Rating: 
Summary: A Warning to All
Review: Author David Limbaugh shows dozens of examples of how so many
people and groups are attacking the very foundation of our
great American republic by attacking Christian values.
He lists the examples, and then he explains further the background of those attacking all traditional values and the
motivation for such attacks.The most significant point he makes is that even those who aren't traditional Christians need for the traditional Christian
values to be upheld, and even celebrated, because it is those
values which have always formed the basis for all the freedoms
enjoyed by all in our country. He also points out that virtually all of our founding fathers held strong Christian beliefs, even most of those now cited as not being Christians.
Not all Founders were Christians, but nearly all were, and the
writer does a nice job of exploring their various backgrounds
and citing many of their writings. All our traditions of freedoms, both personal and economic,
are based on those long-standing Christian values, and Limbaugh
tries to show how the very Republic will crumble if the anti-Christians have their way. The only trouble with such a book packed with examples and historical and legal precedents is that is the old story of
"preaching to the choir." The ignorant and self-seeking who most need to learn why they have such freedoms will never
read or understand why. It is only those who understand the
fight and what they have to lose who will pick up and read
such a detailed defense of our 200-year-old values.
Rating: 
Summary: Far Reaching Title, But Still an Interesting Read
Review: Conservative pundit, David Limbaugh - brother of Rush Limbaugh, has written a book about liberal hated for Christianity, at least, conservative or traditional Christianity. First, the title is quite far reaching. While it can be easily argued, and he does, that there is an assault on Christian teachings and people in public schools, including colleges, media, an the work place; one is still lost to say "persecuted" except maybe in the broadest sense of the word. There is a persecuted Christian community where people are imprisoned and often killed. The secular attack on Christians in this country is, I assert, to marginalize it so much by taking it out of the public arena that they hope it fades away.
First, the problems with the book: Often, more than I would want, he tends to align conservative political positions with Christians. But, he does seem to notice this pitfall, and once he does it, tries to get back on track.
The book has a lot of good arguments, mostly anecdotal however. Sure, much of these stories are confirmed, but, one could also tell many anecdotes where places are very friendly towards the Christian community (namely because these places have such an active and strong Christian population).
His chapter on the academy and academic freedom shows where the roots of intolerance takes fold towards Christians, where many students and academics marginalize Christian teachings and students. His stories involving the work place and government go awry programs are also good; His analyses of this countries founding, how public schools came t being, and on the "establishment clause" are accurate and worth the read.
Still, there are other books that deal with the culture war that I assert are much better such as "How Should We Then Live?" by the late Francis Schaeffer, "How Now Should We Live?" by Chuck Colson and Nancy Percy (whom he quotes) and "The New Anti-Catholicism" by Philip Jenkins are more coherently argued and provide a better backdrop on the reason for the culture war.
Rating:
Summary: Scary!
Review: David Limbaugh gives example after example of how secularists are using the government, particularly the courts, to establish the religion of secularism. He covers a wide range of areas, from school to the political field to the homes and churches of ordinary citizens. It is absolutely scary how far their reach extends.
Rating:
Summary: What Elephant in the Living Room?
