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The Court And The Cross
An investigation into the Religious Right, judicial nominees, and future decisions on evolution, prayer in schools, abortion, and more
Blending the effective use of grassroots campaigns, aggressive lobbying, and a well-tended career path for conservative law students and attorneys, the Religious Right has already succeeded in influencing major court decisions on a range of critical social issues. The courts have chipped away at laws banning prayer in school; bolstered restrictions on women's access to abortion and birth control; and given legal approval to President Bush's use of federal funds for religious organizations. In the near future, the courts will surely decide on a host of hot-button issues, from stem cell research and gay rights to religious expression on government property and euthanasia.
In The Court and the Cross, legal journalist Frederick Lane uses a mix of legal history and political analysis to expose, in layman's terms, the Religious Right's high court offensive. He clearly explains the Supreme Court's nomination process and shows how the Religious Right's leadership, including Pat Robertson and the late Jerry Falwell, created the vision that led to the movement's massive growth and its powerful influence on the nation's judiciary.
This timely book details the Right's unrelenting efforts to destroy the wall separating church and state and, ultimately, to do nothing less than declare the United States a Christian nation.
"The Court and the Cross is a commendable and sobering account of the scope and significance of the Christian Right's incessant efforts to make a mockery of core constitutional principle. Not only does it elegantly review key Supreme Court cases about religion, but points to the extensive range of social issues the Right is working to get up for examination before our highest court, an increasingly conservative body. If you are not sure that the decisions of the Supreme Court "matter much" to you in your daily life, read The Court and the Cross and I guarantee you'll be rethinking that position. The Court's erosion of your individual religious freedom and the dictates of your conscience has already begun."
—Rev. Barry Lynn, author of Piety & Politics and Executive Director of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State
Blending the effective use of grassroots campaigns, aggressive lobbying, and a well-tended career path for conservative law students and attorneys, the Religious Right has already succeeded in influencing major court decisions on a range of critical social issues. The courts have chipped away at laws banning prayer in school; bolstered restrictions on women's access to abortion and birth control; and given legal approval to President Bush's use of federal funds for religious organizations. In the near future, the courts will surely decide on a host of hot-button issues, from stem cell research and gay rights to religious expression on government property and euthanasia.
In The Court and the Cross, legal journalist Frederick Lane uses a mix of legal history and political analysis to expose, in layman's terms, the Religious Right's high court offensive. He clearly explains the Supreme Court's nomination process and shows how the Religious Right's leadership, including Pat Robertson and the late Jerry Falwell, created the vision that led to the movement's massive growth and its powerful influence on the nation's judiciary.
This timely book details the Right's unrelenting efforts to destroy the wall separating church and state and, ultimately, to do nothing less than declare the United States a Christian nation.
"The Court and the Cross is a commendable and sobering account of the scope and significance of the Christian Right's incessant efforts to make a mockery of core constitutional principle. Not only does it elegantly review key Supreme Court cases about religion, but points to the extensive range of social issues the Right is working to get up for examination before our highest court, an increasingly conservative body. If you are not sure that the decisions of the Supreme Court "matter much" to you in your daily life, read The Court and the Cross and I guarantee you'll be rethinking that position. The Court's erosion of your individual religious freedom and the dictates of your conscience has already begun."
—Rev. Barry Lynn, author of Piety & Politics and Executive Director of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State
436 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2008
About the author
Frederick S. Lane
17 books11 followersFrederick S. Lane is an author, attorney, expert witness, and lecturer who has appeared on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, the BBC, and MSNBC. After graduating from Amherst College and Boston College Law School, Lane clerked for two years for the Honorable Frank H. Freedman, Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts. After practicing law for five years and writing his first book, Vermont Jury Instructions -- Civil and Criminal (with John Dinse and Ritchie Berger), Lane launched a computer consulting business that in time led to his current work as a computer forensics expert and author.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 25, 2014
A great book on bringing the subject of "Christ" into the courts. I enjoyed the specifics brought out that I heard of but didn't know the specifics. This is a great book for all those who enjoy politics.
July 13, 2008
I didn't actualy read this book but I went to a reading by the author and he summed everything up nicely. Nice going sucker, now I can save that 25 bucks!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews