By Dennis Martin Altman

Book Review by Gary Geyer

The author of ‘The First Liberal says, put “Love thy Neighbor” on the money.

The First Liberal starts with the intriguing sentence, “Jesus invented Liberalism on the day he said, ‘Love thy neighbor.’” The book traces how Jesus’ teachings have come down to us not only in Biblical texts, but also as the ideals and standards of Liberal politics.

The book is not about religion; it’s about politics. It discusses what Jesus said about forgiveness and turning the other cheek, and all that, without any reference to prayer or other religious observances.

It’s a fascinating idea! This book is Jesus without religion, although it’s certainly not anti-religious. It just leaves the question of religion to each individual. The author says that a “secular” approach to Christianity gives us a clearer view of its ideals.

“Detachment from reverence gives us the sharpest focus on Jesus’ ideals, just as an astronomer’s telescope does when it’s positioned away from the glow of atmosphere. Without the religious aspect, these ideas can be most easily appreciated, and can have the greatest appeal to a world-wide, often non-Christian, audience”, he says.

In God we Trust, or Love Thy Neighbor?

In a chapter called, “What Liberals want for America”, Altman suggest that we put “Love Thy Neighbor” on U.S. currency. He notes that for years, some people have felt that the present slogan, “In God We Trust”, is a violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution. This is the amendment that guarantees our freedoms of speech, the press, and religion. Altman says that Thomas Jefferson and the other founding fathers were careful not endorse any religion, in order to insure that everyone could have free choice and none would feel left out.

Because of that, some Liberals have always felt that we should seriously consider taking “In God We Trust” off the money. Others have argued that IGWT is neutral, because it speaks of God in a generic sense. The rebuke those people get is that the constitution should not even endorse the idea of religion to begin with. And so it goes, and has been going on for years.

No Liberal wishes to offend the religious sensibility of anyone, but since no group has ever expressed disapproval of Love Thy Neighbor, Dennis Martin Altman suggests that it would pass the First Amendment test, because it doesn’t endorse a religion.

It wouldn’t offend Shintos, Lutherans, Catholics, Evangelicals, Mormons, Jews, Zoroastrians, Muslims, or atheists. In the history of humanity, Altman maintains, no one ever uttered a more benevolent and profound thought in fewer syllables.

“If we all lived by LTN, this world would be a far kinder and healthier place, and people all over the world would have more positive thoughts about the United States of America.” <<

Learn more about THE FIRST LIBERAL at www.firstliberal.com Purchase it amazon.com, and barnesandnoble.com, or by dialing 1-800 AUTHORS. To read it FREE, ask your library to order it. ISBN: 0-595-43053-8