BOOK REVIEW: Crazy for God......by Frank Schaeffer

Crazy for God: How I grew up as one of the elect, helped found the Religious Right, and lived to take all (or almost all) of it back

I first became aware of Frank Schaeffer a couple of months ago when Dr. Tiller was murdered.  He appeared on MSNBC with Rachael Maddow.

When I first heard that he was one of the founders of the so called, "Christian Coalition" I immediately dismissed the man.  Before he finished speaking I wanted to know more about the man and his book.

Schaeffer talks openly about growing up in an ultra religious home.  His parents were internationally known best selling evangelical writers and speakers.  His sisters were also involved in it. Interestingly, he was born overseas and spent his formative years overseas too.

There's a lot to cover in his book.  It follows his life from birth to the present.  It also covers a dysfunctional family that in my view was compounded by religion.

He also talks about being internationally well known celebrities, politicians, the well to do, and various religious "leaders: like Pat Robertson and the late Jerry Falwell.

Then he talks openly about leaving that group and how they turned on him.

He also talks about the abortion issue and how it has turned into a cultural war with the left and the right.  Thing is, being for "Freedom of Choice" I feel that I don't agree with some of his views.

The reason for this is that when I was active in the Republican Party, I watched as the so called "Christian Right" and "Coalition" came and took over the party.  I equate it to a virus infecting a body, slowly destroying.

One thing I saw with the "Christian" groups is that you give them an inch, they interpret it as a total triumph and victory.  That they have in fact won. Their logic runs that they were "right" and you were "wrong" because you changed because "God" made it happen.  Therefore by you giving an "inch" you admit you were wrong and must submit to their ways.  Remember, "God" is on your side.  And, "God" is never ever wrong.

So to me, any surrendering of any part or all of any thing the "Christian Right" and or "Coalition" is against only empowers these people to further erosion of one's liberties and rights.

The man has some good points on abortion, but, and this is a big but, the far right does not see it that way.

I strongly suggest this book as a must read.  However, let me warn you, it's not a book you can just sit and read through.  Due to what it covers and what Schaeffer writes about you have to go slowly.  You have to read it in sections.

It's en lighting, but will also get your back up.  It's also sad.  You get to read about how the families relations with such figures are Robertson, and Falwell not only bothered them, but will bother you.

You can see how an individual who had had enough and writes about his first hand experiences from an insiders perspective forsake easy money and power when ethically motivated faces the wrath from he and his families former fans.