Posts Categorized: Rescuing Religion – book excerpts

12 Good Things Democratic Government Has Done

… At the core of conservative political thinking, both Republican and Libertarian, is the idea that our democratically-elected government does far more harm than good. Conservatives say the government that governs least governs best. My short response to such statements is to ask, “Can you name a small government country that you think is much… Read more »

15 Anti-Wealth Bible Quotes Contradicting Republican Ideology

[The following is an excerpt from the book, “Rescuing Religion from Republican Reason” by K. Scott Schaeffer] In the years leading up to the 2012 election, the Republican Party embraced the Ryan Plan, a “roadmap” designed to align the nation’s budget and tax structure with modern Republican ideology. On the house.gov website, the Republicans said… Read more »

Eight Republican Small Government Arguments Debunked

… When the Republican Party opposes laws that protect us from the life-ruining effects of corporate greed, they tend to argue that such laws create big government, which, they say, is evil. They advocate for small government instead, which allows the corporations to exploit workers, consumers and the environment. They employ several well-rehearsed arguments in… Read more »

The biblical stance on the size of government

… [The article is an excerpt from my book, “Rescuing Religion from Republican Reason.”] Fear of Totalitarianism Humans in the 20th century witnessed something the world had never quite seen before – the totalitarian state. While other powerful governments in history have muscled their way into their citizens’ lives, modern technology enabled Nazi Germany and… Read more »

The biblical case for the rich being the least righteous class

… [This is an excerpt from my book, Rescuing Religion from Republicans]   Are the Rich More Righteous? According to 2012 Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum, the corporate capitalist free market system “not only produces wealth but also virtuous people whose worldly enterprise complements the work of the Creator.” Unfortunately, many Christians hold this same… Read more »

Why it’s wrong for Christians to blame the poor for their poverty

… No one better summed up the modern-day Republican stance on personal responsibility than Herman Cain did while running for president in 2012. He said, “Don’t blame Wall Street, don’t blame the big banks, if you don’t have a job and you’re not rich, blame yourself! It is not a person’s fault because they succeeded;… Read more »

10 Past Evils that Small Government Failed to Stop

[This is an excerpt from the book, “Rescuing Religion from Republican Reason”] As I stated previously, I worked in corporate sales for 18 years. There are things I think I know, and there are things I know indisputably. What I know indisputably is that a significant percentage of people will do anything for money if… Read more »

Refuting the Republican Anti-Welfare Stance

[Photo – a rendition of Reagan’s “Welfare Queen” myth] [The following article is an excerpt from my book, Rescuing Religion from Republican Reason”] Opposite Evil: Freeloading Nearly all of us have known some freeloaders. Sometimes they’re our family members. Sometimes they’re our co-workers. Sometimes they’re the employees we manage. At home, they do what they… Read more »

Why Capitalism isn’t sacred; and why modifying it isn’t evil

… [The following article is an excerpt from my book, “Rescuing Religion from Republican Reason.”] Imagine you’re the inventor and manufacturer of the first bicycle. The bike is fast with a smooth ride. People love it. As soon as you make one, someone buys it. But there’s one flaw: Cyclists return to you, complaining of… Read more »

How Unregulated Corporate Greed has Ruined American Lives

… [As a politically-liberal Christian who believes in using our democracy to fight greed, I receive considerable push-back from conservatives who seem to think that it’s not any of my business whether or not the rich are greedy, that I shouldn’t be using my political forum to judge others. What these critics fail to realize… Read more »