Wednesday, 30 January 2013

Fifty Shades of Grayling


"Shocking, specious, treadmill, graphic, violent and grippingly tedious. You'll never think of secularists in the same way again."  ~ Washington Post

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good afternoon Laurence I post on the Catholic & Loving It blog as Mockery of the Sacraments.

Perhaps it would be better to attempt to convince the wider public of the truth of the faith instead of stooping to petty attacks on atheists. If everyone believed the Faith then Grayling, Toynbee & all would be blessed fellow believers, forgiven for their sins.

The Bones said...

Are you suggesting Mr Grayling lacks a sense of humour, or me?

Anonymous said...

LOL I could never accuse you of lacking a sense of humour Laurence, not after your wonderful 33 book where God almighty permits you to masturbate because not doing so makes your tummy hurt.

I simply think that the Faith must be taught as objective truth. It isn't like partisan point scoring on twitter between supporters of alternative political parties.

The Bones said...

Still straining a gnat and swallowing a camel?

Anonymous said...

LOL Is that a euphemism Laurence?

I simply believe in acknowledging the crisis of faith & practice in the West. I like to see the religious confront it, not through sniping at the non-religious, but by being trumpets of the "Good News."

The Bones said...

Are you religious yourself?

Anonymous said...

I post as Mockery of the Sacraments . I deny Christ, & religion in general. I'm not here to argue against your being religious though. I just prefer seeing the faith proclaimed over this sort of post. Just a personal preference I suppose.

50 Shades grayer said...

Didn't you read Grayling's brave work of confession, '50'? He takes the age at which Darwin published Origin of Species as his title, then spends a few pages (far fewer than would be considered sufficient for a book according to publishing conventions) kidding himself that his depression is not a self-induced consequence of having ideas above his station but the result of some mystical burden that mysteriously only affects utter d*** heads. His writing is quite 'honest' and 'brave', which, I believe, are the words one has to use when describing bad literature/teenage poetry/self-absorbed nonsense. His prose is 'sparse' yet 'honest', as in the following example:

Grayling: Darwin, I've been a bad boy haven't I? I just made a mess all over my microscope because I thought of a naughty thing.

Darwin: Yes, my child, you were a naughty boy, but I'm not going to smack your bottom. After all, it's because you're great that you did that, and anyone with a well-balanced life that doesn't walk around thinking 'woe is me' all the time might superficially seem like a less unpleasant person, but that's a trick of the mind - your mind specifically - and if you just carry on being a prat, complaining, being vicious, and generally alienating everyone you meet then eventually (wink), you might be a great man.

Grayling: Oh Darwin, I am unworthy of thee. Perhaps I AM the reincarnation of you, the second coming, the new messiah! Perhaps I will...oops, I've just made a mess on my field notes, I thought of a naughty and my ribs hurt.

Darwin: Sigh. Look, it's not you. It's them, you're OK, they're not. Just keep fiddling with yourself and watch the time tick away, there is no need to change, repeat no need to change. Listening to the criticism of others, even when 'others' here means pretty much everyone you've ever come across, is for the weak. The true man of faith just carries on being a div all his life and takes his bad character as a favorable sign of my love.

Grayling: Oooh sorry, I didn't hear that, I was playing with Mr naughty and made a big mess on my carpet again.

The Bones said...

Of all men I am the most miserable of sinners. Thank you for reminding me.

33

33 The really, terribly embarrassing book of Mr Laurence James Kenneth England. Pray for me, a poor and miserable sinner, the most criminal ...