Archive for the 'Book Review' Category

Date: November 26th, 2007, Filed under Book Review

Zion, IL
By A.B. Dada
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My third friend told me last month to read this book. He’s an assistant pastor at a congregation I serve, and he was the third friend to advocate what a great book it is. The full title of the book is The Marketing of Evil: How Radicals, Elitists, and Pseudo-Experts Sell Us Corruption Disguised As Freedom, and it is one of the absolute worst books I’ve read in years.

This book is more proof of the downfall of the Evangelical Legalism movement that has usurped Christianity for 40+ years. It is yet another nail in the coffin of congregations that try to bring the Reign of God into the world through government laws, and stricter societal penalties for what some consider “sin.”

The book covers many thoughts that I consider anti-faith, such as gay marriage, body modification (tattoos and piercings), abortion, sexual equality, promiscuity, and other areas of secular life that Christians as a whole tend to rally against. I’m not one of those Christians. I am also adamant about vocally opposing what the Legalist-Evangelist is opposing vocally in society.

Christ, the Christian’s Savior, was fairly obvious in his disdain for sinful life. He was also obvious in his solution: don’t do it, and live as a beacon for others. Christ was given the opportunity to control the government of the world, and He refused. He was given the opportunity to use force, and He used love instead. He was given the opportunity to kill those who came to arrest Him, and instead He gave in peacefully, even when His followers were ready to use force to defend their Savior.

Legalist-Evangelists are not Christ-like in anyway. In every action that Christ resisted, they act through. In every position that Christ took against, they support. The use of force is not Christian. Christians have no choice to demand that the world act Christian, and their very proposals to create a Christian Kingdom are the exact reasons why it will not happen in our generation.

When Legalist-Evangelists ask me what is my solution to society’s ills, I break it down in a simple to follow way. I have a quick sound-bite answer to every “sin,” one that works as it is a direct display of what Christ would have done.

Prostitution — I am a big fan of decriminalizing prostitution. In my town, there are dozens of prostitutes who openly advertise on the Internet or the Yellow Pages phone book. The law isn’t protecting against the act; it just dilutes governments only purpose: to protect property rights of individuals against other individuals. Property-rights are one area I can accept government in defending. Property protection is not moralistic nor legalistic. One’s body is also one’s property, and it is up to them to decide how to use it. Many Pastors and Christians decry my support for legal prostitution because they think it will mean more people will use a prostitute for their services. I see another opportunity. As the law doesn’t take action against the service, Christians will be able to take action in promoting a Christian view on sex. If a friend of mine uses a prostitute (and I know a few who do), my answer to them is: “I am married, and I have a great sex life with my wife. I don’t have to worry about venereal diseases, expensive pregnancies out of marriage, blackmail, or depression and guilt.” It’s a solid answer, and it works better than saying “Sinner, you’re going to Hell for meeting your sexual needs for money.” Most of the single people that some of my single friends (and even married friends) are dating are whores anyway. The exchange of money is indirect, but it is still an exchange of one product (dinner, movies, clothes, travel) for another (sex). It isn’t just male friends who buy female companionship, either.

Abortion — I have no opinion on abortion rights or abortion of murder. It isn’t my place to judge another’s actions except those directly in my flock who I have a mutual accountability pact with. My solution for abortion is quite simple: I am ready and willing to adopt the child of anyone in my life who can not handle child-rearing. If I hear a Christian decry abortion, I ask them immediately: Are you ready to bear the cross of another by adopting their child? If not, you are in no position to decry abortion. If your solution is adoption, then you should be ready to adopt, immediately. I am ready. My home is ready. Yet the law already works against me in accepting a child for adoption — the ritual and routine for adoption is complicated and near impossible to navigate. Rather than look to criminal abortion, about how decriminalizing adoption?

Gambling — I like the craps table from time to time. We don’t gamble for winning, we gamble to have fun with friends and
family. The casino can be a terrible place for some people who are obviously addicted, but I know far more people who are addicted to shopping and having more stuff than I will ever know who are addicted to wagering in hopes of winning. Gambling to me is a huge hypocrisy. Most stock market investments are no different than gambling. The housing market in recent years has been a form of gambling. Any time a Christian tells me that “This item that I have has gone up in value!” I remind them of the risk involved in their investment. It is gambling. If there is a risk to reward ratio, it is gambling. There is no difference between putting a $5 bet on the Blackjack table and investing in your 401K. I think the Blackjack bet is safer, since you know the odds, and can walk away easily. Rather than talk about criminalizing more gambling activities, I offer the following advice: start saving more money. As people see the comfort of a life with strong savings (which adds to your ability to help others at a moment’s notice), others may realize that gambling isn’t the problem: the lack of savings is a huge problem.