Review: David Limbaugh's "Persecution" forces us to look squarely up the trunk of the elephant in the liberal living room: the "secret" that the modern-day heirs of a political tradition built on fighting for justice, tolerance, and freedom have become some of the most unjust, intolerant oppressors in recent American history, at least where Christianity is concerned. Limbaugh documents case after case of religious discrimination perpretrated by liberals against Christians, all in the name of tolerance and open mindedness. We might expect a book entitled "Persecution" to be only another mindless rant from a stereotypical uneducated fundamentalist. But this is not the case here. Limbaugh does veer into the territory of diatribe every so often, but the bulk of his book is a series of carefully documented incidents of liberals denying Christians opportunities in employment, education, and even freedom of speech. Opening up "Persecution" to a random page, we find successful college football coach Ron Brown denied a head coaching position because of his religious beliefs. Turn a few more pages and we find a public office in Dade County Florida having Hannukah and Kwanzaa displays set up during the Christmas holiday season, but prohibiting a nativity scene. One more turn and we find a town in California ordering a church to take down a banner advertising summer vacation Bible school, while other organizations had banners on display throught the town. I just grabbed these cases at random from the book. You will also find cases of Christians being fired and sued for things like wearing crosses or keeping a Bible on their work desk. Limbaugh details discriminations that Christians have faced in public schools, universities, government, industry, and in the media and entertainment industries. If you are the least bit unsure that Christians are getting less than a fair shake in many sectors of modern public life, "Persecution" should put an end to all your doubts. The book is not without its problems. First and foremost is the lion on the front cover. That's certainly overkill. Despite Limbaugh's clear chapter headings ("The Battle for the Academy", "Muzzling Public Officials, Employees, and Appointees", etc.), the book could use some better organization. More than once I found myself trying to remember just what the current chapter was supposed to be about. The next to last chapter, where Limbaugh attempts to demonstrate the relationship between the Founders' Christian faith and their politics is, unfortunately, the weakest. I think he makes his point, but he could have made it stronger by supplying us with more quotes from original sources and less from modern commentators. (I couldn't help but notice that he quotes quite a bit here from writers who were published by his own publisher.) And he gets a few things wrong. Thomas Jefferson, for instance, was an out and out Deist, Limbaugh's arguments to the contrary notwithstanding. (Given T.J.'s numerous and egregious moral shortcomings, if someone want to call him a Deist, it's perfectly OK with me.) But these blemishes do not detract from the validity of the work in any important respect. Not many honest options are open to us if we want to disagree with Limbaugh. We can try to refute his documentation point by point. Good luck. (In this regard, my admittedly non-exhaustive perusal of this page's 1-star reviews has turned up none that actually deal with the cases Limbaugh presents.) Or, we can try to show that plenty of groups in America are being similarly disadvantaged -- that things are tough all over. This tack seems to hold little promise either. We might try to say that Limbaugh is just going to bat for his poitical "religious right" cronies. But this won't do either. Not many of the people he defends in this book are "political." Most of them that are "poltical" became so because it was the only way they could see to secure for themselves the rights and privileges those around them enjoy. "Persecution" is not the book to read if you want to know what everyone else is reading. Limbaugh's audience will be mainly conservative Christians, the people least in need of his book. However, if you're wondering what that big pachyderm-looking thing behind the sofa is that only the Christians are pointing at, "Persecution" will draw back the curtains and let you seeit in the full light of day.
Rating: 
Summary: Prelude to Tyranny
Review: David Limbaugh, Rush's lawyer brother, cobbles together a 300+ page mountain of sensationalized anecdotes that allege a systemic and conspiratorial campaign to isolate and ultimately destroy Christianity-the reigning religion that dominates most aspects of American life. By whom? The Limbaughs' political adversaries of course-the liberals, secularists, civil libertarians, to name a few. That's not to say that many of Limbaugh's examples do not underscore the fact that ignorance, bureaucratic short-sightedness, political-correctness, and militancy are to be found across all varieties of political, ideological, and religious persuasion-left and right. But does Limbaugh make the case that sectarians and liberals are out to destroy Christianity?
I feel compelled to remind Limbaugh and his would-be adherents that separation of church and state was designed not only to protect the state from the church, but more importantly in the minds of the framers, to protect the church from the state. The driving agenda behind such charges as those made here by Limbaugh are to, under the pretense of protection, breakdown this distinction and put Christianity at the center of government. This I believe would be hazardous not only to the civil liberties and democratic freedoms of "non-believers" but also ultimately to the future liberties and freedoms of religious citizens as well. If Christianity should become integral to the state, then who's Christianity shall it be? Catholic? Baptist? Anglican? (a review of the repressive and bloody church-state history of England should be enough to give anyone who values religious freedom pause).
