Book Review: We Cannot Be Silent

We Cannot Be Silent: Speaking Truth to a Culture Redefining Sex, Marriage, and the Very Meaning of Right and Wrong by R. Albert Mohler Jr.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A really, really good book. Almost five stars, but not quite.

What I liked:
Mohler's analysis of how divorce and birth control paved the way for same-sex marriage. Heterosexuals wanted sexual freedom first. While he does not believe all uses of birth control are sinful, it was encouraging to find contraceptives being talked about so negatively by such a mainstream evangelical.

His chapter on how the homosexual strategy was put in place. Where we are today was not random. Men and women worked to get us here with a specific strategy that focused on changing culture, not laws.

His section on how sexual liberty has overtaken religious liberty. Mohler is well read and understands that there must be a moral compass to guide any society. For us that compass is absolute sexual freedom. A man's freedom to sleep with another man trumps a church's freedom in who they hire. An eye opening chapter.

His chapter on hard questions. While I did not agree with all his answers, the range of questions and how carefully he answered them was both inspiring and terrifying. They were good reminders of the wisdom necessary for pastors moving forward.

What I did not like:
Too much use of the term "human flourishing." It felt forced.

Too much apologizing. Mohler was more balanced in this area than many, but it still felt like a "Christians have really screwed a lot of this up" theme at times.

His statement that children would be better in a same-sex home than in foster care.

His statement that "the confessing church is always a moral minority."

Some of the answers to his hard questions I did not find entirely satisfactory. However, this was a very helpful portion of the book.

There is no clear call to pull kids out of public school. He hints at in places, but it would have been a good "hard question" to answer: "Should I pull my kids out of public school" or "Should I send my child to a secular college or liberal Christian college?"

Still despite some minor disagreements the book is excellent. Mohler is wise, pastoral, bold, knowledgeable, and balanced. I highly recommend the book.

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