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Persecution: How Liberals Are Waging War Against Christians
In this New York Times bestseller, David Limbaugh exposes the liberal hypocrisy of promoting political correctness while discriminating against Christianity. From the elimination of school prayer to the eradication of the story of Christianity from history textbooks, this persuasive book shows that our social engineers inculcate hostility toward this religion and its values in the name of "diversity," "tolerance," and "multiculturalism."
Through court cases, case studies, and true stories, Limbaugh details the widespread assault on the religious liberties of Christians in America today and urges believers to fight back in order to restore their First Amendment right of religious freedom.
Through court cases, case studies, and true stories, Limbaugh details the widespread assault on the religious liberties of Christians in America today and urges believers to fight back in order to restore their First Amendment right of religious freedom.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2003
25 people are currently reading
409 people want to read
About the author
David Limbaugh
25 books129 followersDavid Limbaugh is a conservative American political commentator and author. He is the younger brother of talk radio host Rush Limbaugh.
David Limbaugh has a bachelor's degree, cum laude, in political science and a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from the University of Missouri. He also served in the National Guard for six years. He has written columns which are carried by Creators Syndicate, Townhall.com, WorldNetDaily, Jewish World Review, and The Washington Times.
David Limbaugh has a bachelor's degree, cum laude, in political science and a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from the University of Missouri. He also served in the National Guard for six years. He has written columns which are carried by Creators Syndicate, Townhall.com, WorldNetDaily, Jewish World Review, and The Washington Times.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
July 5, 2008
This book should not have been called Persecution, but Intolerance or perhaps Discrimination. That's not quite as arresting a title, however, and a picture of an aggravated student who has been told to turn her T-shirt inside out wouldn't be quite as eye-catching as the prowling lion that graces the cover of David Limbaugh's book.
I'm aware of the double standard applied to Christianity in the United States. The idea of "separation of church and state" is frequently invoked to prevent expressions of the Christian religion in schools and elsewhere, but the same standard is not applied with equal fervor and consistency to other religions. Evangelical Christians are more often mocked in movies and television shows than any other religious group, and recent extensive surveys have shown that, far more than any other religious group, professors admit prejudice against evangelicals. I'm aware of all this as a Christian, and I'm annoyed by it - - annoyed, but NOT persecuted. Limbaugh's many selective anecdotes do not accumulate to prove anything like a systematic persecution of evangelicals, let alone of Christians in general. Some of the anecdotes were appalling examples of discrimination (such as a public school teacher taking a private Bible from a student, calling it garbage, and throwing it in the trash), but some were merely examples of in-your-face proselytizing Christians being asked to tone it down.
It is valuable that Limbaugh exposes the fact that Christians do experience more than an inconsequential amount of intolerance and discrimination. People who think these cases are rare freak occurrences ought to read his book to see that the problem of discrimination is real. I think he also makes a valid argument about secular humanism being the established religion of the public schools.
Nevertheless, I think Limbaugh goes overboard to title his book Persecution. The lion on the cover reminds me of what _real_ persecution is, and it reminds me how lucky I am to live in a country where I can practice my faith relatively freely. The book is not very clearly organized and seems to be a somewhat random collection of complaints, sometimes covering subjects that touch on Christianity only tangentially. (I did learn some things that were new to me and disturbing, such as the fact that 10% of public schools have some kind of "death education" program that encourages students to think more about death, to discuss death, and sometimes even to engage in such activities as writing their own suicide notes.)
So while I learned some things from the book and appreciate that someone tackled the largely ignored subject of intolerance towards Christians, the problem with these sorts of books is that they tend to sensationalize things and leave the impression that a particular problem, though indeed a real problem, is much wider spread and much more serious than it actually is. There is also the small matter of the fact that no matter how much you complain about the unfairness of it all, if you take your religion very seriously, the world simply isn't going to like it, and it's going to want to make you as uncomfortable as you are making it.
Like most modern nonfiction, Persecution is also written without literary flourish or personality, making it often dull reading.
I'm aware of the double standard applied to Christianity in the United States. The idea of "separation of church and state" is frequently invoked to prevent expressions of the Christian religion in schools and elsewhere, but the same standard is not applied with equal fervor and consistency to other religions. Evangelical Christians are more often mocked in movies and television shows than any other religious group, and recent extensive surveys have shown that, far more than any other religious group, professors admit prejudice against evangelicals. I'm aware of all this as a Christian, and I'm annoyed by it - - annoyed, but NOT persecuted. Limbaugh's many selective anecdotes do not accumulate to prove anything like a systematic persecution of evangelicals, let alone of Christians in general. Some of the anecdotes were appalling examples of discrimination (such as a public school teacher taking a private Bible from a student, calling it garbage, and throwing it in the trash), but some were merely examples of in-your-face proselytizing Christians being asked to tone it down.