And lest we forget, Jesus was not crucified by the liberal sectarians but by the religious conservatives of his time who could not tolerate the challenge to their established beliefs or authority. I see little to suggest that Jesus would fare much better today amidst the likes of modern day pharasees and rabble-rousing zealots like the Limbaughs. As for persecution of the Christian majority at the hands of liberals, secularists, libertarians, anarchists, etc...where have we heard that before? Munich? Belgrade? Phnom Penh? Rwanda? It seems that every low life despot and every craven act of aggression taken against an another begins with the aggressor casting themselves as "persecuted" and "victim" to others' supposed treachery. The question here is who is persecuting who?
I fear there may soon come to pass a time when many so-called Christians, like Limbaugh, may be "persecuted" in the form of a backlash more consistent with self-fulfilling prophecy than anything to do with Jesus. "Persecution" may come not because of their alleged righteousness, clean living, and life of faith, but as a reaction against the sheer meanness and mean-spirited attitude taken against often the most vulnerable of society-society's "niggers:" the homosexuals, the mentally ill, the homeless, the alienated and maladjusted, the artists, those who still dare to think freely and question.
As the popularity of screeds such as Limbaugh's attests, we are entering into a period of spiritual and intellectual darkness where reason and probing moral searching has been eclipsed by mob emotion and a superficial herd morality. As devastating as this period may well prove to be, it will eventually pass and the pendulum will inevitably swing back again toward greater critical reflection and sensibility (as it did post-McCarthy). In the meantime, the question that each of us must be ready to answer is: "where were you when the lights went out and what did you do about it?"
Rating: 
Summary: Religious Warfare in the USA
Review: David Limbaugh, younger brother of Rush Limbaugh, is a conservative columnist and occasional author who has written a few books about conservative thought and practice. In this book, Limbaugh presents some arguments explaining why he feels that the liberal establishment is waging war against Christians and Christianity. Limbaugh composed this book as part history lesson and part modern- day political guide. He talks about the educational system in the United States, pointing out that the Bible was once the center of schooling for all youngsters. Today, teachers are forbidden from leading students in prayer or from promoting Biblical passages in the classroom. Public displays of religious symbols on government property were once the
norm. Today, they have been ruled unconstitutional by the "liberal" judicial system. He talks about speech codes, political correctness, and other changes that he feels have been made for the worst in the past fifty or so years. I can agree with some of the complaints that Limbaugh has with the American system. It is true that, in many cases, political correctness has gone way too far. It is also true that Christians as a group are often singled out for harassment. I don't agree that they are being "persecuted", because there hasn't been any bloodshed or physical pain endured. But it is true that Christians as a whole have been targeted for personal attacks. One problem I have with this book is its explanations regarding America's foundation and constitutional laws. Limbaugh correctly points out that most of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and most of the population in general back in the late 1700's was Christian. But he seems to think that merely "being" Christian means that the constitution and the basis of law are also religious in nature. I can agree that these men were, mostly, men who believed in a higher power. But that doesn't mean that they wanted the U.S. government to be founded on religion. If they wanted this, they would have explicitly added it to the constitution. Limbaugh writes this book in a respectful way, and he avoids the tendency for authors like himself to resort to immaturity by calling their opponents names and belittling them at every turn. There is no doubt which side of the road Limbaugh is coming from. But he sticks with his arguments and avoids the temptation to hurl insults at those he disagrees with. This is the type of book that some will love and others will hate. I have many issues with Limbaugh's ideas and his questionable logic. But I can also agree with him on some points, like the silliness of political correctness and the targeting of Christians for harassment. It is true that they are being targeted, but not necessarily because of religion, per se. I think Christians are attacked simply because they are in the majority, making them an easy target. If you like some good, intellectual debate to get yourself thinking, then you might enjoy "Persecution". Like me, you may not agree with everything Limbaugh has to say, but his writing is still pretty good and he does avoid name calling and other acts of immaturity. I recommend taking a look at this book to see what you think.
Rating:
Summary: You Made Me Read It, I Didn't Want to Do It . . .
