Live Not by Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents

by Rod Dreher

When a family’s members accept a culture of “sexual extravagance, promiscuity, relationships easily entered into and broken off, [and] disrespect for life” (that is, abortion), then they cannot expect the family t...

We have to keep our ideals grounded in realism and in an awareness of our limits. Families must allow for “neither patriarchal tyranny nor crazy feminist excesses,” and also reject “the worshiping of children” and catering to their every desire.

the Christian father must above all be a servant of Christ.

the family house must be a real home, “that is, a place which is livable and set apart, sheltered from the outer world; a place which is a starting-out point for adventures and experiences with the assurance of a safe return”—in other words, a haven in a heartless world.

The loving, secure Christian home is a place that forms children who are capable of loving and serving others within the family, the church, the neighborhood, and indeed the nation.

The family does not exist for itself alone, but first for God, and then for the sake of the broader c...

When that nation and its people are held captive by a totalitarian order, then Christians and their families must push as hard against the total...

there is a difference between a dictatorship and totalitarianism,” says Marek. “Dictatorship can make life hard for you, but they don’t want to devour your soul. Totalitarian regimes are seeking your souls.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO BE WEIRD IN SOCIETY’S EYES

PREPARE TO MAKE GREAT SACRIFICES FOR THE GREATER GOOD

TEACH THEY ARE PART OF A WIDER MOVEMENT

Charter 77,

Charter 77 was a 1977 document signed by over two hundred artists, intellectuals, and others, demanding that the comm...

The lesson of valuing diversity within a broader unity of shared goals is something that Christians today need to embrace.

“When we look at what’s happening in America today, we see that you are building walls and creating gaps between people,” he says. “For us, we are always willing to speak, to talk with the other side to avoid building walls between people. You know, it is much easier to indoctrinate someone who is enclosed within a set of walls.”

it was important for ordinary people to come together and to be reminded of one another’s existence. In a time when people have forgotten how to be neighbors, simply sharing a meal or a movie together is a political act. This, I say, is a way to fight back against the loneliness and isolation that allows totalitarianism to rule.