One American author has set out to change America’s “ungodly” course. Dr. Carol M. Swain, a law professor, Christian social scientist, and frequent media contributor, has written a book entitled Be the People, wherein she claims that the United States is heading in an “ungodly direction.” In her book, she sets out to redirect that path.
Swain’s book is described as “an insightful analysis of the forces of deception rapidly reshaping America’s morals, social policies, and culture, with a call to specific action, written by a thoughtful and courageous Christian social scientist on the front lines of today’s issues.”
Be the People is divided into two sections: Forsaking what we once knew, and Re-embracing truth and justice in policy choices. It covers a number of issues, including what Swain classifies as “America’s shift to moral relativism,” and “Abortion’s fragile façade.”
According to Swain:
I wrote Be the People because I was deeply troubled by the ungodly direction of the country. I wanted to write a book that would help everyday Americans understand what the Bible has to say about current social and political issues. In particular, I wanted them to understand their own power and how far the nation has strayed from its Judeo-Christian roots.”
Swain’s book is not intended simply to highlight America’s Christian heritage, but to empower American Christians and encourage them to seek leaders that make moral policy decisions. She asserts:
I want people to realize that under our Constitution the power to change America rests in the hands of the people. Therefore, we are ultimately responsible for the programs and policies that our leaders enact on our behalf. I believe God will hold us accountable for the leaders we elect and what we allow them to get away with.
Swain is particularly interested in emphasizing the importance of America’s founding documents, hence, the title of her book Be the People is a play on the Constitution’s opening words “We the People.”
She contends that Americans can “be the people” in the following ways:
I think we start by re-reading the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution…and the Judeo-Christian Bible. America’s majority must decide what it means to be a Christian or Jewish believer in an everlasting God. If God changes not, then Believers need to take seriously biblical injunctions found in the Old and New Testament.”
Swain is unafraid to indicate that the nation’s leaders may face harsh judgment from God for their actions in her book. She explains, “The book raises questions of why we have relinquished so much power to a small number of atheists and secular humanists who now dictate the terms of debate on critical social and political issues.” Fearful that the United States may be one of the “fallen nations of history,” she adds, “In the case of Israel, God used the most ungodly and harsh nation to mete out his judgment. Americans do not want to fall into the hands of China, Iran, or North Korea.”
She wrote in Be the People: “The cold winds of change sweeping through Washington, D.C., and our nation are damning evidence that even though we say we believe in God, we live like atheists. We consider God to be either nonexistent or irrelevant — and certainly not in the business of distributing rewards and punishments. The solemn vows of faith that once impelled our leaders to bravery and provided the solid principles upon which our country was founded have been broken and abandoned to the winds. The virtues produced by faith in God have been banished from our borders.”
However, Swain has a solution:
All we need is for the majority of Americans to standup and take responsibility for the condition of the nation. 2 Chronicles 7:14 Makes the condition for national repentance and redemption quite clear. America needs its religious and political leaders to take responsibility for leading the people in a Godly direction and the people need to take responsibility for fearing men more than they fear God.
Swain’s life story is particularly inspirational, as she was a teenage mother armed with a mere GED before earning several degrees and becoming a law professor at Vanderbilt University. She indicates that it’s her own experience that motivates her passion for her faith and for her country. “My story shows that America is still a land of tremendous possibilities. I would like to restore hope in the Dream for all Americans and especially those like me that come from disadvantaged circumstances.”
Likewise, she serves as a rare conservative and Christian voice in academia. The Blaze writes:
Considering the left-of-center nature of the majority of today’s colleges and universities, Swain’s vocal — and conservative — stance on faith and political issues makes her a rare breed among her fellow academics. Considering this fact, my first question for her was why she felt compelled to write such a pro-Christian book.
Carol Swain has appeared on Sean Hannity’s Great American Panel on Fox News several times. In March of this year, she appeared before a House committee and indicated that Obama’s failure to enforce federal immigration law is a “dereliction of duties” that puts Americans at risk.
