Grab Your Edition The Immoral Majority: Why Evangelicals Chose Political Power Over Christian Values Conceived By Ben Howe Disseminated As Volume

is an important book but for those who not used to reading one sprinkled liberally with biblical quotes it could be an off putting one.
Ben Howe is an evangelical amp this book is about why the vast majority of them in the USA have got into bed, politically, with Donald Trump.
They know he is a bad person but for them it is a case of needs must.
The author states clearly that they have prostituted themselves for the worst reasons, It is a indictment of much of today's evangelical America, I found it fascinating. I can hope that this book is widely read amp thought about so that our evangelical friends can get back onto the right track.
This was a fascinating read for me because it was like watching a movie that I was an extra in.
The Author and I were in the same circles and we've interacted several times in the lastyears.
I was a statelevel political blogger, I spoke on panels at political events and trained activists.
I traveled to CPAC multiple times as a credentialed blogger and interacted with many of the people in this book.
As Howe weaves his narrative of his new realizations about the nature of religion in politics I was following a similar journey and we both ended up with similar conclusions.


So the book was engaging and nostalgic for me, If you didn't have the context his arguments and statements may come across as disjointed and would be difficult to follow.
It is a book that needed to be written and Howe was a good one to write it.


Ultimately this book is about the deep struggle of conscience that one should have when engaging with politics, which it seems that many voters don't undertake.
It is a messy business with no clearly defined answers, but, as William F, Buckley said, "Decent people should ignore politics, if only they could be confident that politics would ignore them.
" Wow! Finally someone who is saying what I've been thinking for a long time, However Ben is saying it far better than I ever would or could have, Ever since Obama became president I'd chosen to stop listening to conservative radio and television, This was because I noticed what seemed to me a different level of vitriol on the attacks against him that I didn't want to take personally, being a black conservative.
While I didn't agree with Obama's policies, I was extremely proud that he was my president and I was extremely proud of my country for overcoming a legacy of prejudice in electing him.
I was proud of the evangelicals who rejoiced that our nation had overcome this legacy to vote for him as president and even prayed for him.
However this all changed inwhen Trump won the Republican nomination for president, I wasn't surprised that many evangelicals voted for him because I assumed that they were voting for the lesser of two evils.
But I was not prepared for the amount of love and support they lavish on him! Reading THE IMMORAL MAJORITY has shed a lot of light on what has been going on behind the scenes that explains the love for our current President.
It is shocking and sad! There are Christians whom I have respected who have now changed longheld beliefs to confirm Trump's behavior and words for political advantage to the detriment of more eternal advantages.
This all very sad to me and is documented throughout THE IMMORAL MAJORITY, I wish that everyone could read it with an open mind but sadly I think that it's more likely that people will retreat to their respective political camps.
However if you are open and want to really examine your own political agenda especially as a Christian please give this a read.
It won't disappoint. Disgustingly biased

I confess to reading only a few chapters before giving up.
As a liberal, as a lifelong Democrat, as a feminist, and as an atheist, I obviously was not the audience Ben Howe had in mind.
Trying to give him a chance to make his case, I tried twice to get beyond his holierthanthou Biblethumping conservativesaregood, liberalsarebad rhetoric.
Ugh. Bush was a misunderstood saint, Saddam Hussein had WMDs. Yeah. Right. Sorry, Howe. You are everything that's wrong with this country right now, This book is written primarily to a Christian audience to encourage them to trust God rather than the promises of men.
This book isn't about voting for any particular candidate or party, but asks the question Will we compromise our Christian integrity in the voting booth

Howe makes a case that when we place our hope in men, we lose our witness to the world and compromise our faith.
He has quotes from liberal pundits defending Clinton re: his assault of Monica Lewinsky and contrasts them to conservatives' defense including some pastors! over Trump's radio interview where he boasts about the women he has assaulted.
They were almost identical in their excuses, and those excuses were for all the world to see.


He also works through ethical issues such as voting for the lesser of two evils.
But is that even consistent with the scriptures There are no easy answers, and the author doesn't give an easy out but encourages the reader to wrestle through them on his own before God and conscience.


