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Zusatztext “Looking for some fun reading. . . ? Perfidious Proverbs does with brisk humor what Hitchens! Harris! Dawkins! and the others do with a straight face and a lot more verbiage.” - Secular Perspectives “Now! we atheists and agnostics and humanists and free thinkers have a holy book of our own! and a prophet as well! all anointed in [this] wonderfully cynical! tender! touching! often humorous! and always insightful new collection.” - Humanist Network News Informationen zum Autor By Philip Appleman - Foreword by Dan Barker Klappentext This collection of satirical poems homes in on the inconsistencies and downright perversities of what passes in our culture as "Holy Writ." Turning to satire, with its long and distinguished record of exposing folly and bringing enlightenment through humor, the author leaves no doubt that primitive religion posing as eternal truth is just the sort of folly that satire is meant to correct.He lets his poetic imagination roam widely, as he takes on the roles of Eve, Noah, Sarah, Jonah, David, Mary, Jesus, Judas, and even the biblical Jehovah Himself, ("I never apologize, never explain."). We also hear from priests, televangelists, and faith healers, as well as some sensible contemporaries, commenting on what it means to live a life of reason. At the conclusion to the introduction, the author says: "Intelligent and well-meaning people have argued for centuries against the fatal attraction of foolishness, but their efforts have been largely unproductive, partly because many people seem impervious to rational discussion. So perhaps satire is our most effective way of lighting candles in the darkness and communicating effectively to those who are immune to reason. That is, at any rate, the hope, and the rationale, of this book."In this age of suicide bombers and resurgent fundamentalism, we need these lighted candles like never before. Zusammenfassung An illuminating collection of satirical poems. It homes in on the inconsistencies and downright perversities of what passes in our broad culture as 'Holy Writ'. It lets us hear from priests, televangelists, and faith healers, as well as some sagacious contemporaries, commenting on what it means to live a life of reason....
