Book Review: 'You Will Be Made To Care'

"You will be made to care."

It's a simple phrase conservative writer Erick Erickson coined that perfectly embodies the attitude and intent of the religiously-secular Left, which is bent on overthrowing the Judeo-Christian values that have characterized the West for nearly two millennia.

Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran was, in many ways, an American success story. He grew up in poverty, in the all-too-common tragic situation of a family abandoned by their father. Despite all he had going against him, young Kelvin had a dream - to become a firefighter.

His dream became reality, when he became the first African-American firefighter on the Shreveport Fire Department. It didn't end there. Cochran went on to become the Fire Chief in Atlanta, Georgia, even serving two years as the United States Fire Administrator (appointed by President Obama). Driven by his Christian faith, Kelvin Cochran strove to serve with excellence.

Cochran had the audacity to actually voice his beliefs. In a book he wrote aimed at encouraging Christian men, Cochran briefly referred to the basic Christian teaching that all sex outside of marriage, including homosexual acts, is sin.

For this "crime", he had to be made to care. When homosexual activists hurled accusations of "discrimination" and bigotry, Cochran was suspended, fired from his job, and had his name dragged through the mud.

In their new book You Will Be Made to Care: The War on Faith, Family and Your Freedom to Believe, authors Erick Erickson and Bill Blankschaen run through examples of Christians who have been "made to care", and identify actions the Christian community needs to take. As part of the book launch team, I was given a free advance copy to read and review (you can pre-order it here and receive a special bonus package).

In this new war on Biblical marriage and sexuality, Erickson and Blankschaen write that "Christians will be made to care — either for the world or for Truth. There can be no neutrality on this issue."

It's not enough to simply not care about homosexuality and other aberrant lifestyles; the new "mafia" demands we celebrate and embrace it. The new deviant lifestyle is that of Bible-believing Christians. According to Erickson and Blankschaen, the sidelines are gone, and everyone will be forced to pick a side in this conflict.

The strategy of the secularists is to isolate, silence, and punish all those with differing views. The new "tolerance" will not tolerate other beliefs. Secularism is the new state religion (Erickson and Blankschaen call it "the anti-religion religion"); rather than divine Providence, it worships divine Progress.

Biblical and doctrinal illiteracy has weakened the western Church. The watered down "seeker-friendly" approach to church growth has been detrimental to the strength of Christian culture. In an interview for the book, Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias pointed out that, "Not only was the message being diluted, the method was becoming highly suspect. The commercialization of the Gospel lost the Gospel in the process."

Fundamental teachings of the faith are must be reinforced from the pulpit and at the kitchen table. Christian community needs to be rebuilt, families need strengthened, and believers must engage the culture around us. Truth has never been popular, and never will be, but the command to be salt and light still applies. We speak up in the face of evil because our faith demands it. Christianity is not a private faith; we are to live it out.

This is a long-term battle. We've gotten to this point because the Secularists applied long-term perspective and goals to their war. The fight to protect religious liberty is important, not just for us, but for future generations.

You Will Be Made to Care: The War on Faith, Family and Your Freedom to Believe is a great read, and important given the times we live in.

The book officially launches on February 22nd. If you pre-order before then, you will receive a special bonus package:

• Chapter One of You Will Be Made to Care — “The Audacity to Believe” — Start reading the book right away! (PDF)
• Exclusive Audio Interview Collection – Go behind the scenes with more than 11 hours of in-depth interviews featuring Russell Moore, Ravi Zacharias, Kevin DeYoung, Ed Morrissey, Nancy Pearcey, Kelvin Cochran, Barronelle Stutzman, and more.
• The Resurgent Believer: 21 Daily Devotionals to Reinvigorate Your Faith – Erick Erickson (PDF)
• The Believer in the Public Square:  A Sermon by Erick Erickson (PDF)
• “Faith Makes Your Story Worth Telling” — Reinvigorate your faith with this challenging chapter from Bill Blankschaen’s latest book A Story Worth Telling: Your Field Guide to Living an Authentic Life. (PDF)
• The Resurgent Family Cookbook — Enjoy some of Erick Erickson’s favorite recipes as you gather together to form the authentic faith communities we so desperately need. (PDF)
• Social Media Images — Get a free collection of social media images perfect for sharing your passion for freedom and your faith with the world. Let them know you will continue to speak the truth in love!

You Will Be Made to Care: The War on Faith, Family and Your Freedom to Believe can be pre-ordered on Amazon ($18.11), Barnes & Noble ($18.47), Books-A-Million ($27.99), and ChristianBooks.com ($17.99). After pre-ordering, enter your purchase information at YouWillBeMadeToCare.com to get the bonus package.