Book Description, Table of Contents, Book Reviews
Rights, Liberties, and Social Justice:
How America Lost Its Moral Authority
The Ethics and Politics of Science and Religion, Abortion, Intelligent Design, Women's Rights, and the Separation between Church and State
Monsignor John W. Sweeley, Th.D.
425 pages including notes, bibliography, index
This book documents from the point of view of Liberal Catholicism why the position of the Religious-Right, Tea Party, and Republican Party are wrong on abortion, birth control, homosexuality, immigration, women's healthcare, and poverty
A book every American needs to read
Book Description
This book is a must read for anyone dismayed at the entrenched politics of the Religious-Right, Neoconservatives, Tea Partiers, the Republican Party, and their assault on the Constitutional separation between Church and State. That is becasue today America is in crisis, not from the threat of an external nation or even Islamic Terrorism, but rather the threat posed by America's Radical Right-Wing that has hijacked both what it means to be Christian in America and America itself. Rather than becoming enmeshed in "below the waist' issues of human sexuality as does the Radical Right-Wing, God asks us to offer unconditional love to one another.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1
The Radical Religious-Right:
Who are they? What do they want? Why are they wrong?
Rise of the Religious-Right
The Political and Religious Right
The Rise of the Radical Religious-Right
World-View of the Radical Religious-Right
Pope John Paul II's Error
Fruits of the Radical Religious-Right
Abortion in Judaism
Reciprocity of Consciences
Chapter 2
Bozo and the Theologian:
A Dialogue on the Separation between Church and State
Now I Sit Me Down to School
Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Ezra Stiles Ely
Mason Weems, Life of Washington
Joel Barlow, Treaty of Tripoli
John Adams: Letter to Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson, Interpretation of the First Amendment
James Madison, Against Religious Assessments
Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Peter Carr
Dr. Priestley, On Benjamin Franklin
Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason
Thomas Jefferson, Autobiography
Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America
Al Franken, Supply Side Jesus
Chapter 3
Walking the Pilgrim's Path:
Peace and Justice on Our Journey
Critique of the Social and Political Agenda of the Radical Religious-Right
Hospitality
Understanding Peace and Justice
The Environment
The Oppression of Women
War
Terrorism
Chapter 4
Intelligent Design:
The Wolf of Evangelical Faith Beliefs in Sheep's Clothing
The Apostolic Age to Evolution
Genesis
The Development of Christianity
The Enlightenment
The Science of Evolution
Chapter 5
Intelligent Design:
The Wolf of Evangelical Faith Beliefs in Sheep's Clothing
Why Intelligent Design is not Science
Creationism
The Problem with Creationism
Intelligent Design
Evolutionary Creation
The Problem with Intelligent Design
Discussion
Why Intelligent Design is not Science
Chapter 6
The Radical Religious-Right's Homophobia:
Biblical Inerrancy and Natural Law Run Amuck
Matthew 25:31-45
The Radical Religious-Right's Homophobia
Jesus on Homosexuality
Historical Judaism on Homosexuality
Exegesis of Leviticus 18, 20, and Deuteronomy 23
Reform Judaism on Homosexuality
The Fruit of Chessed is Justice
Informed Conscience and the Radical Religious-RIght
Chapter 7
The Catholic Argument in Support of Abortion:
Obedience v. Informed Conscience
Historical and Catholic Understanding of Life, Ensoulment, and Licitness of Abortion
Responses to Magisterial Teaching
Obedience
Informed Conscience
When Human Life Begins
Historical Views
In Antiquity
In Judaism
In the Roman Catholic Church
Chapter 8
The Catholic Argument in Support of Abortion:
Obedience v. Informed Conscience
Scientific Theory, Conscience, and Canon Law
Genetic View
Neurological View
Movie: The Silent Scream
Ecological/Technological View
Informed Conscience
Historical Views
In Antiquity
In Judaism
In Early Christianity
In the Roman Catholic Church
Final Arbiter of Moral Decision Making and Action
Principle of Proportionality
Utilitarianism
Roman Catholic Theology on Abortion
General Principles of Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion
Doctrine of Probabilism
Canon Law
Canons and Exegesis
The Code of Canon Law and Pro-Choice Catholics
Summary of General Principles
Chapter 9
Moral Values Below the Waist Versus:
The Immorality of Poverty
America at War with Itself
God's Love, the Poor, and the Church
Insights from the Early Church
Insights from the Protestant Community
Insights from the Catholic Community
Agents of Poverty
Follow the Money
The Minimum Wage
Gross National Product Versus Poverty Net Wage
Wal-Mart
Republican Economic Theory
Corporate Greed and Arrogance
The Automobile Industry
Caterpillar Corporation
The Oil Industry
Gas Royalties
Not-for Profit Sector Greed and Arrogance
Chapter 10
Moral Values Below the Waist versus:
The Immorality of the Assault on Women's Health Care
The State of America's Health Care
Mr. Bush's Lopsided Health Care Plan
The Convoluted Cost of Cancer Drugs
Radical Religious-Right's Faith Beliefs' Impact on Health Care
Abstinence-Only-Before-Marriage Sex Education
SIECUS Special Report on Abstinence-Only-Before-Marriage Sex Education Curricula Guidelines
Abstinence-Only-Before-Marriage Programs do not Work
The Religious-Right's Opposition to HPV Vaccination
Faith-Based Initiative Programs Impact on Women's Health Care
Chapter 11
American Fascism:
America not so Beautiful
The Purveyors of Tyranny
American Fascism
Mussolini's 12 Articles of Fascism
Lawrence Britt's 14 Articles of America's Fascism
The Emperor Without Any Clothes
Book Reviews
For anyone who loves freedom and democracy, for anyone concerned with the future of our children and the world, Rights, Liberties, and Social Justice: How America Lost Its Moral Authority must be an integral part of their "survival kit'.
