New Novel 'Terrifies' Readers, Suggests 'President Palin' Could've Turned us Into Christian Nation

Townhall ^ | September 1, 2013 | Cortney O'Brien

[2ndDivisionVet]

“They said what they would do, and we did not listen. Then they did what they said they would do.”

Sounds frightening, doesn’t it? Who could “they” be? A 1984-like government? A terrorist organization? An alien force? Well, according to the author who wrote those words, the “they” are big bad Christians.

Christian Nation by Frederic C. Rich is a new novel which, according to some reviewers, is their worst nightmare, for it details a country in which Christian values are strictly obeyed.

From GoodReads.com,

“They said what they would do, and we did not listen. Then they did what they said they would do.”

So ends the first chapter of this brilliantly readable counterfactual novel, reminding us that America’s Christian fundamentalists have been consistently clear about their vision for a “Christian Nation” and dead serious about acquiring the political power to achieve it. When President McCain dies and Sarah Palin becomes president, the reader, along with the nation, stumbles down a terrifyingly credible path toward theocracy, realizing too late that the Christian right meant precisely what it said.

Upon further reading, one discovers Palin and her Christian force have imposed an authoritarian rule called “The Blessing” upon their subjects, which is enforced by the “Purity Web.”

Here’s some positive feedback from the Ordinary Reader Review section on ReadChristianNation.com:

“A genuinely frightening look at a possible future.” -- Goodreads, July 7

“It’s captivating, realistic, and rather terrifying.” -- Goodreads, June 1

“Very chilling.” -- Goodreads, July 8

I’m sorry, but what exactly is “frightening,” “terrifying,” and “chilling” about praying, going to church, and making sure your kids don’t stumble upon X-rated websites?

I tend to like Betsy Woodruff’s review much better. In a piece for National Review Online, she tears apart this hilariously over-the-top novel page-by-page.

Come for the groundbreaking Evangelical-Christians-are-like-Nazis rhetoric, stay for the mind-numbing dialogue...Rich’s novel is essentially what Atlas Shrugged would have been if it had been conceived by a Freedom from Religion Foundation focus group and edited by Howard Dean.

I hate to tell the author of this book and his frightened readers, but our Christian founding fathers’ ideal of America wasn’t very far off from Rich’s “scary” plot. As most of them were men of God, they most likely knew a country centered on Jesus was the best foundation. Liberals may fear a nation in which a bold conservative woman takes the reigns, but for us conservatives, who fear an overbearing federal government, family values being placed on the back burner and an increased dependency on Uncle Sam -- our nightmare is all too real.

Instead of reading the book, which seems like it would be headache-inducing, watch the hysterical trailer instead:

(VIDEO-AT-LINK)

[RipSawyer]

The notion was “paranoid” and “ridiculous.”
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

There is nothing coming out of those shower heads but water, they just want us to be clean and comfortable.

[RipSawyer]

“I think even your most hard core atheist would not prefer to live as an Islamist.”
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Absolutely, a TRUE hard core atheist would be the last person to want to live as an Islamist. Someone who wants no religion would never decide to become a member of the world’s most hideous excuse for a religion. Even Bill Maher had the following to say about comparing Islam and Christianity, “That’s just liberal bullshit.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YG_mqZJKcM

[HiTech RedNeck]

You still believe you can build your salvation.

I tried that.

It failed.

I obtained the richness of salvation by resting on Jesus’ love.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Jesus upset a lot of people’s applecarts. Don’t assume because I come at one of your applecarts I am doing it OUT of the spirit of Jesus. Jesus seemed rude to many before they saw He was being loving beyond their wildest dreams.

[HiTech RedNeck]

I mean OUT of => OUTSIDE of ... got to be careful with words here

[HiTech RedNeck]

Ever thought of laying your views at the feet of the Lord, not kicking them in everyone else’s face regardless of consequence?

Your “conservative” game got you little last year and surely did not oust Barack Obama. Maybe the Master of the Universe has a better idea than you do? It will necessarily look different from your idea, not “more of the same with a big pat on your back for how good you are.”

[blaquebyrd]

Trust me JD didn’t appreciate Gov Hunny Boo Boo stomping for her hero McCain out here in Arizona. You groupies need to stop pretending the half term governor wasn’t the biggest supporter of McCain, Rogue my arse!

[HiTech RedNeck]

I try to forgive others who sincerely want to be forgiven. I expect requests for forgiveness to be accompanied by attempts to rectify the harm caused by their actions. I consider this to be my obligation, when I appologize.

If this is the spectacles you wear when looking at God, you never will accept the work of the Cross. God actually does say you are free, with the huge caveat that He now has the right to put you through trials to build back the faith you had formerly dropped on the floor.

