I am going to have to call bullshit on this one. Seriously? I am not doubting that a good many Americans read the Bible, but it is their favorite book? Do they love the lesser respected version that says that torture is cool? Or the one that urges believers to support warfare and ignore the poor and the environment?
Let's just say I am cynical about this. Of course, it doesn't help America's case when their next favorite book list includes "Gone with the Wind" and "The Da Vinci Code." At least Harper Lee made the list.
10 comments:
Not to mention Ayn Rand??? I had no idea that so many people liked Gone With the Wind. After watching it again about 10 years or so ago (I hadn't seen it since I was a kid), I realized that Scarlet was very mean and manipulative. Not a woman I want to emulate.
The Bible thing I really think is BS. People just saying their favorite book is the bible so they will look all righteous. Like the rude drivers who have the cross and religious stickers you see when they cut you off.
I would bet bet money that no one is reading GWTW. And probably most aren't even reading TDVC. It's all about the movies, baby. And Mockingbird was probably something read in high school, the last time most people ever read at all.
I wonder if there's a doctoral-level expert on education who could chime in on the above (and completely pulled out of my butt) observations?
"Bet bet." Sorry 'bout that.
And don't get me started on Ayn Rand. Rand is typically discovered by adolescents and college students, and then embraced by up and coming executive wannabes because they read it and find a rationalization for being an a*****e. Hey buddy, whatever makes you feel better about being a jerk.
Our doctoral level education expert is busy this week, but I am sure we will hear from him later.
I think you guys are right, and have some other thoughts I am adding to another post and open thread asking for our favorite books.
I enjoy the Bible, but find it a difficult read most of the time. I would have to say it is one of my favorites in terms of how important I think it is. I wouldn't say that it is a page turner. I am sure that some mention it to look righteous the same as some mention Kafka to look intellectual. I suppose the same could be true of any kind of 'favorite' survey.
Because I am feeling snarky this afternoon, let me reiterate that I am fine with people thinking the Bible is their favorite book. I just wish they would stop condoning torture and war and stupidity at the same time. Something about loving the Bible, yet completely ignoring the "love your enemies" part is leaving me somewhat unimpressed.
I think "The Bible" is a silly answer because it's 66 books (more if you're Catholic), not one, and everyone likes parts of it more than others. I like Job and Ecclesiastes, and a lot of the Psalms aren't bad. Proverbs puts me to sleep. I don't know anyone outside of seminary who can stand to spend more time in Leviticus than it takes to thumb through to the narratives further in.
What about Numbers? Isn't that the begats?
Alot of exodus, leviticus, numbers and deuteronomy are repetitive. It's law. With due respect to Steve, reading legalese isn't much fun now nor was it several thousand years ago:-).
Here's a few of my favorites in fiction from over the years:
- The Naked and the Dead (Mailer)
- The Covenant (Michener)
- The Caribbean (Michener)
- Poland (Michener)
- To Kill a Mockingbird (Lee)
- The Old Man and the Sea (Duh!)
- All of the Harry Potter books
- Of Mice and Men (Steinbeck)
- Heart of Darkness (Conrad)
- The Canterbury Tales (Chaucer) (I have to throw that one in- awesome mid-pubescent memories of our hot honors English teacher having us read this in class with the middle English on the left hand page. Needless to say we found out where some of our more interesting English words came from:-))
Non-Fiction
- The Autobiography of Malcolm X : As Told to Alex Haley
- With Malice Toward None: A Life of Abraham Lincoln (Oates)
-Let the Trumpet Sound: A Life of Martin Luther King, Jr (Oates)
- Waterbuffalo Theology (Koyama)
- Reading the Bible from the Margins (de la Torre)
- Leadership and the New Science: Discovering Order in a Chaotic World (Wheatley)
- Anything by Marcus J. Borg
- Anything by Parker Palmer
Later Streak- BB
Something about loving the Bible, yet completely ignoring the "love your enemies" part is leaving me somewhat unimpressed.
Me too, but that certainly isn't the fault of the Bible. There are plenty of us don't condone torture and try to "love our enemies", though I will say this is a struggle.
I think "The Bible" is a silly answer because it's 66 books (more if you're Catholic), not one, and everyone likes parts of it more than others.
Very true.
With due respect to Steve, reading legalese isn't much fun now nor was it several thousand years ago:-).
I agree. I don't even like legal fiction (John Grisham, etc.) when I am reading for fun.
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