Why the Christian Right Is Wrong: A Minister's Manifesto for Taking Back Your Faith, Your Flag, Your Future

by Robin Meyers

"I join the ranks of those who are angry, because I have watched as the faith I love has been taken over by fundamentalists who claim to speak for Jesus but whose actions are anything but Christian."
―Robin Meyers, from his "Speech Heard Round the World" Millions of Americans are outraged at the Bush administration's domestic and foreign policies and even angrier that the nation's religious conservatives have touted these policies as representative of moral values. Why the Christian Right Is Wrong is a rousing manifesto that will ignite the collective conscience of all whose faith and values have been misrepresented by the Christian Right. Praise for Why the Christian Right Is Wrong : "In the pulpit, Robin Meyers is the new generation's Harry Emerson Fosdick, George Buttrick, and Martin Luther King. In these pages, you will find a stirring message for our times, from a man who believes that God's love is universal, that the great Jewish prophets are as relevant now as in ancient times, and that the Jesus who drove the money changers from the Temple may yet inspire us to embrace justice and compassion as the soul of democracy. This is not a book for narrow sectarian minds; read it, and you will want to change the world."
―Bill Moyers "In this book, a powerful and authentic religious voice from America's heartland holds up a mirror to the Bush administration and its religious allies. The result is a vision of Orwellian proportions in which values are inverted and violence, hatred, and bigotry are blessed by one known as 'The Prince of Peace,' who called us to love our enemies. If you treasure this country and tremble over its present direction, this book is a must-read!"
―John Shelby Spong author, The Sins of Scripture: Exposing the Bible's Texts of Hate to Reveal the God of Love "This is a timely warning and a clarion call to the church to recover the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to a great nation to resist the encroachment of the Christian Right and of Christian fascism. Many of us in other parts of the world are praying fervently that these calls will be heeded."
―Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Politics, Christianity

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disappointing; I was really hoping for something better - I would love to read a solid scholarly critique of the Christian Right. However, this is just a pop level book, airplane reading. Meyers' analysis is very surface - the Christian Right conspiracy is abusing Scripture to further business and political gains that are not the true teachings of Christianity. Okay, it's good he stood up to say that, but a more serious in-depth analysis would have been more effective at changing minds and raising awareness. This is preaching to the converted, pardon the pun. He's just saying "hey, I am Christian and I disagree with the Right!" Okay, again, that's good, but he's not adding much more.

In the introduction, Meyers makes the point that Christian Right, Republican, and conservative are not the same, though they overlap to a great deal. Then, in tackling political hot-button topics, he seems to argue for a very traditionally, almost humorously, liberal worldview. His chapter on "Pro-Life" states that the real Pro-Life stance should be Pro-Mother Nature, for example. It isn't going to do much to get him attention from conservative Christians seeking a voice different from the fundamentalist reactionaries.

[Dennis Littrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exposes the hypocrisy and stupidity of the Christian Right with a vengeance

This is an infectious call to arms that renews my long ago lost faith in Christians and Christianity. Robin Meyers is a combination of the radical preacher from the sixties and a level-headed professor of rhetoric morphed into a man for the current season of moral crisis in America.

Included in the book is the text from his now famous speech given in Norman, Oklahoma in 2004 in which the refrain (coyly addressed to President George W. Bush) "...you are doing something immoral" rained down on a crowd of University of Oklahoma students, faculty and others like wisdom in the form of manna from heaven. Professor and Pastor Meyers has a way with words, to put it mildly. That speech is one of the best I have ever heard (actually I didn't have the opportunity to hear it, but I read it). I believe that even Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. would be impressed.

Here's a bit of it:

"When you claim that Jesus is the Lord of your life and yet fail to acknowledge that your policies ignore his essential teachings or turn them on their head...you are doing something immoral.

When you act as if the lives of Iraqi civilians are not as important as the lives of American soldiers and refuse to even count them, you are doing something immoral.

When you find a way to avoid combat in Vietnam and then question the patriotism of someone who volunteered to fight and came home a hero, you are doing something immoral.

When you ignore the fundamental teachings of the Gospels, which say that the way the strong treat the weak is the ultimate ethical test, by giving tax breaks to the wealthiest among us so that the strong will get stronger and the weak will get weaker, you are doing something immoral."

This book is organized around this speech with chapter titles like "Christians Don't Start Wars, They Try to Stop Them," Missing in Action: The Sermon on the Mount," "Rich Chicken Hawks for Jesus," and "Christian Fascism and the War on Reason."

Meyers goes deep into the moral issues of today and exposes the hypocrisy and sheer stupidity of fundamentalist Christianity and its two-faced and power hungry leaders. His message is that America is in crisis and the only way out is a reaffirmation of real American values which include separation of church and state and the rule of reason as guided by the scientific method and genuine Christian spirituality.

I hope this book somehow finds its way into the White House and the halls of the Congress because if our leaders don't find their lost moral compass and use the intelligence and courage God gave them and soon, we will become not only a second-rate nation, but a nation as corrupt as a fascist banana republic.

