The Family

[dtotire]

http://www.amazon.com/Family-Secret-Fundamentalism-Heart-American/dp/0060560053/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247227153&sr=1-2



From Publishers Weekly
Checking in on a friend's brother at Ivenwald, a Washington-based fundamentalist group living communally in Arlington, Va., religion and journalism scholar Sharlet finds a sect whose members refer to Manhattan's Ground Zero as "the ruins of secularism"; intrigued, Sharlet accepts on a whim an invitation to stay at Ivenwald. He's shocked to find himself in the stronghold of a widespread "invisible" network, organized into cells much like Ivenwald, and populated by elite, politically ambitious fundamentalists; Sharlet is present when a leader tells a dozen men living there, "You guys are here to learn how to rule the world." As it turns out, the Family was established in 1935 to oppose FDR's New Deal and the spread of trade unions; since then, it has organized well-attended weekly prayer meetings for members of Congress and annual National Prayer Breakfasts attended by every president since Eisenhower. Further, the Family's international reach ("almost impossible to overstate") has "forged relationships between the U.S. government and some of the most oppressive regimes in the world." In the years since his first encounter, Sharlet has done extensive research, and his thorough account of the Family's life and times is a chilling expose.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

[patrice]

1. They cleared the way with the Reagan administration for weapons to Somalia

"in Jesus's name."

[blm]

2. Hillary Clinton joined that group early in her senate career.

And it's another reason why I will never trust her again.

[goddess40]

3. According to the book women aren't allowed at the meetings

So I don't understand what her "joining" means

[fishnfla]

4. went to pick up this book tonight sold out

13 people waiting to buy a copy on order

[PRETZEL]

5. I'm about half way through the book

so far, I'm a bit underwhelmed.

It starts out very good but when he tries to trace the history back to it's roots, it's not the most entertaining read.

Maybe it'll get better once Shartlet gets back to his own experiences there.

[PRETZEL]

6. I finished it over the weekend,

the last half of the book was much better than the first half although if one was looking for any salacious details on anyone, you won't find it here.

The book ended up being (for me anyway) somewhat a history of the fundamentalist movements in the US, both past and present.

It did give good insight into how they view the interconnections of religion and politics among other subjects.

If I were to recommend it to anyone, yes. It is an overall good read but not a must read.

[dana_b]

7. I just got through with this one

it's dry but a worthwhile read. To be honest it left me depressed - kind of like a "what's the point?" feeling. I did get a much better understanding of fundamentalism and of how they have perverted Jesus and the Bible. That Jesus is for the powerful and we peons don't really mean much. Trickle down religion, so to speak.

If anyone would like to read this and can't find it, PM me and I'll send it to you.