Vanderbilt University professor of law and political science Carol Swain believes that America’s departure from our founding fathers’ Judeo-Christian roots has come at a cost politically, socially and morally. She believes that the “unbiblical” direction the country has taken, and the rejection of the notions of absolute right and wrong in favor of “cultural relativism” or the principle that an individual’s beliefs should be understood within his or her cultural context, has severely discredited America and its standing in the world.
“Acceptance of this world view creates an environment in which tolerance is elevated as the highest virtue. In order to gain control and indoctrinate others, ‘cultural enforcers’ in media, education and government have seized responsibility to set the standards of behavior for the rest of the American people,” Professor Swain said. She explains her reasoning behind this belief and provides a conservative analysis of hot-button issues impacting the political and social landscape in her newly released book, Be The People: A Call to Reclaim America’s Faith and Promise, published by Thomas Nelson Inc.
In the book, Professor Swain cites various research, academic and political opinions and polls, and references biblical scripture to address current issues from a biblical perspective. “In order for genuine public discourse to exist in America, we must create intellectual and political spaces where people can offer religious reasoning and scriptural proofs that undergird their deepest values,” said Swain.
Controversial topics Professor Swain’s book addresses include race, immigration, abortion, divorce, homosexuality, prayer in school, unemployment, media and the influence of academics in America.
In her chapter on immigration, Professor Swain references her own scholarship and the research of others in explaining her philosophy that illegal mass immigration has created an overflow of “cheap labor” that reduces the number of jobs available to legal citizens. “The overwhelming majority of illegal aliens compete in the same job sectors as low-skilled Americans,” she said. “The low pay they earn means that more families would qualify for governmental assistance, increasing costs for all taxpayers.”
Professor Swain references the research of constitutional scholar Philip Hamburger, the Maurice and Hilda Friedman Professor of Law at Columbia Law School, surrounding the separation of church and state. “Hamburger provides support for the view that the Constitution is a document carefully crafted to prevent a national church,” Professor Swain said. “He believes, however, it would have been inconceivable to the framers that the First Amendment would one day be invoked to support bans against prayer in schools and public displays of the Ten Commandments.”
