December 2005 Bookshelf
With finals in December, my time for reading was limited. Having said that, I was able to enjoy a wonderful biography on da Vinci as well as Candice Bushnell and Anne Rice's newest novels. A wonderful biography of Voltaire and a cosmology book rounded out the month. Happy New Years to everyone!Love Knows When to Say “No More of This”
Coming to the point where you realize that you must say “no more of this” is an honorable decision. It is a regrettable decision, but we can regret the consequences of a situation not of our making, but a necessary ending that is of our choosing. In many ways it is the foundational moment of adulthood when we acknowledge our willingness to take responsibility for our lives outside of the destructive influences that formed us. It is not the same as being angry or bitter, but it will be misunderstood by the people still trapped inside the old paradigms as both.Top 10 Books of 2005
This was the most formative year of my life in terms of pure intellectual development and giving voice to my questions, suspicions and ultimately allowing what I do not believe to become less central in my life's pursuit of truth. My top picks of the year include two from Ken Wilber, a biography of Thomas Jefferson, and some compelling works on the role of doubt and the proper role of reason in life.Anne Rice’s Journey Towards Faith
In Anne Rice's newest book, Christ the Lord, we have been given a book that is written in the most approachable and non-offensive of ways, which sincerely wrestles with a question too many Christian theologians refuse to acknowledge: what was it like for God to be born a man and to not know he was God? This is an honest question that Rice deserves much credit for asking. Some will luxuriate in its honesty and the questions it explores, while others will become further perplexed at a part of Christian theology that has never made sense to them – their perplexity being captured quite humanely through the narrative Rice has bestowed to us all.President Bush & Wiretaps
For those of us who are exhausted at the rhetoric over the war in Iraq and the war on terror, the allegations that President Bush allowed wire taps without proper congressional oversight is worth paying attention to. President Bush does not understand, and those who surround him do not appreciate, that legal safeguards exist for important reasons. Even when the threat is severe, we choose to respect the law out of respect for precisely those moments being when the clarity of the law is most necessary. Sometimes we have to be guarded against what we would be willing to do to protect what is rightfully good and worth protecting. Take the time and read this ...The Chronicles of Narnia
After the youngest child returns from her first excursion into the wardrobe and its enjoined parallel universe, the children accidentally run into the aged professor back on their side of reality. Before his own experience in the wardrobe, the oldest brother tells the professor of their youngest sister’s escapades. The professor responds with two questions: first, do you trust your sister and second, if you do, then why would you not believe anything she says irregardless of how extraordinary it might be?Penn Jillette … There Is No God
Penn Jillette (of Penn & Teller fame) was recently featured on NPR's "This I Believe." For those unfamiliar with this NPR program, they feature various discussion pieces that ask the speaker to affirmatively argue their belief on a particular issue. A good friend of mine recently told me in an entirely unrelated conversation that a serious engagement with people who believe different things than we do is one of the most life and belief changing acts we can participate in. It is of unique value to be able to discuss charged questions such as those involving the origination of the universe with people of all belief systems - we are all believers, but not in the same ...Sam Harris on Atheism
I have linked to Sam Harris' work in the past, including a recommendation of his book An End to Faith and his article on secularism and spirituality. He has a new article posted at www.TruthDig.com which is worth reading if for no other reason than its impassioned comments on atheism. Some of the analysis is one dimensional, in particular his evaluation of religion from only the perspective of what ill it has wrought; however, his writing can be the basis for people of theistic beliefs to understand where atheistic thinkers come from. I will be writing in the near future on what atheists and Christians hold in common. For now, take the time to read Harris' ...RENT!
RENT! comes at an interesting time for American culture. Too easily seen as a movie some will loathe due to its imagery and the raw nature of its portrayal of some people's relationships, the depth of RENT! is not accessible to all and may never be unless the stereotypes it uses can be seen for their humanity before the trappings their needs are hidden within.About MysteriousFaith
“If anyone can show me, and prove to me, that I am wrong in thought or deed, I will gladly change. I seek the truth, which never yet hurt anybody. It is only persistence in self-delusion and ignorance which does harm.”
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