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Displaying items 1-5 of 20
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  1. MaryRuth
    Midwest
    Age: 18-24
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Straightforward, bold, and powerful.
    June 8, 2011
    MaryRuth
    Midwest
    Age: 18-24
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    I have to be honest: when I agreed to review this book I approached it with a good amount of skepticism. I've read a lot of books from authors who seem to think that America is 'God's chosen people'–a viewpoint I don't agree with–so any book about Christian patriotism-type issues makes me edgy.

    My skepticism quickly vanished, though, when I started reading. In writing Be the People, Carol Swain has created a straightforward, bold, and powerful presentation on the state of the American culture and nation. Well thought-out, deeply grounded in the author's Christian faith, and exhaustively researched, Be the People presents a vivid and, I truly believe, accurate picture of our country today. And the picture is not encouraging.

    Carol Swain shares my belief that, while America as a nation is not 'God's chosen people' (that status belongs to Israel), our country was founded on a covenant: that we would build a nation on Christian morals, values, and principals. The definitive nature of a covenant involves consequences following the failure of one party to uphold their end of the agreement. And America has certainly fallen far away from the foundation they established and agreed to follow.

    Carol Swain's revealing discussion of the moral and political perversion plaguing America today is certainly thought-provoking. Even frightening.

    Could we as a nation have incurred God's judgment upon ourselves? As Christians who still hold fast to the principals laid out for us in the Bible, and who still consider the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and the Bill of Rights to be the highest authority in the land, what can we do to turn the tide of the tail-spinning American culture? Is it too late to turn the ship around? Read Be the People to hear Carol Swain's intelligent discussion of a difficult, highly controversial topic.

    Due to some of the subject matter and the author's frank, unflinching manner of dealing with it, I don't recommend the book to anyone under eighteen. However, I believe that much could be gained by parents reading the book themselves, then discussing or reading select chapters with their younger teens. The book also includes several appendices containing unabridged copies of the Ten Commandments, The Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the United States Constitution, all of which I believe every American should have a solid familiarity and comprehension of.

    I cannot stress it enough: every Christian American must read this book. I just finished reading it this morning and already have three people waiting to borrow it from me. Please, Americans, if you care about your nation and the tragic direction it is taking, read this book. Share it with friends. Discuss it with your church. Teach it to your children. America needs this book. I pray a special blessing for Carol M. Swain for caring enough and for having the courage to write it.

    I received this book free as part of Thomas Nelson's BookSneeze program in exchange for my review. A favorable review is not required. Thomas Nelson is committed to gathering accurate and honest opinions from their readers regarding the titles they publish.
  2. Debbie
    Denton, TX
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    November 4, 2011
    Debbie
    Denton, TX
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    I recently had the pleasure of reading Be the People by Carol M. Swain, PhD. In her daring treatise on American culture, she takes a candid look at the problems our country faces but does not like to speak honestly about. In today's America, issues like abortion, divorce, the definition of marriage and family, immigration, racial tension, and religion in the government are seen as sensitive topics. The author faces each of these concerns head-on and examines every angle. She speaks from much personal experience, having seen first-hand both sides of most of these issues. After presenting each topic along with solid data, Biblical backing, and absolutely no sugar coating she proceeds to point out why each has become a problem. She spends the last chapter presenting the solution. It is all in the hands of American citizens.

    Oh wait... That's right. We are a Republic after all.

    I began reading this book like any right-winged Republican protestant from Texas. The author was preaching to the Choir! However, Ms. Swain does not speak as one who takes sides. She speaks with authority on each downfall of our culture. Instead of blaming those darn politicians and the establishment, she points to the general decline in culture that has lead to new laws, policies, and the government's current treatment of abortion, race, marriage, and immigration. She puts it back on the people. By the time I reached the end of the book it was simple, obvious. All these problems I see in society are in some part my own fault.

    Wow.

    This book really made me think. I had to examine my own beliefs, experiences, and biases put in Biblical, truthful perspective. She lifted the blinders and made me see that sitting my own complaining about the wrong things I see while allowing them to happen is why our nation is where it is today. Too much talk but not enough action.

    If you want a clue as to how you can act to better your country, this book is for you.

    I received this book for free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions and thoughts I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255
  3. Mommybugg
    SE Wisconsin
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Be The People
    June 9, 2011
    Mommybugg
    SE Wisconsin
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    "Does the God of the broken American covenant still judge nations?"

    Those of us who call ourselves Christians and presume to ask for God's blessing must never forget that His ability to bless a nation is integrally tied to His ability also to curse that same nation.

    In Be The People, Swain discusses current politically charged topics such as religious freedoms and our country's founding principles, feminism, abortion, defining family and marriage, immigration, and race issues. Swain, an obviously conservative Christian herself, unapologetically tackles these topics from a boldly Biblical viewpoint. Though solutions are proposed relating to the current problems being discussed, a large portion of the book is composed of the bemoaning of the wrongs within our country's political system. For this reader, the over-lamenting became somewhat repelling.