Review: I can single out two succinct and persuasive reviews of Limbaugh's book that were filed here in the not-too-distant past (not to imply that the caliber of reviews overall is lacking in serious and rational thought and debate, mostly). Itonically, though, I agree with both Wan Kim and jim_nc's reviews, but -- uh oh -- one man totally loves it and the other totally hates it!
First of all--yes, as yet another reviewer mentioned, the grandiose and over-reaching title looks as though the author or his publisher were straining to make of this work more than the advocacy-journalism it is. Reinhold Neibuhr, in the 1950s, got away with a book titled THE NATURE AND DESTINY OF MAN. But it truly was a work of first-rate theology and social criticism, still widely read today. Mr. D. Limbaugh, I've read Reinhold Neibuhr as well as your book, and, all joking aside, I hope you're not trying to become the early 21st Century's answer to Reinhold Neibuhr...).
This is not to imply that PERSECUTION is not useful and relevant. But it must be considered in terms of its genre--it is part and parcel an extended opinion piece. For years the author got away with proclaiming opinion as -- pardon the pun -- "Holy Writ" to audiences. This continues here--PERSECUTION is in no way a work of philosophy or theology. It isn't even a work of serious social criticism because to do so, an author would have to admit more plainly what his biases are and give the reader a more coherent method than High Dudgeon.
Yet, annoyingly, and despite its meat-axe approach to things that bother Limbaugh--PERSECUTION is just a little too good to dismiss as nothing but an extended op-ed piece. It does cohere.
Trouble is, if we approach this book as marketed -- as a serious overview of a culture war at work religiously -- (analogous to the very real German "Kulturkampf" during Otto von Bismarck's rein in the late 19th Century) -- well, a heck of a lot of preliminary issues are being begged. Issues such as: is there a culture war, or the assumption of one, sufficient to make it a "platform" of debate couched almost entirely in Us-Versus-Them terms, regardless of whether or not the actual term "culture war" is actually used?
What is meant by the word "Christianity" here? Is it what used to be called "Christendom" or or is it more like an ecclesial statement and movement, say, the "Christian Church Universal"? Or is PERSECUTION written with some kind of under-the-table understanding that the "Christians" whom Limbaugh references are really conservative social activists who are frequently aligned with fast-growing Protestant evangelical denominations??
Limbaugh apparently fails to mention one Christian virtue so holy it made the Roman Catholic "Top Seven" list: humility. Knowing what the book is about, yet puffing its title beyond philosophical defensibility WHILE AT THE SAME TIME offering opinion as Gospel shows a singular lack of humility, and I have to admit I'm put out at the editor/publisher, too, if only for the connotations bound up with the book's title that the publishing house either created or condoned.
I do not wish Limbaugh any harm but for heaven's sake! Intellectual Triscuits are a good and necessary roughage, but when marketed as Mental Miracle Manna there's a deception going on in some wise. The issues Limbaugh gets near to are indeed very important. His book, however, is trivial if considered a statement of lasting cultural and spiritual import. With no extra trouble, readers would do just as well reading Hofstadter's ANTI-INTELLECTUALISM in America for its take on U.S. Culture, or even (and I am not trying to be facetious) -- THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PEANUTS for a rational and non-silly discussion of how a (Protestant) Evangelical mind works. Both still in print, still selling like hotcakes, not topical but timely.
I've a sneaking suspicion that Limbaugh's work will be about as well remembered in 50 years' time as are Quemoy and Matsu, the fluoridation debates, or sniping at "eggheads" are today.
Is David Limbaugh a conservative? In his haste to make a big name and his apparent lack of grounding in traditional American thought streams that could have been relevant to this work--NO. I'm more conservative if by that I mean it's a good idea to distance oneself occasionally from us-versus-them thinking, or put more simply to look at the world before leaping into the conclusions found in print in PERSECUTION.
Okay, I don't mind playing the ratings game: Five stars for ambition, two for intellectual integrity, one for the grandiose and deceptive title, four for research within its limited field, one for lack of Christian Charity towards one's putative "enemies." Two-and-a-half stars, approximately, rounded down to two stars because this book is already becoming yesterday's mashed potatoes.
