Endangered

In a world unsafe for children, Arnold pleads with parents to love their children by protecting them to be what they are - kids.

Arnold wants the innocence of children to be safeguarded from evil. The thrust of the book rings true, but Arnold chases many a liberal-left rabbit, and the thesis of the book frequently gets away from him.

Side trips down leftist lane include: gun-control, pacifism, the sanctions-against-Iraq policy of the U.N. prior to the current Iraqi war. These positions from the left are typical for Plough Press.

You get the feeling that the desire to safeguard the innocence of children can only beat in the heart of a political leftist.

Mr. Arnold writes pleasing prose. I find a lot in common with his love for children and his desire to have them protected from societal evil.

However, his ideas about the 'childhood innocence' are not complete. While agreeing that childhood innocence must be protected, I disagree with his perspective on the essential nature of humanity. Children are not corrupt only as a result of societal influence - there runs something much deeper in the heart of all humanity.

Overall, the book is both pleasant and frustrating. How I wish someone would write a philosophy/theology of childhood innocence that combines Arnold's passionate activism with a more Biblical understanding of human nature.