Tag Archives: religion

Philosophical Musings: Kelly Reviews “A New Myth for America” by James Hilgendorf

26 Jul

A New Myth for America by James Hilgendorf (Submission)
Genre: Philosophy, New Age, Non-Fiction, Religion
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Summary (from back cover): Every great civilization has had its own myth, a cosmic story of how we fit into the universe, a divine story of who we are and where we came from.

Now all the old myths have crumbled to dust.

What we crave is a new consciousness, a new time, new stories, new heroes and heroines, dragons and great knights upon black steeds, the battle, the quest – a story that encompasses the heavens and suns and stars and galaxies and black holes and universes beyond number, yet is bolted down to rocks and rivers and flowers and thunder and rain, finding its tale reverberating through the bones and marrow and hearts of the blacksmith, the nanny, the insurance salesman, the ice cream vendor, the teacher, banker, garbage collector, shoe repairman, mechanic, musician…

This story unfolds here and now.

The real, true dream of America.

There are some bold statements in this author provided summary, so I was really intrigued by this text. I didn’t really know if it was supposed to be fiction, nonfiction, preparation for the apocalypse (that thought may have been planted from our last bookclub!), so I went in with an open mind. If you’re ready to do the same – let’s talk America, philosophy, and Springsteen (always Springsteen).

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Bibliomantic Book Club: “Book of Blood and Shadow” by Robin Wasserman

4 May

The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman
Release Date: April 10, 2012
Genre: Fiction, young adult, horror, religion, suspense, and murder

Summary: Nora takes a research assignment to work on the mysterious Voynich manuscript with her best friend Chris and his roommate Max when she uncovers an ancient secret while translating the letters of Elizabeth Jane Weston. In one night, Nora catapults herself and her friends in the middle of a deadly secret, which changes their lives forever, forcing them to flee to Prague and fight the Lumen Dei, a religious organization seeking the blueprints for a machine that will allow them to talk to God. What follows is a religious mystery that has cost others their sanity, as Nora and her friends race against the clock to find the parts of the machine to prove their innocence and stop the Lumen Dei.

Part historical fiction, part fictional mystery, The Book of Blood and Shadow is rightfully called The Da Vinci Code for teens, but with better writing and less embarrassment for the literary community. We’re not Dan Brown fans here. Centered around the real life Voynich manuscript, which scholars still have yet to fully decipher, proclaimed alchemist Edward Kelly, and his step-daughter poet Elizabeth Jane Weston, this novel is full of suspense and intrigue, as we follow Nora to another world where the lines between religion and reality blur.

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Ambivalence in Reading: Cassie-la Works Out Her Feelings for “50 Popular Beliefs That People Think Are True” by Guy P. Harrison

30 Mar

50 Popular Beliefs That People Think Are True by Guy P. Harrison
Genre: Non-fiction, science, ghosts, aliens, religion, everything but the kitchen sink
Rating: 3.456 out of 5 stars

Summary: Skeptic and journalist Guy P. Harrison explores everything from Atlantis to psychic powers, global warming, and the Holocaust. With 50 varied topics, he covers everything you ever wondered about and things you never cared to know. If you are a skeptic, you will love this novel, however if you’re looking for concrete evidence over arguments, seek for it elsewhere.

I had a lot of trouble with this book, and it wasn’t for lack of trying. When I purchased it I was genuinely interested in reading a scientific take on the paranormal and the various mysteries of the universe. The problem: I seemed to be under the impression there would be concrete evidence to support most of these beliefs, which is silly considering if there was incontrovertible proof against ghosts and cryptozoology we would have seen it. Strike one: my perception of the world. Although to be fair, I didn’t hear anything about a giant squid being captured until I saw a special on the Discovery Channel, so anything is possible.

This is where the problem lies in this novel, there are more arguments than evidence. As is touched upon in this book, it’s incredibly hard to disprove stuff. We can point others in the right direction with reason and logic, but evidence that completely says these beliefs are false is hard to come by. For example, it should be easy to prove the Loch Ness Monster is real (a body), than to disprove it, the only way to do that would be to completely drain Loch Ness and not locate a sea monster. A lack of proof doesn’t necessarily mean that something isn’t true. I am of course applying this to the more fantastical ideas, not necessarily topics about biological race, evolution, and alternative medicine.

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Stephanie Reviews Author Submitted “American Idol” by S.C. Hayden

9 Jan

American Idol by S.C. Hayden (Submission)
Genre: Fiction/Satire
Rating: 2.85 out of 5 stars

Summary: Two friends, tired of the way their lives are going, come up with a brilliant scheme to revive the oldest religion, Idolatry, and sell it to the American public for big bucks. Sporting purple bath robes and flashy cowboy hats, Prophets of Idolatry Zoltar and Orbitron create a big bang and the ripples are felt around the world. As they hoped, the two become millionaires, but soon learn that there can be major consequences to having so much money so fast and especially when you’ve insulted pretty much everyone in the world earning it. Threatened by cults and Iran and even the U.S. government, Gus and Desmond try to keep their heads above water, but soon find themselves lost in the crazy world they created.

Greetings and welcome to my first review of an author submitted book! That’s right, you submit your book and one of us lovely ladies will read it and review it for you. I volunteered for American Idol as it seemed to be up my alley – a satire on religion where a couple of dudes decide to make up their own religion to make big cash. This is always a good idea – taking money from idiots who are dumb enough to actually believe you, right? Well…maybe not so much.

Two best friends – Gus and Desmond – along with Desmond’s sister Mary Alison start up the American Idol Company. This company sells Idols – people purchase them and pray to them and give offerings and they are supposed to help you with money, luck, fame, etc. depending on which Idol you buy. Gus and Desmond make the Idols extremely popular by going on TV as Idol Prophets Zoltar and Orbitron and being absolutely horrible and ridiculous to get publicity. Soon Idol-mania is rocking the nation and they are rolling in dough.

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To read or not to read, that is the question: Kelly and the Bible

11 May

I’ve had this… conundrum for awhile. If you know me at all, you’re probably aware that I am an atheist. I’ve never believed in a higher power or deity and (quite frankly) never will. But hey, if you believe in a god or divine being or even a flying spaghetti monster, I am fine with that. It’s none of my business until someone starts forcing their doctrine into the public sphere. But that is both religion and politics, and I get sassy when it comes to that combination.

Here’s the conundrum – I am also an English major. Or a graduated English major. Most books, especially ones that have literary aspirations, allude to biblical stories. James Joyce, Toni Morrison, Vonnegut, JK Rowling, Philip Pullman, Cassie Clare, I mean it is just ENDLESS. Western culture is defined in many ways by the stories in the bible. The basic creation myth that we all seem to know – Adam and Eve and the apple. I have a tattoo based on Joyce’s interpretation of this story.

My rambling point is that I feel like I should read the bible so that I can more fully appreciate the allusions in the texts that I love. The problem is anytime I try to, I get super angry. And it’s not because I am an atheist – it’s because I have a vagina.

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