It is valuable that Limbaugh exposes the fact that Christians do experience more than an inconsequential amount of intolerance and discrimination. People who think these cases are rare freak occurrences ought to read his book to see that the problem of discrimination is real. I think he also makes a valid argument about secular humanism being the established religion of the public schools.
Nevertheless, I think Limbaugh goes overboard to title his book Persecution. The lion on the cover reminds me of what _real_ persecution is, and it reminds me how lucky I am to live in a country where I can practice my faith relatively freely. The book is not very clearly organized and seems to be a somewhat random collection of complaints, sometimes covering subjects that touch on Christianity only tangentially. (I did learn some things that were new to me and disturbing, such as the fact that 10% of public schools have some kind of "death education" program that encourages students to think more about death, to discuss death, and sometimes even to engage in such activities as writing their own suicide notes.)
So while I learned some things from the book and appreciate that someone tackled the largely ignored subject of intolerance towards Christians, the problem with these sorts of books is that they tend to sensationalize things and leave the impression that a particular problem, though indeed a real problem, is much wider spread and much more serious than it actually is. There is also the small matter of the fact that no matter how much you complain about the unfairness of it all, if you take your religion very seriously, the world simply isn't going to like it, and it's going to want to make you as uncomfortable as you are making it.
Like most modern nonfiction, Persecution is also written without literary flourish or personality, making it often dull reading.
November 11, 2011
To effectively counter an argument, you need to understand both your own position and that of your opponent. So: politically, I'm a centrist liberal and I'm not a Christian. I firmly believe in religious freedom for all – both the freedom to practice and the freedom from establishment. Persecution was written by Rush Limbaugh's brother, so you can make some pretty accurate assumptions about David Limbaugh's stances on both religion and politics.
Persecution is actually surprisingly well-written and is thoroughly researched. BUT. True to its partisan theme, it only tells half the story – that with a very slanty slant. What I find interesting are the un-endnoted items, like his unequivocal statement that there is a causal link between abortion and breast cancer – which is pure hogwash and politics masquerading as science.
One of the things that bothers me about the book is that Limbaugh doesn't so much analyze the religious issues as summarize. He draws a lot of his information from newspapers and magazines, which is hardly an objective starting point.
One of Limbaugh's main purposes is to get readers fired up about the alleged anti-Christian attitudes, laws, policies, and actions taken by people and government institutions. I wonder how he would feel about freedom for other religious groups, particularly Muslims.
I can't recommend the book. It will either make you feel disgusted with the goals of the Religious Right or confirm your beliefs.
Persecution is actually surprisingly well-written and is thoroughly researched. BUT. True to its partisan theme, it only tells half the story – that with a very slanty slant. What I find interesting are the un-endnoted items, like his unequivocal statement that there is a causal link between abortion and breast cancer – which is pure hogwash and politics masquerading as science.
One of the things that bothers me about the book is that Limbaugh doesn't so much analyze the religious issues as summarize. He draws a lot of his information from newspapers and magazines, which is hardly an objective starting point.
One of Limbaugh's main purposes is to get readers fired up about the alleged anti-Christian attitudes, laws, policies, and actions taken by people and government institutions. I wonder how he would feel about freedom for other religious groups, particularly Muslims.
I can't recommend the book. It will either make you feel disgusted with the goals of the Religious Right or confirm your beliefs.
December 31, 2008
I do not think Christians should be treated differently than other religious people in the United States or that schools should minimize their religion. Despite, I could not really appreciate this book. In my experience, American Christians do not realize how fortunate they are. They do not seem to have an idea of what persecution really means. I apologize if it sounds harsh, but when I know those who have been abused physically and in property by the communities for their Christianity, the injustices in this book seem minor. I oppose the injustices of course, but I wish Americans had a better sense of Christian persecution worldwide, even in a country they do not think of as really oppressive, like India. They are so used to their freedoms from the Bill of Rights they think every little thing that happens to them is a very, very great injustice! When yet it happens to someone else somewhere else in the world, that is just those people being those people! I wish instead of complaining so much about people saying Happy Holidays all the time instead of Merry Chrsitmas they would do more to support their brothers and sisters throughout the world who have cause to cry out and even whose blood cries out. When they get so upset about things that do not really involve physical harm or community persecution, I am afraid people may not realize how bad things are in other countries. I do not mean to complain of this book as it had a purpose. It is good I think that Christians voice their rights in this country. That way they will never be in that position of other countries. Sometimes all the whining here bothers me because it sounds like the voice of a spoiled child but then I think the whining is because of high standards for justice. And that is very good. But if you want to know about real perscution and not the little American injustices, read about such things in India and China and Saudia Arabia.
