The First Liberal
The Liberal Code
of Jesus Christ
Reader Reviews
It's not a novel, but a novel way to look at Liberalism!, May 22, 2008 By Audrey H (New York)
The book made me look at things in a whole new way. How many books or movies can you say that about today? However, I wish it could have been a bit more spiritual than worldly, and shown a little more reverence for heavenly figures. Maybe it's just me, having endured 12 years of Catholic school, and having been named after a saint. But it certainly will get people talking. It was a surprise to see so many people that I never realized were liberals. I would love to see this book discussed on a show like Oprah. It could definitely "out" some people who consider themselves conservatives.
Honest and clear, May 4, 2008 By Cathy A. Nocquet (Florida USA)
It's nice to read a book so fresh and unbiased, that makes such sense of political and religious buzzwords...especially during a heated Presidential campaign. It does so by accessibly providing historical background with analyses that are quite interesting. I picked it up sceptical, and put it down enlightened. Thanks.
An Enlightening "Must" Read, May 25, 2008 By Wendell Abern "Writer" (Sunrise, Florida)
Personally, I don't think anyone should vote this year until they read this book. The information -- enlightening to both liberals and conservatives -- is too important to overlook. And, surprisingly, this fact-packed narrative is fun to read! Altman has written this in a way that gives the reader the feeling that he/she is discovering something at the same time the author did. Quite a coup, really, and probably unintentional. In fact, as a writer, I think that if anyone who starts out trying to achieve such a result will fail. Another coup -- and this one I believe was part of the reason he conceived the book -- was to give the word, "liberal," its rightful interpretation, connotations and nuances. For the past 40 or so years, "liberal" has been a dirty word in politics. And ironically, as Altman makes abundantly clear, the right-wingers and arch-conservatives most set against liberal policies are those who suffer the most by voting against them! I happen to be one who rarely reads non-fiction. My favorite genre is the espionage novel or courtroom thriller. However, this is one book I could not put down. And it's certainly one that everyone should pick up.
The history is fascinating, the point of view convincing, and the insights eye-opening. Wendell Abern
Jesus Without religion, June 5, 2008 By L. Geyer "Let Life In Editor" (California)
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."
A solid platform from which to define the liberal mindset. , May 30, 2008 By DoubledadI feel compelled to express my admiration and thanks for your having written this book. It was an incredible undertaking and serves as a solid platform from which to define the liberal mindset. As an aside, I have a friend who is the prototypical Conservative with whom I have agreed to no longer "debate" our differences. Today, I have sent him the book so he may understand WHY we liberals are not swayed by the rationalizations of the conservatives.
