Imagine sitting down with a friend who’s got a fire in his heart for something he believes in. That’s what it felt like talking to Mr. Bahan, an author with immense passion for writing. His book, Dreams from Our Fathers, isn’t just a collection of pages, it’s a love letter to America’s past and a roadmap for its future. In a recent interview, Dana J. Bahan shared what drove him to write, why faith and freedom are so tightly connected in the nation’s story, and how he hopes his words can spark change in a world that’s lost its way.
A Spark from Everyday Life
Dana’s no scholar. He’s a regular guy, shuttling cars for a dealership while pouring his heart into his writing. So, what got him to pick up a pen and write Dreams from Our Fathers? It wasn’t one big moment but a slow burn of ideas and inspirations.He’d tune into conservative talk radio, where hosts like Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA and host of Charlie Kirk Today, dissected government overreach and cultural shifts with sharp clarity.
David Barton’s books, digging into the Christian roots of the nation, hit hard especially Barton’s point that the founding fathers didn’t set out to build a godless country. Dana also drew strength from Pastor Allen Jackson’s program “Allen Jackson Now,” which isn’t a traditional sermon but a strong call for Christians to stand firm in their faith and resist being complicit with cultural evil. Erik Stacklebeck, host of “Stakelbeck Tonight”, further fueled Dana’s vision with his bold reporting on national security, unwavering support for Israel, interviews with Christian leaders and policymakers, and scriptural encouragement. These conversations stirred something in Dana, pushing him to think critically about where America was headed.
Then there were Messianic Jewish magazines like “Israel My Glory” and “Friends of Israel” who shared his love for faith and history. “I was influenced by a lot of things,” he said, his voice warm but earnest. “Talk radio, Barton’s work, Pastor Jackson, Stacklebeck, and the Messianic Jews… they all pushed me to write this book.” It’s like all these voices came together, whispering, “Dana, tell the story. Remind people who we are.”
Faith: The Glue of America’s Foundation
Flip through Dreams from Our Fathers, and you’ll see one thing loud and clear: Dana believes America was built on faith. Not just in any faith, but the kind rooted in Christian values: honesty, service, and love for others. He’s convinced the founding fathers leaned on those values when they laid the nation’s cornerstones. “Our principles and morals came from Christian people,” he told me. “My book shows proof of that, right from the start of America.”
Dana’s not just tossing out opinions. He points to history, to men like Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, whose words are plastered on the book’s back cover. Rush quoted Proverbs 29:2: “When the righteous rule, people rejoice. When the wicked rule, the people groan.” For Dana, that’s not just a catchy Bible verse; it’s a warning. If we want a nation that thrives, we need leaders who care about what’s right, not what’s popular.
But it’s not all just nostalgia. Dana’s worried America’s forgotten its roots. He brought up Abraham Lincoln, who once said the nation had grown prideful and turned its back on God during the Civil War. If Lincoln saw that back then, Dana wonders, what would he say now? “We’ve declined,” he said, his tone heavy. “We’ve forgotten God in our schools, our government, and our lives.” His book is a wake-up call, urging readers to look back at the faith that made America strong and bring it forward into today.
Why Morality Matters in Politics
If there’s one thing Dana can’t stand, it’s politicians who care more about power than people. His book hammers this point home, and he didn’t hold back in our chat. “Public servants should be about serving, not getting rich or pushing their party’s agenda,” he said. He even quoted George Washington, who wasn’t a fan at all and never belonged to a party, and he warned that excessive loyalty to a party would lead to corruption, plain and simple.
In Dreams from Our Fathers, he paints a picture of what leadership should look like: selfless, honest, and guided by faith. He wants readers to demand better from their leaders, to vote for folks who live out “correct principles,” as Benjamin Rush put it. “Party loyalty can blind you,” Dana warned. “It’s about doing what’s right, not picking a team.”
This isn’t just talk for Dana, it’s personal. He sees politics as a reflection of a nation’s soul. When leaders put themselves first, the whole country suffers. But when they serve with humility, everyone wins. It’s a simple idea, but in a world of shouting matches and power grabs, it feels revolutionary.