--Dennis Littrell, author of “The World Is Not as We Think It Is”

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the benefit of future readers of this review, some context: 1) I read this book within the Trump administration--12 years, and the Obama administration between Meyers' writing of this book, and my reading it; 2) I finished the book the day of the (what will be infamous) Brett Kavanaugh hearings involving Christine Blasey Ford. What I found in this book was characteristic Meyers, which is prophetic critique of a corrupt political system, and a call to live out the Sermon on the Mount. This book is unapologetically partisan, which was a bit surprising. But, I think it's partisanship was warranted based on the critiques put forth: the Republican Party confessed (confesses) "Lord, Lord," but their hearts were (are) far from Jesus. I was tremendously disheartened by this book, because many of the bad actors are still in political power, and because American politics remains more spectacle and posturing, than actual attempts to govern. I'm not sure if Meyers' call to action went unheard, or if it was unsuccessful, but I am sufficiently galvanized by the final part (Part Three), which advocates personal witness and unity with others to bring about change and justice. It's a shame this book is so prescient 12 years later.

[Gavin Stephenson Spell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think Meyers has some interesting thoughts, but he can often only present one side of things. sometimes the logic can be reasonable, but sometimes its really sound. From a big picture, I think this is a helpful read. I would love to find a parallel reading of the conservative perspective, and compare some of the same topics and perspectives.

Found an interesting parallel with this book in this current political climate, even though this book was written 12 years ago. That was kind of shocking.

[Deborah Schwarte · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very perceptive text

Robin Meyers offers in this book a way to view the judgement of the Christian Right in an open light, where the opinions are not merely hostile views. He clearly offers a position by which to see how the Christian Right is attacking the individual in the holistic home of Christ and America, a community of shared love.

[Joe Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a title and cover art like this, one wonders who will read it. I am reminded of a conversation I had early in my experience as a church-sponsored coffeehouse manager (acoustic music presenter) when a veteran presenter from another city asked me, “Do your people like to be challenged?” Well, my sense is that folks on the “Christian Right” commonly are afflicted with might be called “blessed assurance” not only that Jesus is theirs but that they are right in most respects, if not all, and that folks who do not agree in full are simply wrong—not to mention sinister (in cahoots with or duped by Satan)—and going to hell for it. My sense is that, no, they do not like to be challenged, don’t voluntarily seek to be challenged, will not listen to challenge with an open mind, and do not respect the messenger of challenge. To be fair, certainly there are plenty on the left and at all points in between who suffer a similar affliction. In any case, my guess is that Meyers will find a greater, more receptive audience among those who consider themselves open-minded centrists and those somewhere left of center, especially those concerned by the political ascendancy of the Christian Right and the push toward an American theocracy.

Robin Meyers is senior minister of Mayflower Congregational Church, a United Church of Christ congregation in Oklahoma City. He is a professor of rhetoric at Oklahoma City University, a syndicated columnist, and a contributor to The Christian Century. He has appeared on NPR and PBS numerous times as well as in the HBO documentary, “The Execution of Wanda Jean.” [all this in “About the Author,” p. 203, published in 2006. See also his personal website .]

In November, 2004, “when half the country felt clinically depressed about the reelection of George W Bush (p.1),” Meyers was invited to speak at a peace rally sponsored by the United Campus Ministry and held on the University of Oklahoma campus. What he had to say was plainly—yea, very plainly—challenging to the fundamentalist takeover of the Republican Party and to the policies and actions of the Bush administration. (I encourage you to go here now and read the speech. If link doesn’t work, see URL at end of review. That, as much as anything, will motivate you to read the book—or not.) After the speech, some students asked for a copy of the speech and posted it on the Internet. The speech was widely read and widely debated. This book grew out of all that. It is organized as follows:

Part One: The Speech Heard Round the World
Part Two: The Sin of Hypocrisy: Line by Line [an elaboration of each "bullet" in the speech]
Part Three: A call to Nonviolent Resistance: How to Save the Country and the Church

Meyers does not include an index, but he does reference his sources in Notes.

The promo blurbs on the jacket include some of my personal heroes: Bill Moyers, John Shelby Spong, Desmond Tutu, and the late William Sloane Coffin. You can see those comments, for one place, under “Book Description” at Amazon .

See http://www.mayflowerucc.org/listening... for complete text of “speech heard round the world,” titled on this webpage as:
A Minister Fights Back on Moral Values
Dr. Robin Meyers' Speech during the 11/04 Peace Rally at OK University

[Bob Buice · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Almost before the [9/11] dust had settled; I knew that we were being put to the test. It was a test that required greatness in a president and the capacity for real sacrifice from the rest of us. Therefore, it was a test we were doomed to fail. What's more, at just the moment when we needed the virtues of true faith, we were in grave danger of getting religion at its worst.” ~ Robin Meyers

Hatred and fear together lead to religious bigotry. According to James Dobson, Jerry Falwell, and Pat Robertson, Christianity has two enemies – nonbelievers and secular humanism. Christian fundamentalists are not rational and view logic as “seductive and dangerous”. They insist that, “Everyone must be converted”. The Religious right fears that yielding on any point will ultimately lead to the collapse of morality, threatening our very civilization. It is dangerous to “think too much, ask too many questions, or employ the tenets of cogent reasoning”. The Christian right displays many tenets of fascism, seeing only the black or the white, promoting moral values while actually “preserving and protecting wealth and power” and “regarding kindness and compassion, the heart of religious faith, as naïve”. They preach hatred, greed, homophobia, and they illicit fear, all in the name of Jesus Christ, “who preached love, faith, humility, generosity, and the nonjudgmental acceptance of the other”.