This is a timely book with November coming up, Howe makes it clear that Christ reigns and God's plans are never thwarted, For those who profess to follow him, do we believe it Since Evangelicals were a key group to elect Donald Trump and have steadily remained among his supporters, it seemed like this would be a good pick up.
I was curious to learn more about it, beyond what I had read in news, What on earth drew these people to someone like Trump, who hadmarriages,children and is known to be unfaithful and worse!.
As someone who is not at all religious, I was just, . . confused.

Howe is talking to other Christians, So comments from people saying that it has that feel of observing a conversation as an outsider were on the mark for me.
A book filled with religious talk, scripture, etc, was tough for me to read, just unrelatable, It makes my eyes glaze over, sorry,

Overall I did agree with his arguments: that they had sacrificed what will be an eventual longterm loss for a more earthly, short term one.
Not everyone will agree and it does, at times, seem like this is not so, But given what I've seen this just seems unsustainable, even if it ends with half the planet blown away in a nuclear explosion.


Perhaps not necessarily the lesson the author intended but I can understand the basic themes of his arguments, even if I don't care for his methods.
Also wasn't a fan of him claiming Merry Christmas could be said freely and openly again because really only a small group of people care that much.


Library borrow for me, This book was difficult to read because I could relate to so much of it, and reading it stressed me out.
I had to put the book down for a minute when school started, and I just didn't have the energy or motivation to finish it.
I barely skimmed through the sermonlike final chapter, Perhaps I shouldn't even count this as one for my reading challenge, but I'm going to anyway.


Howe manages to convey my thoughts on the debacle that wasand the mess that followed almost exactly.
As a conservative Christian, he offers an honest and unflinching critique of the state of the church and the evangelical movement.
Those who are neither conservative nor religious probably won't enjoy this book as it's written from the perspective of both of those groups.
I can't bring myself to give this overstars, because I didn't enjoy reading it at all, and the subject matter is so headacheinducing.
For several years, Ive become more and more restless with evangelicals and their increasing willingness to overlook various moral issues so that their political agenda could be advanced.
I was never able to clearly articulate why I was feeling that way, Im now over halfway through this book and am already thankful that Ben took the time and effort to write it.
He has put into words many of my concerns and laid out how they have come to be.
Using biblical truths, historical events, numerous sources on both sides of the aisle, and personal stories, Ben has done a great job of clearly articulating what I, and so many others, have been feeling.
He lays out the path that has led so many who once called for compassionate conservatism to the current win at any cost climate that is a far cry from the teaching of Jesus.
This is not an antiTrump book, or a declarations that Christians shouldnt be a part of the GOP, or a bashing of Christians in the GOP.
It is a call to evangelicals to stop and reconsider their current course of action and its longterm effects, regardless of the candidate.


I appreciate the fact that it is written from an insiders perspective he grew up in a Christian household, continues in his faith, and has several years working in the republican
Party, not an outsider simply throwing stones, attempting to discredit a religion or political party.
In my opinion, makes this book more of an honest look into the issues that are addressed.


For those of you who consider yourself an evangelical republican: I encourage you to buy this book and read it with an open mind.
A conservative evangelical himself, Ben does a great job of asking questions that need to be considered and speaking truth into places that many have been unwilling to go.


For those of you who,

like me, have long struggled with how the religious rights values/methods dont seem to line up with the teachings of Jesus, and are interested in healthy, civil dialogue: I believe this book does a great job of giving specific examples and scenarios that allow for more educated questions and answers.


For those who arent of the Christian faith and feel like public figures such as Jerry Falwell Jr.
and Robert Jeffress represent the stereotypical Christian and, therefore, an accurate representation of who Christ calls us to be, please read this book.
Ben lays out a good basic foundation of some of the key characteristics of who Jesus calls us to be: humble, compassionate, loving, etc.


Is this book the final answer to the issues that evangelicals must wrestle through Of course not.
But I do believe it is a great step towards more civil dialogue something that is greatly lacking in todays political climate.
.