Official Review: The breakdown of truth by Lonnie J Burns

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[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The breakdown of truth" by Lonnie J Burns.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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Given that I am not a particularly religious person, I will try to keep my biases from clouding my judgment. If you are easily triggered by an agnostic individual giving a review (and possibly making a few jokes) about Christianity, please skip this review and continue with your day. I am attempting to be as logical as possible, but I am not well-versed in Christianity and I am familiar with only the basics. That being said, The Breakdown of Truth by Lonnie J Burns details the rise of evil in our modern-day age through figures such as the government, COVID-19, social media, and more. According to the text, the spread of misinformation, the decline of cash, and the breakdown of the education system are among the slew of causes that is leading to the end of days.

I do not identify as a Christian, but I can agree with some of the values that the book remarks upon. The book places an emphasis on love (despite its refusal to tolerate liberals and the media) and does speak about important issues that are often ignored (albeit through a slightly skewed lens). For example, the text mentions the dangers of social media and the sensationalism of news. It is no secret that the algorithm utilized by social media has caused many users to live in their own skewed perception, but simply denouncing it as a source of evil seems a little out of proportion. These (social) media companies, after all, are in the business to make money. While I can see eye to eye with some of the statements made, I cannot help but notice how much of reality the book ignores to make its point.

I cannot speak on the biblical references, but what I can tell you is that this book contains many conservative values that I do not agree with. This is a personal preference, but the book tends to paint liberalism and the younger generation as a source and cause of evil. It references “social justice warriors” who “stand up for an ethnic group or ideology of which they have no part.” According to the book, these warriors “drive left-wing hate and turmoil, destroying America.” Thus, the book suggests that fighting against systemic racism or sexism, for example, as a Caucasian male is “destroying America.” The issue with this is that without the diverse support for such movements, we cannot create sustainable change for a better future. As someone who has been negatively affected by the very racism and sexism these so-called “social justice warriors” fight against, I am disgusted and appalled by the overwhelming amount of privilege dripping from these pages. If your definition of America feeds off the blood, sweat, and tears of the oppressed, I want no part in it.

Conservative values aside, the book fails to specifically analyze and argue its beliefs on multiple levels. For example, the book states that “the COVID-19 virus was a way to control the population.” I, too, had to read that line multiple times. Whether or not this assumption is true is not my place to say. On the other hand, it is extremely disrespectful to diminish a global pandemic that has taken the lives of over a million people to a method of control. In another case, the book repeatedly articulates that a cashless society is dangerous, but does not point to specific, concrete reasons why (other than it being yet another method of control). Instead, The Breakdown of Truth insists on prophesying the dangers of change without putting it into the appropriate context.

In addition, the book seemed fairly well-edited, as I only noticed a few writing and grammar errors. The formatting was clear, but it would have been useful to include page numbers in case the reader wants to go back and reference anything. The book also includes self-study questions, which would be helpful to the devoted Christian.

I think that religion is a wonderful thing, but the book too often illustrates Christianity as an elitist organization that rejects “lukewarm believers.” Despite speaking several truths, it fails to put them under the correct spotlight and provide explicit evidence backing up its claims. Because of this, I can only recommend this book to conservative Christians. Both the book and this review can upset sensitive readers, for separate reasons, so I would not suggest this to many people. Thus, I rate The Breakdown of Truth a two out of four stars. I suppose that what I have learned from this book is that I will end up in the fiery bowels of Hell--if not purely because of this review.

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The breakdown of truth
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