    In addition to the excellent references at the back of the book each chapter contains "action points" challenging the reader to be more involved and better informed with the growth and development of this country. For those who participate in book clubs or discussion groups her website contains excellent questions related to each chapter.
  4. Emily Akin
    TN
    Age: Over 65
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    The Formula for Restoring America
    August 4, 2011
    Emily Akin
    TN
    Age: Over 65
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    Full title: Be the People: A Call to Reclaim America's Faith and Promise.

    Thomas Jefferson once said, "Every generation needs a new revolution." The current generation is faced with a country that is drifting further and further away from the Christian principles on which it was founded. Be the People shows us the way back.

    Be the People sounds the alarm about America's decline. Author Carol M. Swain is a professor of political science and law at Vanderbilt University. You might have seen her representing the conservative point of view on cable news interviews or panels. She's a Christian and a patriot who is concerned about the direction our country is taking--away from the Christian values that shaped our government and our culture.

    Swain covers current topics like the breakdown of the family, immigration, the rule of law, racism, and racial politics. She maintains that we are losing our very identity as a nation by abandoning truth and justice as the founding fathers envisioned it. She gives historical background to show how we've arrived where we are today. She explains why our current situation is not consistent with Christian principles and with the founders' intentions.

    But, she doesn't leave us in despair. She gives us hope by informing us that it is not too late. We can save our country and our culture if we go back to our founding documents and re-discover our true identity as a nation. At the end of each chapter, she suggests Action Points, things we can do to help. Also, on her website, she provides discussion questions for each chapter. The book's appendix includes The Ten Commandments, The Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution. Swain recommends that we get familiar with them again so that we can put them into practice.

    Have you ever read a book that was so thought-provoking and so true to your own thinking that you find yourself wishing you had written it? That's the way I felt as I read this book. I think every American citizen should read Be the People and take it to heart. Whether you call yourself liberal or conservative, you need to be aware of the information in this book.

    Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
  5. avid reader
    Ephrata, PA
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    This book is a wake up call!
    July 11, 2011
    avid reader
    Ephrata, PA
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 4
    Meets Expectations: 5
    Can I vote for Carol Swain for President? Read Be the People: A Call to Reclaim America's Faith & Promise and you may be thinking the same thing. Carol Swain is a well-educated, wise woman. She clearly defines the issues facing our country and offers solid reasoning for why our country has come to this point and good ideas on how to fix it.

    The following is directly from page 166:

    In recent years our nation has been shocked and embarrassed by the

    actions of US troops who have committed atrocities and tortured,

    murdered, and raped other human beings. The Old Testament makes

    clear the brutalities and horrors that are part of war. We might ask

    how soldiers from our predominantly Christian nation could commit

    the horrific acts that occurred at Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad and

    Guantanamo Bay. The answer, I believe, lies in the ungodly model

    of leadership that has been patterned in our nation--for instance, the

    burning of Christian Bibles at the order of military officials, the

    acceptance and accommodation of Wiccans in our military ranks,

    and the passing of resolutions that ban American soldiers from

    witnessing to others about their Christian faith. Under current

    military rules, American soldiers home on leave or stationed within

    the United States are prohibited from sharing their Christian

    testimony while wearing their military uniform. Clearly, we have

    strayed from the religious foundations of our nation and our

    belief in the providence of a God who watches over us. So-called

    secular progress in recent years is actually our nation's decline

    from grace, common sense, and wisdom.

    In this book, Carol Swain addresses issues such as abortion, racism, homosexuality and immigration and offers reasons why these issues are all part of the problem of our country's decline. I highly recommend this book to anyone who truly cares about our country and the shape that it is in and the direction in which it is headed. This book is eye-opening.

    I will leave you with one more direct paragraph from the book (pages 224-225):

    Pastor Joe Wright of Central Christian Church in Wichita used his

    opportunity as a guest chaplain at the Kansas State House on January

    23, 1996, to call for national repentance. Thousands of copies of Pastor

    Wright's prayer circulated the world in the weeks after he uttered the

    prayer. His words still reverberate across the nation. Wright's prayer

    is one that we should all consider praying, with sincerity and conviction,

    individually, congregationally, and in small groups.

    Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness

    and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says,

    "We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.

    We confess that:

    We have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it pluralism.

    We have worshiped other gods and called it multiculturalism.

    We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle.

    We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.

    We have neglected the needy and called it self-preservation.

    We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.

    We have killed our unborn children and called it choice.

    We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.

    We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem.

    We have abused power and called it political savvy.

    We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it building ambition.

    We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.

    We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.

    Search us, O God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin

    and set us free. Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent to

    direct us to the center of Your will. I ask it in the name of Your Son, the

    living Savior, Jesus Christ.

    This book has a very timely and valuable message. Our government was designed to be "of the people, by the people and for the people". We need to stand and "Be the People".

    Carol offers great suggestions for things we can all do to make a difference in our government at the end of each chapter. She also gives other resources and has study questions available for each chapter. At the end of the book, she has included a copy of the Ten Commandments, the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Bill of Rights. I urge all Americans to read this book and take a stand.
Displaying items 1-5 of 20
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