A Fresh Perspective

To say that this is a timely tome would be an exercise in stating the obvious.

While our scientists are on the verge of unlocking the secret to curing many serious diseases by means of insights gathered from stem cell research, there are some among us who would sacrifice the lives and well-being of the beneficiaries of such research at the altar of conformance to archaic sectarian dogma. And if that sounds rather uncompassionate, consider the truly hideous cases where some of these self-proclaimed keepers of "family values" actually perpetuate abuse. Yet when the civil authorities attempt to bring such perpetrators to justice, the religious authorities simply circle the wagons and deny culpability.

Marci Hamilton's book exposes the special protections that the religious institutions and particular religious officials enjoy when it comes to both the criminal justice system, as well as civil law. Now that this information has been concisely presented for everyone to examine in this groundbreaking volume, it's time for all of us to demand that religion stop being used as a cover for negligent and criminal activity.

joan of arc

At a time when the wise and discerning lines between church and state have become dangeroulsy distorted and self-serving we need books like Marci Hamilton's "God vs. the Gavel" not only to clarify the the laws that govern organized religion but also to state unequivically that no religion is above the law and no clergy member is exempt from the legal consequences of criminal activity. When religion becomes a vehicle to hate and kill and abuse one another in the name of our God, all we have is the holy law of the land to protect us from such tyranny. Every priest, clergy member, theologian, and religious believer needs to read this book to see more clearly how close we are to sanctioning organized crimes within religious organizatios. Thank God Marci Hamilton stepped forward in her legal profession to say loud and clear "Enough!"