Robin Meyers begins "Why the Christian Right is Wrong" with the comment, “I witnessed a stolen election in Florida, a disastrous response to 9/11, and then watched the nation's first fundamentalist Christian president hijack the Constitution in the name of national security”. In this very profound, well written work, Dr. Meyers explains his feeling that “the country we love, and the church that has inspired and nurtured so many of us, is in grave peril” from the Christian right. The Christian right twists the views of certain other denominations and challenges the “faith and patriotism” of all who disagree with them. They, themselves, have become something of a heresy, continuously moving away from the teachings of Jesus. In the words of Dr. Meyers, “What Bible are these guys reading?”. Yet, they are influencing many US citizens. Presently, the Christian right represents a relatively large portion of the American electorate and they are electing their own favored candidates to high political positions.

Given the current political and spiritual climate in the US, I highly recommend this book. The reader will be exposed to many reasons why our church and our nation are in “grave peril” from the Christian right.

[Scott Holstad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow, Robin Meyers is one seriously pissed off individual! I mean, blow your top pissed off. I can dig it, to a degree, because the same things tick me off, but I think he let his passions get the best of him in this literary effort. I think he spends too much time ranting, and not enough time providing plausible alternatives, nor linking the political with the religious. I think he could have done more with that, and should have. I think he owed it to the reader. Indeed, the first third of the book or so is spent Bush bashing. While I hate Bush and while I know this book was written while Bush was still in office, I just had a feeling of been there, done that. I didn't really learn anything new, and Meyers was just ranting to the choir, in my opinion. I doubt anyone who actually needed to benefit from a topic the title of the book suggests would in fact benefit. They'd just stop reading after 10 pages and say, typical liberal anti-Bush bias -- and it is. I wanted to like this book, but I just couldn't bring myself to be overly impressed with it. Perhaps another writer could have done a better job of it, I don't know. Meyers' polemics just kind of turned me off -- even though I feel strongly about many of the same things myself. Frankly, I didn't feel like this was that much of a "manifesto." Pity....

[Clint · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for all Christians who vote Republican. Rev. Robin Meyers explains the truth of the so called Conservative Christian Right party and how they have used.... abused God and people's faith to manipulate voters. Written during the Bush Administration, Rev. Meyers breaks down a speech that he gave at an Oklahoma Peace Rally. By examining the political realms of America, and applying what Jesus was and taught..... the Republican Party is far from upholding moral and Christian family values. Many Pro-life Republicans will vote straight ticket ballots at elections based on two issues: homosexuality and abortion. The one scripture verse in the Bible that states that homosexuality is a sin is sandwiched between verses that say cutting your hair is a sin and wearing clothing of two different products. You can't pick and choose which verses to use to uphold the truth and justify your beliefs, because Jesus simply stated to love your neighbor. Abortion is murder, but so is the death penalty. If you were truly a believer in pro-life, then why give tax breaks to the rich while the poor starve to death? Is the Earth not a living thing....yet Republicans could care less about our environment, because it interferes with corporate commerce... not to mention that many people get sick and some even die due to our polluting the Earth.

[Carrie · Rating 1 out of 5]

He makes great points, but I gave him a 1 because I just couldn't get through it due to the tell you I'll tell you - tell you - told you I told you writing style and the fact that all of the failures and breaches of this administration are all too painfully familiar that it's hard to read about them now - maybe this book will be a good resource once the facts and current conditions have faded from collective memory. The chapter regarding homophobia and Biblical references is very good to read and I highly recommend it.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very strong book that really gets to the long-forgotten heart of Jesus. Though written during and affected by the latter Bush years, the message is very much applicable. Again and again, I'm shocked and disgusted by the actions of the fundamentalists and their counterfeit claim of Christianity. It's no wonder that the word "Christian" is a dirty word to so many people. However, I was once very similar and have to forgive and love these people. This book has set a fire under my booty and because of it, I think I'm more ready than ever to act upon injustice.

[Len Knighton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written during the Bush years, the message is still important even if the war in Iraq is over. I'm not sure we have progressed as much in the Obama years as we had hoped, but while his critics point out the huge debt accumulated during these years, at least we can say that the money is going for the people, not for war.

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Didn't you know Jesus was actually a bad ass peacenik for social justice? Here's how born-again Christians, including George W. Bush, have bastardized Christianity and how you can negotiate Jesus' release from evangelical hijackers!