A Book for Everyone
Who’s Dana writing for? Not just churchgoers or history buffs, but everyone, young, old, faithful, or skeptical. “I want to reach a wide audience,” he said. His book isn’t a lecture; it’s an invitation. He hopes young readers will crack it open and discover the founding fathers’ vision. He wants older folks to move along, remembering the values they grew up with. And for those who don’t believe in anything, Dana’s got a gentle nudge: maybe there’s something to this faith thing after all.
In a couple of sentences, he summed up the heart of his book: “It shows a blueprint for America based on Scripture and the faith of our founders and great presidents. It’s about changing our culture with reason and love, not judgment.” That’s Dana’s style, firm but kind, pointing to Jesus as the ultimate example of service and truth.
Fighting the Drift
Dana’s not blind to the challenges of today. He sees a culture drifting further from its foundations, influenced by ideas he finds dangerous. “We’ve got foreign ideologies creeping in,” he said, mentioning Marxism and atheism breaching their ways in schools. “It’s not new, but it’s louder now.” His book doesn’t just complain about it but offers a way to push back, not with anger but with clear, peaceful arguments rooted in faith.
He’s especially troubled by what he calls the “woke” movement and issues like transgenderism, particularly when it involves kids. “It’s offensive to me, and I think it’s offensive to God,” he said, his voice firm. He brought up Jesus’ warning about harming children, saying it would be better for the one who offends the little one’s to have a millstone tied around their neck and cast into the deepest sea. For Dana, protecting the next generation is non-negotiable, and his book calls on readers to stand up for them.
A Call to the Church
One of Dana’s biggest frustrations? The Christian church is sitting on the sidelines. He estimates only 35-40% of Christians vote, and he thinks that’s a problem. “They need to get into the voting process,” he urged. “We can’t just let the culture slide.” For him, voting isn’t just a civic duty, it’s a way to uphold God’s values and protect kids from harmful trends.
He’s not saying Christians should turn politics into a holy war. It’s about showing up, casting a vote, and supporting leaders who reflect the kind of righteousness Rush talked about. “We can’t be complicit,” Dana said. “We’ve got to act.”
Lessons from History
Dana’s book leans heavily on history, and he’s got a favorite example: Alex de Tocqueville, a Frenchman who visited America in the 1800s to figure out why this young country was so successful. Tocqueville’s answer? The faith of its people. “He saw Americans as Christians with a strong belief in God,” Dana said. “That’s what made us great.”
For Dana, Tocqueville’s observation is a challenge. If faith powered America’s rise, can it pull us back from the brink today? He thinks so, but it starts with remembering who we were. “I want readers to brush up on history,” he said. “Learn how our country got started and why it worked.”
A Hopeful Vision
Talking to Dana, you can’t help but feel his hope. Sure, he’s worried about where things are headed, but he’s not throwing in the towel. Dreams from Our Fathers is his way of lighting a candle instead of cursing the darkness. He wants readers to walk away inspired, ready to live out faith and freedom in their own lives.
“This book can remind people how our nation came about,” he said. “We were strong and faithful in the beginning. We can be together again.” It’s a simple message, but it carries weight. Dana’s not asking for a revolution; he just wants a return to the values that built America: faith, service, and love.
Towards the end of the discussion, Dana’s passion lingered. “Thanks for listening,” he said, almost like he was surprised anyone cared. But his words stick with you. In a world that feels divided and adrift, Dreams from Our Fathers offers a quiet but powerful call to remember who we are and choose a better way forward. For anyone wondering how faith and freedom fit together, Dana’s book might just be the place to start.
About the Author
Dana J. Bahan, a dedicated author and veteran, fervently champions America’s Christian roots. Raised in a life of frequent relocations, he served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War as a law enforcement officer. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Trinity College and a master’s in physical education and recreation from Illinois State University. His career included roles as a recreation director and chaplain at a children’s home, where he nurtured youth with faith and guidance. Now semi-retired, Dana writes Dreams from Our Fathers and America’s First Love while enjoying small-town life, baseball, and spreading God’s message.
