h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Concalans...I like it. I wonder if I can get the historians of Colonial American history to start using it!

I don't have a problem with the Left Behind series, particularly - it's just that the people that read that sort of thing have a hard time separating reality from fantasy to begin with. I do feel a shudder of revulsion when I see the books, or see one of the DVDs in the store, but that's not the fault of the writers. So I alleviate my disgust by giving the objects a really good thump with my finger.

There's some really good fiction that uses Christian mythology, like the Narnia series or Perelandra... Why not read some of that? Hurgh.

Speaking of I recommend A Canticle for Leibowitz. Futuristic post-apocalyptic world where the Catholic Church is again in charge of preserving knowledge... It's a sci-fi classic.

That Freddie Mercury is a front page article today is pure coincidence, of course.

MR, I'll come back and read that later. I took the daring step of logging in from the post office, and I feel as if the feds are looking over my shoulder.

Late again, I know! Sorry. I don't really have anything to say except that I hope all goes well on Thursday, Ag.

Erm...what else? I don't have a problem with breastfeeding in public. There was some mention of singing earlier. Glad that Sol and David's concerts went well. I used to be a singing person, but I don't do much of it any more, except in church and the occasional laa-ing in the office. Oh, yes. The Left Behind series. I haven't read them and do not intend to do so.

I have a cold but it's not as bad as everyone thinks it is. It's a funny one. I feel alright for a while, then horrible, then ok again.

Can anyone explain to me why I'm not looking forward to having the day off work tomorrow? I realise I am abnormal. No rude remarks, please!

I think the horror genre owes a lot to Christian mytholgy, but in a less wholesome (if that's the word I'm searching for) than Narnia. It can crop up in unexpected places - both Jasper Fforde's newest books contained some Diabolical scheming, and I read a Dean Koontz that started off seeming like a normal murder mystery, brought in a bit of paranormal stuff and by the end showed a clearly Catholic idea of life after death (though he might have to take the reference to purgatory out now the Pope's abolished it).

I'm inclined to place some blame with the Left Behind writers. It seems an attempt to propagate a right-wing American version of Christianity, not just a story that happens to use ideas from the Revelation. On the other hand all authors will put their beliefs (religious, moral and otherwise) into their work; I suppose we should judge whether they do so intelligently and without preaching to or patronising their readers too much.

Apologies if this is a daft question, but what *is* the Left Behind series? I've never heard of it until now.

Neither have I - anyway must get on with cleaning. I'm showing some potential tenants around tomorrow. I'm a bit scared. I don't feel that I'm old enough to be a landlord.

It's a series of books set in the near future when the apocalypse, as described in the Book of Revelation, starts to happen. The first thing to happen is the Rapture, where the righteous are taken up into heaven and everyone else is Left Behind wondering where a large chunk of the population has gone. The trouble with it is that it takes itself too seriously, as do some of its readers.

And as Bagpuss said, it feeds into/off of a lot of the Religious Right's mentality; Satan, for instance, is the head of the UN.

Doesn't sound graced with great subtlety from the description.

I'm with David when he said that Christian music/literature etc isn't a problem, as long as it's *good*. I'm an Atheist, but enjoy the Chronicles of Narnia and also have a number of religious songs on my iPod which I enjoy, mainly sung by Johnny Cash or Bruce Springsteen. I don't mind that these are clearly rooted in christianity, but Springsteen's "This Little Light of Mine", "Jacaob's Ladder",etc and Cash stuff like "My Mother's Hymn Book" are quality music- also the gospel stylings of the Blind Boys of Alabama. Also, Yusuf Islam (who sued to be Cat Stevens) released an album last year of great songs with themes rooted in Muslim spirituality, The sleevenotes of which contain references to the Qu'ran. I don't care about that, becauise the songs are fantastic.

The key facts about quality religious-inspired music or books is that they also have a creative and artistic base, the religion is an aspect of the art rather than the one overarching feature.

Satan is head of the UN?

LP - I don't always enjoy having the day off either. Especially when the bathroom needs cleaning. Terrible feeling by 4pm of 'what oh what have I done with my day?'. And then I have a bath and the long dark tea-time of the soul descends. Moral - do not bathe on your day off.

Z - I don't feel old enough to be a TENANT yet, myself. Remember, it will not pass. Most of us feel too young right up until the point a knee gives way, and then, dammit, we're too young to have dicky knees either.