July 17, 2012
Is Christianity under attack in our modern culture? David Limbaugh is certain of it and goes to present his case in Persecution: How Liberals Are Waging War Against Christians.
Limbaugh begins to build a case to show that liberals are attempting to make Christians second class citizens or worse simply make them vanish. At the beginning of the book Limbaugh states that he doesn't really see liberals as the attackers as much as it is society. He also states that he will show how Christianity is at the core of Americas founding in away that does not establish a national religion but promotes a value based society.
In truth Limbaugh does do just that, but not until the last two chapters of the book. The rest of the book is filled with his angry thoughts and finger pointing at how bad stuff is. Instead of present cases for why Christianity is the founding philosophy for our country Limbaugh spends most of the book focusing on whining.
The last two chapters of the book are very enlightening with regards to America’s history and Christianity’s role in that history. The problem is that these are not the focus of the book. Limbaugh’s absence is not for lack of information either. There are plenty of resources that do a better job with more depth in presenting Limbaugh’s case.
Limbaugh begins to build a case to show that liberals are attempting to make Christians second class citizens or worse simply make them vanish. At the beginning of the book Limbaugh states that he doesn't really see liberals as the attackers as much as it is society. He also states that he will show how Christianity is at the core of Americas founding in away that does not establish a national religion but promotes a value based society.
In truth Limbaugh does do just that, but not until the last two chapters of the book. The rest of the book is filled with his angry thoughts and finger pointing at how bad stuff is. Instead of present cases for why Christianity is the founding philosophy for our country Limbaugh spends most of the book focusing on whining.
The last two chapters of the book are very enlightening with regards to America’s history and Christianity’s role in that history. The problem is that these are not the focus of the book. Limbaugh’s absence is not for lack of information either. There are plenty of resources that do a better job with more depth in presenting Limbaugh’s case.
February 12, 2013
Whoa! This book is a library of the evidence of escalating Christian persecution and the medias deliberate participation and promotion.
The sheer volume of cases and myriad examples of deliberate suppression of religious expression is outrageous, un-American and certainly unconstitutional.
I listened to the audio book and believe that was the way to go for an initial exposure. It's so thorough that the book is a great resource for study and in depth research. Very professionally done.
The sheer volume of cases and myriad examples of deliberate suppression of religious expression is outrageous, un-American and certainly unconstitutional.
I listened to the audio book and believe that was the way to go for an initial exposure. It's so thorough that the book is a great resource for study and in depth research. Very professionally done.
March 22, 2009
I found the book to be very disturbing. While I have generally felt there is a liberal bias in the press (a pole of news writers following the Nixon victory found that none could believe he had won any states because they did not know anyone who voted for him--yet he won 48 states), it had not occurred to me that such would also lend itself to a bias against Christianity.
The author, clearly a Christian, is certainly not an impartial judge but I found his arguments and examples very compelling. He provides clarity to the problems Lieberman and Romney encountered with the media. Christians, seem to be fair game for bigotry in part because their beliefs seem to run contrary to "inclusiveness"--the buzz word for acceptance of everyone and everything such as the homosexual lifestyle and the woman’s right to have a pregnancy terminated via abortion if so desired. Those who oppose these and other matters on moral grounds are backward bigots according to the press-homophobes, oppressors of women, etc.
According to the author it is socially unacceptable to take a moral stand by virtue of a religious faith because such is contrary to the enlighten age of secularism. The author gives many examples, court cases, legal rulings, legislation, etc that should cause alarm to people of faith.
I encourage everyone to read the book--I did not feel like the book was intent on bashing a particular political party but rather to point out the unfair bias that he has observed against Christians. I suspect similar books could be written on a variety of social inconsistencies that would offend our sense of fairness but this seems to be of paramount concern because it suggests our society is attempting to minimize the positive influence of religiosity and replace them with amoral secularism.
The author, clearly a Christian, is certainly not an impartial judge but I found his arguments and examples very compelling. He provides clarity to the problems Lieberman and Romney encountered with the media. Christians, seem to be fair game for bigotry in part because their beliefs seem to run contrary to "inclusiveness"--the buzz word for acceptance of everyone and everything such as the homosexual lifestyle and the woman’s right to have a pregnancy terminated via abortion if so desired. Those who oppose these and other matters on moral grounds are backward bigots according to the press-homophobes, oppressors of women, etc.