[HiTech RedNeck]

However, God really is the celestial exchequer, so to speak. What you owe to someone else, you owe truly to Him first and He has rights to forgive it. You are not under a cloud of unforgiveness if you’ve done something you can’t rectify, or can’t rectify very well. Rectifying the relationship where possible is a good witness, you shouldn’t shuck it off gratuitously, but each person has his or her own account with the Lord and the Lord can (and ultimately will) more than make up in blessing to someone else what they may have lost to you when you could not do anything or could only do something partial.

Now please try not to distort what I said too much. If you find yourself greatly tempted to distort... tell that devil to take a hike.

[blaquebyrd]

Everyone makes mistakes? You're kidding me right? How do you mistakenly board a plane and fly from Alaska to Phoenix to publicly kiss John McCains ass? You groupies need to stop it, you're embarrassing yourselves.

[Smokin' Joe]

I’m not a big fan of Palin, but it is startling to watch people trash her based on the Christian threat she might be, and then note them missing the fact that Obama is doing his best to Islamicize the U. S., and they’re not worried about that at all.

Apparently they are more afraid of the 'tut-tut"s and scorning glares of blue-haired old ladies than they are of being beheaded in the street with a rusty kitchen knife.

[DoughtyOne]

Oookay, that’s what you took from that. Just wow.

I don’t claim to be perfect or anything near it. I simply mentioned those things to reveal what type of person I strive to be. There’s no expectation that it will buy me anything. There’s only a realization that I like to live as decent a life as I can.

Once again you’re seeking to be judge and jury here, and you’re not even in the same ball park with your assessment.

I can’t strive to live a decent life, and still expect Jesus to fill in the gaps? Really?

Man, you’re on a roll today.

[DoughtyOne]

LOL, okay dude.

[DoughtyOne]

You know, you really think you have me pegged here. To be honest this is one of the most self-destructive string of posts I have had the displeasure to endure here.

You’re not scoring points or even coming close. You’re so far off base it’s disconcerting because I don’t want laugh and insult you, and I don’t particularly want to explain to you how what you are doing looks like to a fellow Christian.

I have no illusions about my condition, or God’s love, His role in Salivation and my need for it. You’re taking shots here and coming up with a big whiff over and over and over again.

You’ve made a rather mess of things on this topic, and it’s all because I wouldn’t back your candidate to be president.

All this judgment is due me in your opinion, because I see things entirely differently than you do.

You are infatuated with Palin. Okay I get it. It doesn’t mean that God is going to strike me with lightening if I don’t get on board and donate to her, and fall on my knees and promise to vote for her.

My Conservative game? LOL. Wow. What Conservative game would that be, wanting someone who has been more than a half term governor? Is it your take I wanted Romney because I thought he could win? If so, yet again you’re out in the tulies on this one.

Explain what game you’re referencing. Can’t wait to see what this is all about.

[DoughtyOne]

Ever thought of laying your views at the feet of the Lord, not kicking them in everyone else’s face regardless of consequence?

You're not talking to yourself here right?

You really should be.

[DoughtyOne]

Honestly, you’ve gone so absurd on me, it’s getting hard to respond to you on point. I appreciate you’re doing what you think is right, but you’re really not doing what is right here. You’re trying to be instructional and informative, and you’re not connected to reality at all.

[DoughtyOne]

However, God really is the celestial exchequer, so to speak.  What has this to do with appologizing to my fellow man?  I understand the concept of confessing before God and trying not to sin again.  None the less, that wasn't what I was expressing, and expanding the topic as you have here is simply a selfish way of showing off, and acting as if you and nobody else has the proper relationship with God.  And all this is an exercise in you trying to damn anyone who hasn't bought into the Palin mind-meld yet.  You should be ashamed of yourself.

What you owe to someone else, you owe truly to Him first and He has rights to forgive it.  What I owe to someone else, is something owed to that person.  God cannot forgive me on their behalf.  He can only forgive me on His behalf.  I cannot and should not confess my infraction only to Him, or even to Him first.  If I realize an infraction on my part in the moment, I don't take a time out to run it by God if I should appoligize or not.  That's absurd, and so has been much of what you have offered up here today.

You are not under a cloud of unforgiveness if you’ve done something you can’t rectify, or can’t rectify very well.  Please point me to where I made that case.  Oh, that's right, I didn't make that case.  So off you go into the wild blue yonder AGAIN!

Rectifying the relationship where possible is a good witness, you shouldn’t shuck it off gratuitously, but each person has his or her own account with the Lord and the Lord can (and ultimately will) more than make up in blessing to someone else what they may have lost to you when you could not do anything or could only do something partial.  Oh thank you.  I had no idea.  Honestly, I have quite a bit of patience, but I've reached it here.

Now please try not to distort what I said too much. If you find yourself greatly tempted to distort... tell that devil to take a hike.  Okay, take a hike.

[DoughtyOne]

Agreed. It’s absurd.