I'd personally be pushing 'The Screwtape Letters', as Christian literature. Deeply Christian book, written by a deeply Christian man, and you know what? It INVARIABLY p***es Calconans right off (brilliant word, BTW, Hyp!).

My Dad once said to a religious person, who was talking about the great religious music being proof of the existance of God, as only God could have inspired it, that humans being humans, in the absence of God they'd've been writing wonderful telegraph pole music. Heh heh. I do believe that while religious is a huge and important subject to be artistically inspired by, you can't announce that a work WAS religiously inspired and expect that to somehow make the work great and meaningful. It is equally possible to be trite, insipid, and pusillanimus about religion as about anything else. But I have had people insisting a particular song/ novel/ poem is good simply because it is inspired by their faith. Ah hah hah hah.

I've had a very long day soothing the fears and anxieties of nearly every relation I have re: Thursday. For some reason this has not made *me* feel any less anxious and nor has it got the laundry done. Bah.

I don't see how anyone, aside from the writer, can claim that any work was religiously inspired.

I haven't read the Left Behind series either. I did watch an interview with one of the authors and found him offensively smug and condescending.

I'm not anti-Christian. Or anti-Muslim or anti-Hindu or anti-any other religion in general. I do resent any of them trying to make ~me~ adhere to principles from ~their~ religions. I am anti-certain fundamentalist sects that seem to crop up in all the major religions and probably some of the minor ones. Unfortunatly, that's who I have to deal with every single day. Ultra-conservative, highly repressed, fundamentalists. They are so self-righteous and filled with contempt for everyone who isn't a member of their little enclaves. Given half a chance they would build a huge bonfire and burn most of my collection. Probably throw me in the fire with the books.

[RNick - relaxed agnostic]

Another atheist here! However, that didn't prevent me from enjoying the musical interludes in the Coen Brothers' (otherwise mediocre) remake of The Ladykillers: the black church choir and their incredibly expressive leader. The bass line was thumping, the singers were completely into the Spirit, and I found my toe tapping (or trying to, thanks to the sticky theater floor) in time to the gospel music.

I don't force my beliefs/philosophy on anyone. I try to respect other people beliefs, (religious, scientific, humanistic,whatever), as long as they don't try to shove it down my throat. Then I have been known to get cranky.

people's

Being a historian of religion, I find it very interesting that certain denominations of various religious traditions claim "TRUTH".

I also find it somewhat disturbing that at the beginning of my teaching stint this summer, I found myself faced with a student who was bothered by my descriptions of the hunter/gatherers...not because I talked about cave paintings, or about nudity...it was because I made so bold as to *not* state that I was offering a theory of human development.

So I then found myself on Monday lecturing on the rise of transcendental religions...and, of course, Christianity and Islam are part of that (as is Buddhism, but I've yet to meet a fundamentalist Buddhist...I've heard they're out there). So I prefaced my lecture with "if you are any of the traditions I will be talking about today, please rest assured that I am in no way, shape, or form trying to belittle your faith tradition."

And was profoundly bothered that I privileged one part of my lectures over another.

(And I apologize if this posts twice)

Being a historian of religion, I find it very interesting that certain denominations of various religious traditions claim "TRUTH".

I also find it somewhat disturbing that at the beginning of my teaching stint this summer, I found myself faced with a student who was bothered by my descriptions of the hunter/gatherers...not because I talked about cave paintings, or about nudity...it was because I made so bold as to *not* state that I was offering a theory of human development.

So I then found myself on Monday lecturing on the rise of transcendental religions...and, of course, Christianity and Islam are part of that (as is Buddhism, but I've yet to meet a fundamentalist Buddhist...I've heard they're out there). So I prefaced my lecture with "if you are any of the traditions I will be talking about today, please rest assured that I am in no way, shape, or form trying to belittle your faith tradition."

And was profoundly bothered that I privileged one part of my lectures over another.

" I do like some of the books by Stephen Lawhead and Frank Peretti, though, so I will read some Christian literature! "

Ummm, is that the same Stephen Lawhead who wrote the SF series about an intergalactic circuit judge, back in the late 70s or early 80s? IIRC, it was mildly pornographic -- the judge with her alien bailiff, no less! Gaaaa!

What country is he from, and how long has he been writing, again?