According to the author it is socially unacceptable to take a moral stand by virtue of a religious faith because such is contrary to the enlighten age of secularism. The author gives many examples, court cases, legal rulings, legislation, etc that should cause alarm to people of faith.
I encourage everyone to read the book--I did not feel like the book was intent on bashing a particular political party but rather to point out the unfair bias that he has observed against Christians. I suspect similar books could be written on a variety of social inconsistencies that would offend our sense of fairness but this seems to be of paramount concern because it suggests our society is attempting to minimize the positive influence of religiosity and replace them with amoral secularism.
January 7, 2013
It was an eye-opening account of the attacks on Christianity that have taken place in the US although by now there are probably many more events that could be added. One of the outstanding points to me was how often these attacks do not happen in the large cities or even in the liberal states of the nation but in the heartland. It was depressing in parts thinking about the sad shape of things, but there were some encouraging highlights. The religious experts were asked for opinions, and they were given at the end. My reading of the book ended with me being encouraged and challenged in the new year to make the changes suggested. If we don't start by changing ourselves first through the power of the Holy Spirit, our families won't change, our churches won't change, and certainly our nation won't change. The reminiscing of President Bush's answer during the presidential debate where he declared Jesus Christ was his hero because He changed his life was encouraging. We all need that kind of fortitude to stand up even when it's not the most advantageous thing to say.
June 27, 2008
Another must read for all with children! The author is dry as can be, but the information that he gives is fascinating. Both my husband and I had to read this slowly because as we would read, we would get so mad that we had to put it down for awhile! The first part is on education-or lack of-in our public schools. I would read the stories outlined in this book and sit back astounded. No way could this crazy stuff be happening. Then, I would think back to my own experiences in public school and I had a similar experience/story as to what was being shared in this book. You will be shocked and angered at what you discover in this book. It is so incredulous that you will hardly believe what you are reading. However, in the education section, I found personal experiences to back up everything he wrote! An excellent book, inspite of being written by a dry, boring lawyer!
February 14, 2017
This book is still very relevant for being 14 years old. Written in 2003, this book documents the persecution of individual Christians, hostility towards Christian intuitions and intolerance of Christianity itself. Unfortunately, not much has changed regarding this since the book's publishing. Many other cases like the ones documented in this book have occurred. One example of how far this irrational intolerance can go is a case involving a militant atheist suing their district over something as silly as a telephone line resembling a cross. The amount of anti-Christian hostility has only increased in these last 14 years, I'm afraid. It might be a long time until this hatred begins to subside. I still think it might be another decade at the very least until something radical in this country changes this current attitude. This is a very well researched book and worth the read.
January 8, 2015
An eye-opening and aggravating book. I like the approach Limbaugh takes, but to hear the extensive litany of anti-Christian attacks is maddening. It puts the issue in perspective to hear just how far our religious freedoms have succumbed to the secularists over the past few decades.
I particularly like how Limbaugh finished the book, by providing the historical context of America's founding documents and investigating the religious faith of our so-called "deist" forefathers. Good read, but be sure to have your blood-pressure medicine handy. You'll need it.
Thanks for taking the time to read this review.
I particularly like how Limbaugh finished the book, by providing the historical context of America's founding documents and investigating the religious faith of our so-called "deist" forefathers. Good read, but be sure to have your blood-pressure medicine handy. You'll need it.
Thanks for taking the time to read this review.
September 24, 2019
Perhaps I went through it too fast, but this book was slightly underwhelming. It comes off as a rather mindless iteration of outrageous court cases where someone was persecuted for their faith in America. However, some aren't that outrageous after all, and it doesn't present any solutions or even analysis of the problem at hand. It is not a manifesto, it is a manual.
December 29, 2008
Good reading but trivializes the word persecution. Christian beliefs are under attack in the US. Christians in the US are being denied their full rights under the first amendment but persecuted is too strong of a word. Christians being treated as second class or non citizens,arrested,and/or killed for their faith (China, Sudan, Middle East)...that is persecution.
March 23, 2015
David Limbaugh thoroughly documents voluminous hypocrisy and persecution from liberal media, left-wing judges, and a politically correct public against people of faith, especially practicing Christians. It was a good read, though not quite as good as I was expecting. It is a great reference book, but less interesting to read from cover to cover.
