be sure when it comes about; and they apparently are already on their way to achieving it; the Religious Right is THE largest threat and danger to America, bar NONE.

Jewish expert on Christians pens dire prediction of an imminent theocracy.

In his new book, The Baptizing of America: The Religious Right's Plans for the Rest of Us, Rabbi James Rudin declares that the prospect of an ascendant religious right is the most urgent threat confronting us. Rudin, whose understanding of Christian trends comes from decades of interreligious relations work for the American Jewish Committee, sees fundamentalist Christians increasingly imposing their religious values through government power and intimidation. Rudin warns that the security Jews have drawn from the constitutional separation of church and state is about to end. Also imperiled, writes Rabbi Haim Dov Beliak of JewsOnFirst in his review, is the sense of safety Jews acquired after the world absorbed the lessons of World War II. "For many Americans, especially American Jews and many of their liberal rabbis, still moored in that sense of safety, The Baptizing of America will come as a shock." Go to read the review on www.JewsOnFirst.org.

Well worth a read even if you disagree

Saw the author on televison while flipping channels and was intrigued by the title and agreeable with the underlining concerns. Now there are a few elements I disagree with, like the authors negative statements regarding Mel Gibson. In fact I almost put the book down in disgust, but didn't. Overall the book is excellent when it comes to decrying how some (notice I said some) Christians seem bent at pushing their religious beliefs on others. For me personally, its sad as well as embarrassing and terribly insensitive, the way a certain segment of the Christian community choose to ignore how they viewed by non-Christians.

Wake Up call for the rest of us...

This book is incredible, in all the proper ways. It is a well written book full of examples of the way the overboard Christian Right is trying to take over everything, and molding it in their views, by claiming that THEY are the ones being held down. Kind of like the whole Fox News "War on Christmas". It does not slam religion, as the author is a rabbi. It tastefully points out how the extreme religous right is trying to change the United States, and the danger it is. A must read book for those who are not a religous nut case.