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Literary Cafe - Indivisible: Restoring Faith, Family and Freedom Before It's Too Late

Thursday, March 29, 2012 at 7:30 pm

Indivisible
by Jay W. Richards and James Robison

Location:Home of Drs. Arnold and Roberta Seid, 427 16th Street in Santa Monica (90402)

Admission: $15.00

Parking: Street

Indivisible is a thorough survey of what has indisputably evolved as the greatest debate of our time--the role of the government in our lives and the prospects for personal freedom.

The insight begins with the title. The authors offer that freedom cannot be divided between fiscal and social issues. Ultimately, if you want freedom, you must strive for freedom in both areas. The authors contend that true freedom is "getting to do what you don't want to do, not to do what you want to do. In order to defend such freedom, you not only have to prevent government intrusion on the fiscal and economic plane, but also on the social plane.

At the time of its founding, religious freedom was seen in the American republic as vital and therefore no state government could impose its brand of religion on its citizens. Now the situation has flipped. No longer is there a need to prevent state governments from imposing a state religion, but rather it is necessary to prevent state governments from imposing its atheism upon its citizens. Ultimately, the moral of the story is the same: the only way that people can exist side-by-side in a complex society is if they are able to practice their faith freely without interference from government. With this foundation, democracies can produce thriving societies, determined to produce for themselves and capable of conducting the trade essential for productivity and growth. Without it, there is perpetual civil strife, with interest groups vying with one another to protect their own particular way of life.

About the Author

Jay W. Richards, Ph.D., is a Senior Fellow at the Discovery Institute and the author of many books, including the award-winning Money, Greed, and God and The Privileged Planet. He is the executive director of the documentaries The Call of the Entrepreneur and The Birth of Freedom. He has been featured in the New York Times and the Washington Post and has appeared on Larry King Live. He has also lectured on economic myths to members of the U.S. Congress.