How the Republicans Stole Christmas: The Republican Party's Declared Monopoly on Religion and what Democrats Can Do to Take it Back

Bill Press

Doubleday, 2005 - History - 276 pages

In the wake of an election seen by many as a triumphant victory for “moral values,” political commentator and one-time seminarian Bill Press launches a counteroffensive against the so-called religious right. For decades, Press argues, conservative preachers such as Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and James Dobson—joined by most Catholic bishops—have defined religion so narrowly that Democrats and liberals have been pushed outside the fold. According to their narrow gospel, God put George Bush in the White House to deal with gays, guns, and abortion—and those who don’t agree are on the sure road to hell. Bill Press says it’s time to take religion back: “Who gave this gang the inside track on religion, anyway? The way I read the Gospels, Jesus was as liberal as Paul Wellstone. He sure as hell wouldn’t have been a registered Republican. One other thing’s for sure: if Jesus ever came back to earth, there’s one gang he wouldn’t hang out with; and that’s this phony bunch of pious, puffed-up preachers who wear religion on their sleeves.” How the Republicans Stole Christmasis also Press’s fervent call to Democrats and liberals to reclaim religion and return it to its basic principles of social justice, charity, and tolerance. Press argues that the Right didn’t just steal religion, the Left let them have it, offering no resistance as conservatives dictated what’s right and what’s wrong. But on today’s social issues, according to Press, religious conservatives have gotten it all wrong. They have turned Jesus from a loving Messiah who championed the poor and dispossessed into a cold-blooded advocate for the rich and powerful. Press does not confine his criticisms to so-called Christian leaders; he uncovers the same wrong-headed tendencies in other faiths and among nonbelievers, who even today cling to the Old Testament as an appropriate code of behavior.

Contents

• SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE: 35
• KILLING IN THE NAME OF JESUS: 73
• ABORTION AND STEM CELL RESEARCH: 122
• CHAPTER 5: 153
• GOD IN THE CLASSROOM: 180
• CASHING IN ON GODS LOVE: 205
• CONCLUSION RECLAIMING THE MORAL HIGH GROUND: 228
• CODA: 264
• Bibliography: 271

About the author

Bill Press hosts "The Spin Room" with Tucker Carlson on CNN. He's also the co-host of "Crossfire", CNN's dynamic political debate program. His twice-weekly column is distributed by the "Los Angels Times Syndicate" to newspapers across the country. Before joining CNN, Press enjoyed a high-profile career in government, politics, and broadcasting that spanned more than two decades. He was chairman of the California Democratic Party, chief of staff to California State Senator Peter Behr, and director of the California Office of Planning and Research under Governor Jerry Brown. Press is an award-winning radio show host and television commentator. He has received numerous awards including four Emmys and a Gold Mic award. He was named Best Commentator of the year by the Associated Press in 1992. His latest book is entitled, Toxic Talk.

Bibliographic information

• Title: How the Republicans Stole Christmas: The Republican Party's Declared Monopoly on Religion and what Democrats Can Do to Take it Back
• Author: Bill Press
• Publisher: Doubleday, 2005
• Original from: the University of Michigan
• Digitized: Jul 7, 2009
• ISBN: 0385516053, 9780385516051
• Length: 276 pages
• Subjects: History / United States / 20th Century; Political Science / American Government / General; Political Science / Political Ideologies / Conservatism & Liberalism; Political Science / Political Process / Political Parties; Religion / Christian Church / History; Religion / Christianity / Protestant; Religion / Religion, Politics & State