I read this book with our small group at a church we’ve since left. The pastor recommended it, which should have been a warning sign. I personally didn’t get a whole lot out of it, other than the author’s hatred for anything related to George W. Bush or Republicans.
Blue Like Jazz is certainly the most overrated religious (I hesitate to describe it as Christian) book of the last ten years.
Exit question: Will the movie be rated “R” for language?
I wasn’t aware of the author’s hatred in those areas, but given what I’ve seen from other emergentists, it really doesn’t surprise me in the slightest.
“Hate” may be too strong a word, but let’s just say Miller wears his disagreement with Bush’s policies on his sleeve. Since they are not germane to his story, I can only assume those passages are included to develop his emergent “street cred”.
But if you loved Reagan, who was “conservative” while he drove up the deficit, shouldn’t you have loved Bush too then?
If you hate poor people, have barely containable contempt for minorities and blatantly use conservative evangelicals in order to win elections and then blow them off, then Reagan and Bush II are your guys. They’re like peas in a pod. There’s no way you can logically like one and not the other. Either you’re depraved enough to think they were the bees knees, or you actually read history books and you know they both hated the middle class with a fury the world had never seen.
Kelley, the explanation is that when some people disagree with other people, they can’t simply disagree with grace. They also feel a need to drag irrelevant topics into the conversation in order to give themselves another way to make jabs at their opponent. Just because.
YGG – who’s the one whose blog states that they have no tolerance for someone with differing opinions than theirs? (yes, an oversimplification, but the crux of it, for sure). So, you’re a jerk all of the time, and I’m just being a jerk here. Fine. You’re the one that decided to go on record as ignoring me because I pointed out that your idol has some rotten wooden legs. Because I have a viewpoint contrary to yours. It’s a simple minded response to a big world, and I might have lacked a little grace here, but you seem to lack it with every step you must take in life.
When you want to have an open minded discussion about things with people that you might disagree with, let me know. Until then, keep the “oh I’m so hurt” garbage to yourself.
No, Paul, I’m not hurt. I’m actually more amused than anything else. And also a little bit bored, because I’ve seen your type before, and it gets old after a while.
Also, you’re making a false comparison. If I were acting exactly like you, I would have said, “Paul, you’re totally out to lunch, and oh by the way you have rotten music taste.” See?
And regarding Ronald Reagan, he is not my idol. No man is my idol. I don’t think I’ve ever tried to claim that he was perfect or that he never made mistakes. The increased deficit is something I don’t chalk up to his favor. Neither did he. I also disagree with some of his court appointments.
But only the petty could deny that he was a great man.
“But only the petty could deny that he was a great man.”
Or AIDS victims, anyone that lost jobs due to laxed trade policies, the poor, people that were put behind jail for life for drug possession, environmentalists, people that thought the FCC, FDA and EPA were great when they could do their jobs, etc, etc, etc. People that think he was a great president need to weigh him against the truly great presidents this country has had and then think again. He was no Truman, no Eisenhower, no Teddy Roosevelt and certainly no Lincoln.
And the revisionist history that has to be going on for conservative Christians not to see that they were used as pawns is mind blowing.
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26 Comments
yankeegospelgirl
Hoo boy…
Kelley Kimble
I started the book, but had trouble maintaining interest in it. The movie looks a little more captivating.
Ray
I read this book with our small group at a church we’ve since left. The pastor recommended it, which should have been a warning sign. I personally didn’t get a whole lot out of it, other than the author’s hatred for anything related to George W. Bush or Republicans.
Blue Like Jazz is certainly the most overrated religious (I hesitate to describe it as Christian) book of the last ten years.
Exit question: Will the movie be rated “R” for language?
yankeegospelgirl
I wasn’t aware of the author’s hatred in those areas, but given what I’ve seen from other emergentists, it really doesn’t surprise me in the slightest.