Alcohol/Drugs — I can’t understand a Christian’s problem with drugs or alcohol. Some of the most addicting, and expensive, medication is that which is prescribed legally. My wife had her first root canal last week and was prescribed Vicodin. 4 tables a day for 6 days. This is massive overdosing, in my opinion. We’ve had mutual friends over the past decade who became addicted to Vicodin after their second prescription. Those same friends lost jobs, homes, and relationships over their “legal” addiction. I look at alcohol, marijuana, and even cocaine with the same eye of concern: some people will become addicted to these drugs, but the same drugs can meet reasonable, market demands for their use. Only a doctor and patient can decide what is healthy and what isn’t. All drugs, when prescribed and monitored, have value. All drugs, including legal ones, have a negative value if they’re misprescribe and not monitored by a doctor, and family.

I have no problem with alcohol. We like a glass of red wine with some dinners. There’s nothing better than a bloody mary with breakfast when on vacation. I don’t drink daily. I realized the other day that I hadn’t had a cocktail in 6 weeks, and it wasn’t on purpose. But for those who have addicted personalities, they should be raised through parenting that alcohol, and all drugs, can and will have a negative effect on their lives. Who should “govern” those with addictive personalities? Mutual accountability pacts within a congregation is a good start. The government can not help you, and all they can do is fine and incarcerate you if they believe you’re abusing yourself.

Premarital Sex — I have no opinion on sex before marriage. I truly believe that virginity before marriage is only useful for Christians. Non-Christians are legally harmed if they marry, as the law is written to support one party over another should the marriage fail (and chances are, it will). I do believe that sex before marriage CAN be harmful for the non-Christian, but I also see no problem with it if someone has a need (companionship, not just sex) but is unwilling to bend to the law’s obvious prejudice against one party in a relationship. Christians have NO power to judge or rule the non-Christian. As such, they should not be party to laws written to help, or harm, non-Christians. They are to have their own laws, within their own congregations alone. There is no need to bring government in to guide your flock.

Homosexuality/Gay Marriage — I do not recognize marriages that are not produced within my own flock of Christians. There is no reason to. My businesses don’t give married couples additional benefits. I have no need to inquire into the marital or sexual status of any other individual. The State does require me to hire people based on their ability, and I can not be prejudiced based on their lifestyle, but this is the same State that the mainstream Legalist-Evangelist supports as the key to supporting the Reign of God. I want nothing to do with accepting the contracts of other individuals. Marriage within the Body should be done only within the Body. There should be no requirement to get a license to marry — just your Pastor, your flock, and the couple marrying. That’s good enough. Marriage outside of the Body has no effect on the Body, nor the purpose of a Godly marriage. It is just a word, a word with two different meanings. Let gays marry, let groups marry; as long as it is done outside of your flock and its mutual accountability pact, it doesn’t concern you. Again, the law can not create a Christian Utopia: you can do that already within your congregation.

All of these “sinful” desires and actions that are written about in Marketing of Evil are non-issues for Christians, unless you’re one of those Legalist-Evangelists, which would mean your faith life is a failure. Instead of living as a Christ-like beacon, you lived as a forceful Pharisee. You failed. Continuing to use force and government to produce a Christian world will mean the rest of your life will be a failure, too. There is absolutely no demand by your Savior to provide for His Commandments through a legal atmosphere. Christ was voluntary, Christ’s demands should be voluntarily met. Any use of force is to betray His very life, and His very requests.

David Kupelian is a Legalist-Evangelist. His book, and his harsh words, have no connection to what Christ professed, or what Christ wanted for His followers. It is more worthless garbage from the mouth of an individual who has failed in his task, and is asking others to live a life of spiritual failure. The only reason I’d recommend buying this book is to pad my income with the referral income I’ll get if you click the book above and purchase it. In that case, buy 2 copies. In terms of value, don’t bother.

Comments: 1

Date: April 26th, 2006, Filed under Book Review

I give many books to others as gifts or sometimes just to help inform them on my viewpoints. The book I’ve given out the most (and one that has caused the greatest deal of struggle for the reader) is Thomas DiLorenzo’s The Real Lincoln. I was born and I live in the Land of Lincoln: the state of Illinois. Lincoln was born here and started his political career here. We even have him on our car license plate! Read this entire article at the book review site.

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Date: April 22nd, 2006, Filed under Book Review

An Island Called Liberty is a cross between Dr. Seuss and Atlas Shrugged says the publisher. I picked up this 27 page hard cover book last year during my search for decent children’s books to have in my library. Whenever we host a small dinner party, children are always invited, and having new and unique stories about liberty used to be very difficult to find, especially for kids. Read this entire book review at the Unanimocracy Book Review page.

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