Most Rev. Daniel Dangaran, D. Min.
Monsignor Sweeley's book, Rights, Liberties, and Social Justice: How America Lost Its Moral Authority is a must-read for those of us dismayed at the entrenched politics of the Neoconservative Movement and their assault on the constitutional separation between church and state.
Most Rev. Janet Sunderland, D.D.
Father Sweeley's book supports freedom of individual conscience and freedom of worship. However, the goal of the Radical Religious-Right to remake America into a theocracy undermines the right of all citizens to live in an America as created by the Founding Fathers with a wall of separation between Church and state.
This book is a thorough and informative discussion of America's religious and political moral issues.
Most. Rev. Richard Alston Gundry, D.D.
Presiding Archbishop Emeritus
Catholic Apostolic Church of Antioch
I found every chapter in John W. Sweeley's, Rights, Liberties, and Social Justice: How America Lost its Moral Authority enormously useful when it comes to social justice theory. Since theory is my personal playground in social justice scholarship, this book is excellent for me and for my colleagues as well.
Throughout this book, Dr. Sweeley's major strength is his ability to separate theology and present political power from texts of divine revelation. He completes a picture of resistance to the Religious Right that has been mysteriously incomplete until now.
Consider the first chapter of this book. It is fantastic! it is the best discussion of how biblical religion has considered abortion as acceptable that I have every seen; maybe that has been written in over a decade. This chapter needs to get into the hands of feminists and labor movement activists as soon as possible. Right now, secular movements are in heated debate with religious movements to ban abortion again. Their arguments do not meet each other in the mainstream media. Imagine the activist networks that could be created with the political power to affirm reproductive rights and the basic principles of distributive justice reproduction is connected to if these secular movements had access to Dr. Sweeley's no-nonsense, articulate argument, and the examples he gives.
Here is the strength of his argument about homosexuality. The "don't ask; don't tell" paragraph does something wonderful. The line between tolerance and acceptance is thin but very, very, discrete. People who tolerate homosexuality do so in order to deny the legitimacy of the lives of their family and friends who are gay. Acceptance means building a community based on love. What Dr. Sweeley does is to blur the line between tolerance and acceptance. This is important and a gem to find. Shifting from a society of toleration to a society of acceptance is an almost impossible task, and the first step in definitely demonstrating that the line can be blurred.
This book offers knowledge and hope to the leaders of youthful ministries that are about to embark on life-long, serious commitments to social change. Moreover, active feminists and members of progressive labor will learn new ways of thinking about social injustice, based on a critical reading of the wide difference between the power wielded over Christian voters vs. the power of Christian argument.
I would like a copy of Dr. Sweley's, Rights, Liberties, and Social Justice: How America Lost its Moral Authority to go next to Lewis Lapham and Earl Shorris on my bookshelf.
Terry Trowbridge, Ph. D.
Social Justice and Equity Studies
Brock University
Canada
Msgr. Sweeley issues a clarion call to return to reasoned political debate, discourse, and governance that have been stifled in the USA. He reminds us of the traditional ethical and moral values espoused by the founders of a secular nation and illuminates condemnatory religious, political, and social issues including the exercise of one's informed conscience, creationism, and intelligent design. The reader is challenged to recapture the spirit of the country's Founders who loved liberty and sough to escape intolerance.
This book is a must read for any American who's lost the ability to extend reciprocity of conscience or doubt their own infallibility.
Ann Wilmer, M.A.
Journalist, Teacher, Activist
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