Ray
“Hate” may be too strong a word, but let’s just say Miller wears his disagreement with Bush’s policies on his sleeve. Since they are not germane to his story, I can only assume those passages are included to develop his emergent “street cred”.
yankeegospelgirl
I disagree with Bush too, but my disagreements involve his not being conservative enough. Something tells me that’s not Miller’s problem…
Paul
YGG –
But if you loved Reagan, who was “conservative” while he drove up the deficit, shouldn’t you have loved Bush too then?
If you hate poor people, have barely containable contempt for minorities and blatantly use conservative evangelicals in order to win elections and then blow them off, then Reagan and Bush II are your guys. They’re like peas in a pod. There’s no way you can logically like one and not the other. Either you’re depraved enough to think they were the bees knees, or you actually read history books and you know they both hated the middle class with a fury the world had never seen.
yankeegospelgirl
*is ignoring Paul*
Paul
YGG is also ignoring the truth. Oh well, delusion has its place too. After all, why else would anyone waste any time on Southern Gospel music?
yankeegospelgirl
Because it’s solid lyrics and good music sung by people who can actually sing…?
Paul
solid lyrics? maybe.
good music? define good. boring chord changes and lack of interesting rhythmic motifs do not equal good to me, but your mileage might vary.
Can actually sing? Sure, but do they ever sing anything interesting? Not so much.
Southern Gospel is one format where I’d rather read the book.
Darius
Paul, you’re funny.
yankeegospelgirl
Try this:
Kelley Kimble
I checked out Paul’s web site. I’m not sure I understand his point.
Paul
Kelly –
what do you mean?
Kelley Kimble
Why would you insult someone else’s musical preferences? Or do you two know each other and you’re really kidding?
yankeegospelgirl
No, we don’t know each other. And I’d like to call everyone to witness that I have yet to respond in kind.
Paul
if the skin was any thinner around here, it’d be translucent.
yankeegospelgirl
I’ve seen what thin-skinned people look like, and some of the people around here fit that description better than others.
But what kind of a reaction do you expect when you’re acting like a jerk?
Kelley Kimble
Hmmm. I think I see it now.
yankeegospelgirl
Kelley, the explanation is that when some people disagree with other people, they can’t simply disagree with grace. They also feel a need to drag irrelevant topics into the conversation in order to give themselves another way to make jabs at their opponent. Just because.
Paul
YGG – who’s the one whose blog states that they have no tolerance for someone with differing opinions than theirs? (yes, an oversimplification, but the crux of it, for sure). So, you’re a jerk all of the time, and I’m just being a jerk here. Fine. You’re the one that decided to go on record as ignoring me because I pointed out that your idol has some rotten wooden legs. Because I have a viewpoint contrary to yours. It’s a simple minded response to a big world, and I might have lacked a little grace here, but you seem to lack it with every step you must take in life.
When you want to have an open minded discussion about things with people that you might disagree with, let me know. Until then, keep the “oh I’m so hurt” garbage to yourself.
Kelley Kimble
But if you can’t be opinionated on your own blog, where can you?
yankeegospelgirl
No, Paul, I’m not hurt. I’m actually more amused than anything else. And also a little bit bored, because I’ve seen your type before, and it gets old after a while.
Also, you’re making a false comparison. If I were acting exactly like you, I would have said, “Paul, you’re totally out to lunch, and oh by the way you have rotten music taste.” See?
yankeegospelgirl
And regarding Ronald Reagan, he is not my idol. No man is my idol. I don’t think I’ve ever tried to claim that he was perfect or that he never made mistakes. The increased deficit is something I don’t chalk up to his favor. Neither did he. I also disagree with some of his court appointments.
But only the petty could deny that he was a great man.
Paul
“But only the petty could deny that he was a great man.”
Or AIDS victims, anyone that lost jobs due to laxed trade policies, the poor, people that were put behind jail for life for drug possession, environmentalists, people that thought the FCC, FDA and EPA were great when they could do their jobs, etc, etc, etc. People that think he was a great president need to weigh him against the truly great presidents this country has had and then think again. He was no Truman, no Eisenhower, no Teddy Roosevelt and certainly no Lincoln.
And the revisionist history that has to be going on for conservative Christians not to see that they were used as pawns is mind blowing.