Synopses & Reviews
A much-needed rallying cry for progressives concerned about our constitutional first freedom--to worship religion freely, or not at all
The guarantee of religious liberty is the bedrock on which other freedoms in our nation were built. Religious liberty and its corollary of church-state separation make up our first freedom. That first freedom is now in trouble.
In First Freedom First, two of the most respected commentators on this vital national issue speak out. Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy, a leader of the interfaith movement, explains how the protection of religious liberty will in turn greatly protect our very system of government, while Rev. Barry W. Lynn, a lawyer and religious figure, explains the legal history to show where we stand today. In his preface, Intel cofounder and former CEO Andrew S. Grove provides his personal story of coming to America after growing up Jewish in Hungary during the Nazi invasion and under a Communist government.
First Freedom First also includes a vital resource section with answers to frequently asked questions regarding this fundamental right and a list of easy and even fun activities readers can do to help protect religious liberty.
This is a book for every American. Gaddy and Lynn have provided us with a volume that informs and challenges, as well as inspires and guides us on issues of vital importance to all of us--our founding fathers' vision for religious liberty and their constitutional guarantee of separation of church and state. I applaud this book as a tool for preserving our democracy's greatest treasure.
--Walter Cronkite