Wan Kim and jim_nc: you were so adept at sharing your respective points-of-view that I was really sorry I couldn't make you an Amazon Friend. You could file your e-mail addresses with Amazon in such a way that only people YOU trust have access to them--is that possible, please?
allen smalling
09-20-04
Rating: 
Summary: ummm, not really
Review: I can understand where he is coming from but the big reason why Christianity has been eliminated from public schools is because of Christian extremists.Europe for example is more secular than the United States, much more liberal than the United States and yet governments like the UK spend government money on faith based schools and no one complains,why, because the religions in Europe are not nearly as overzealous as they are over here.Also I am agnostic and i really do not want christianity taught at public schools, it is not because I hate christianity it is because not everyone in this country is christian, 89% of this country is christian, meaning 11% is not.I have only been out of school for 4 years and I have a good grasp of what it is like, basicially public schools are nuetral they do not endorse any religion of any kind. They allow christians to wear cross jewelery, they allow pentograms, they allow the star of david jewelery, they do not allow kids to jump up in the middle of class and start preaching. I realize that this is a christian dominated country, I can accept that as long as they accept i do not believe what they do, it really pisses me off when someone starts giving a lecture about "giving your heart to jesus", I know a lot about the bible and christianity(my family is christian and I went to church for a while) and I could prove them wrong and I have. Christians have to understand that i do not hate them, I just do not like you throwing your religion in my face.
I give this book 2 stars because he is right about some things and at least he did not result to insults like O'Reilly,Hannity, or his older brother.
Rating:
Summary: Rated Highly - Hardly Read
Review: It's been over 4 months since I started reading this book and I'm still not finished yet.
In its truth, it is depressing. It turns my stomach to see how low our country has sunk and how lethargic the people in America have become to actually let some of this stuff go on.
Mr. Limbaugh sites court cases and situations in classrooms where the mere mention of the word "God" or "Jesus" - where the saying of a prayer or the showing of a religious (MAINLY CHRISTIAN) symbols are so offensive and aweful that our children and our society cannot say these words or show these things.
In a country that was founded on the principles of Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Religion - the attacks against anything relating to CHRISTIANITY - whether it be words like Jesus, Christ or God - or Religious Symbols, like the Cross or Ten Commandments -is frightening to say the least.
What will be next? Will they be rounding up the Christians to feed them to the lions?
I guess that is why I haven't finished reading it yet. I'm afraid to find out.
For anyone who believes in Freedom of Speech and Freedom of (NOT FROM) Religion - this is a must read - if only to realize how much both those things are being taken away right under our noses.
Rating:
Summary: Eye-opening and throughly researched
Review: Like Mel Gibson's film, "The Passion Of The Christ", David Limbaugh's book, "Persecution" is bashed by the elitist liberal left for its telling of the truth. While I would not particularly classify myself as a devout evangelical Christian, I still do adhere (as almost 90% of Americans do) to identifying myself as a Christian. Having said that, Mr. Limbaugh points out what I have seen both in growing up here in the US and what my 7-year old has been exposed to in the public education system. Limbaugh is correct in that, as a whole, the public has been steered away from Christian beliefs dealing with morality and decency. There are many detractors who dispute the religious faith of the Founding Fathers. The heavily Christian influence of the early colonial days in the America would rightly support the greater adherence to religous beliefs during the days of the Constitutional Convention. It's almost laughable to hear the liberals try to justify their revisionist history by claiming (and indoctrinating in classes) that the Founding Fathers (in late 18th century America ... with RELIGIOUS institutions like Harvard--how their founders must be rolling over in their graves!) were not religious people at all. The devolution of our society into "Sex In The City" and M-TV watching morons who argue over what the meaning of "is" is and that oral sex isn't really sex makes this type of reading essential to any moral-minded American--especially if you are raising children, so that you understand the environment that they are in within the education system in the US. Highly recommeded.
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