January 31, 2008
The first comprehensive study of the war on Christianity. Of course the left will tell you it doesn't exist. While you don't need a book to spell out what your eyes, ears, and brain already show you, this book is a nice collection of the most grievous abuses on this cultural battle front.
January 13, 2008
Articulated what I've witnessed for years - an anti-Christian agenda from the left.
Read
May 27, 2008I would like to finish this soon, but I couldn't get through it. :-/
July 26, 2008
I got to meet David Limbaugh when this book came out and get his autograph. He was speaking at a World View conference that I went too.
Currently reading
April 2, 2010just getting started.
December 5, 2010
Well written and a sad reminder how this country is putting Christian beliefs on the bottom rung!
April 19, 2011
The battle wages on.
August 11, 2011
Excellent book. I love Limbaugh and have read most of his books--this is my favorite. Very disturbing look at how Christianity is being attacked and dismantled in our society.
April 4, 2016
I believe Christianity is under attack and this book shows how their is an anti-Christian bias in this country today.. It also gives some of the roots of Christianity in America as well.
October 7, 2018
Excellent Book! Great writer. Must read.
March 7, 2025
7/10
Don't want to be too harsh since it is more than 20 years old now and it's meant as a "current state of X" sort of book, but it was fine, just a bit boring and plodding along. David Limbaugh writes like Ann Coulter (searching Nexus for little-known local news articles and talking about them to weave a larger picture) but in a more boring, less entertaining manner.
It actually was insightful to see how much an atheist hicklib in flyover country was able to accomplish in the 90s and early Aughts before widespread Internet access, just by making vague appeals to "church and state separation" to very nice, but bordering on naïve, local conservatives. Lots of "you can't wear that gold cross jewelry" in 1990s Alabama public schools which is shocking, but again, the people in these areas are actually too meek and mild-mannered to put up much of an opposition; they really are too nice and accommodating for their own good.
Also funny to only realize the difference between the Pilgrims and the Puritans through this book and not middle school history 30+ years ago. His argument for why the founders were all Christian, and not Deists, is a surprisingly compelling one too.
Overall not bad, also serves as an interesting insight into the zeitgeist of early Aughts America. Especially when you see "big names" mentioned before their rise/fall: Roy Moore and Elena Kagan being two major ones.
Don't want to be too harsh since it is more than 20 years old now and it's meant as a "current state of X" sort of book, but it was fine, just a bit boring and plodding along. David Limbaugh writes like Ann Coulter (searching Nexus for little-known local news articles and talking about them to weave a larger picture) but in a more boring, less entertaining manner.
It actually was insightful to see how much an atheist hicklib in flyover country was able to accomplish in the 90s and early Aughts before widespread Internet access, just by making vague appeals to "church and state separation" to very nice, but bordering on naïve, local conservatives. Lots of "you can't wear that gold cross jewelry" in 1990s Alabama public schools which is shocking, but again, the people in these areas are actually too meek and mild-mannered to put up much of an opposition; they really are too nice and accommodating for their own good.
Also funny to only realize the difference between the Pilgrims and the Puritans through this book and not middle school history 30+ years ago. His argument for why the founders were all Christian, and not Deists, is a surprisingly compelling one too.
Overall not bad, also serves as an interesting insight into the zeitgeist of early Aughts America. Especially when you see "big names" mentioned before their rise/fall: Roy Moore and Elena Kagan being two major ones.
August 29, 2021
Limbaugh - 1; Liberals - 0
Limbaugh has produced a detailed legal brief of about a dozen chapters that provides Christian church leaders with a historical and legal foundation in their discussions/confrontations with secular society.
It's a worthy read for ministers, lay leaders, lawyers, and civic types. There is history, law, political science, and much more contained in Limbaugh 's guide to the issues of religious freedom in the 21st Century.
Limbaugh has produced a detailed legal brief of about a dozen chapters that provides Christian church leaders with a historical and legal foundation in their discussions/confrontations with secular society.
It's a worthy read for ministers, lay leaders, lawyers, and civic types. There is history, law, political science, and much more contained in Limbaugh 's guide to the issues of religious freedom in the 21st Century.
June 15, 2023
As always, David Limbaugh has written an excellent commentary of where we are as a society and how we got here. It is only when we return to the Christian principles that this country was founded on that we can turn this downward spiral around.
December 26, 2019
This book tells truths that people don't want to hear. My recommendation would be to read this yourself (without checking reviews) and make your own decision.
February 8, 2026
I found this book very informative. It took me a little longer to read, but, it allowed me to really think about what I was reading.
August 16, 2007
amazingly disturbing to see everything laid out like that
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews