Orlando Sentinel book review on evangelicals, plus share your thoughts for next issue on daughters!

#1 · March 21, 2006, 9:32 am

Quote from Forum Archives on March 21, 2006, 9:32 am
Posted by: homenews <homenews@...>
Hello Hope Chest friends!

I mentioned in the "Extras and Announcements" that my daughter Mary would be quoted in an Orlando Sentinel book review. It came out yesterday with the title of "Say Amen and Pass the Satire." Here is the web link:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/books/orl-evangels06mar20,0,2152714.story?coll=orl-calbookstop

In case you can't view this site, here is Mary's quote: "I had to laugh at how well Kilpatrick nails some of the idiosyncrasies of evangelicals, because I saw myself and people I know in some of his humor," says Mary Knowles, 18, a sophomore at the University of Central Florida. "But I also think he takes his satire too far, and several times I was offended by his mockery of my beliefs," she says. "I hope Kilpatrick's audience realizes that Christianity and most evangelicals are quite unlike Kilpatrick's fun-house mirror portrayals."

Mary and I both read this book at the request of the religion writer, Mark Pinsky, who describes himself as a liberal Jew, and who profiled our family (as one of three) in his own upcoming book, A Jew Among Evangelicals. This time he wanted our opinion of the book Field Guide to Evangelicals and Their Habitat by Joel Kilpatrick. While Mr. Pinsky describes the book as "lighthearted" I want to let you know my own thoughts, which he didn't have space to include.

My two-sentence blurb goes thus: "I thought "born again Christians" were totally obnoxious until I understood the importance of their message to my own spiritual health. While some of Kilpatrick's jokes about the evangelical lifestyle were harmlessly funny, I think we should treat core beliefs (like the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins) with serious humility, not the sacrilegious humor so liberally dished up in this book."

Like I said, I don't mind folks poking fun at certain facets of our often quirky lifestyle. That's fair game. What gets me is that the author of the book is supposedly an evanglical Christian who attends a megachurch. It bewilders me because I see absolutely no loyalty or affection for the Savior -- only ridicule for his church and his Word. Ugh! One would think that the only reason this guy goes to church is to get more ammunition for his satirical salvoes. Julia (16) was actually less charitable about the book than Mary and I were -- she was completely disgusted and didn't see any humor in it! May God bless her for her zeal.

Dear friends, I would love to cocoon myself at home and in my church and pretend nothing dark is going on in the world out there that would merit my attention. But any trip to the local bookstore, or even a quick web search will reveal an extreme hostility, in some circles, to our way of life. These folks do not want to live and let live. Some of them dearly want to stop any semblance of a distinctly Christian lifestyle. I don't want to be defensive or self-righteously pious about this, but these are times when we must drink deeply of God's grace and truth -- and then stand strong for the Gospel. We must walk the talk, and talk the walk. We must prepare our children to face the onslaught, because it will come to them no matter how we try to shelter them.

I also asked in the "Extras and Announcements" for your comments on preparing our daughters for a more traditional non-feminist lifestyle. I have already received some wonderful stuff on this, but I would love to get more! Please understand that I want to hear from you no matter what your opinions are on this subject. I want a broad perspective from all segments of the spectrum! I know this will be valuable and stretching to all of us. You can even share how your own mom prepared you for the future, or what you would have loved to have learned ahead of time but didn't, or any stupid mistakes you or your children have made that you wouldn't want others to repeat. If you want, you can even be anonymous. Let me know if you don't want your name used. Anything sent to my [email protected] address is read by everyone in my house, so if you want to send something more privately, use the [email protected] address, which only I read.

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts about anything related to the Hope Chest. I need your feedback! It helps shape what I write when I know what is helpful or not. Drop me a note anytime!

Blessings,

Virginia Knowles

www.TheHopeChest.net
  --  To subscribe, send ANY message to: [email protected]  To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: [email protected]  Visit my web site at www://thehopechest.net  

Posted by: homenews <homenews@...>

Hello Hope Chest friends!

I mentioned in the "Extras and Announcements" that my daughter Mary would be quoted in an Orlando Sentinel book review. It came out yesterday with the title of "Say Amen and Pass the Satire." Here is the web link:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/books/orl-evangels06mar20,0,2152714.story?coll=orl-calbookstop

In case you can't view this site, here is Mary's quote: "I had to laugh at how well Kilpatrick nails some of the idiosyncrasies of evangelicals, because I saw myself and people I know in some of his humor," says Mary Knowles, 18, a sophomore at the University of Central Florida. "But I also think he takes his satire too far, and several times I was offended by his mockery of my beliefs," she says. "I hope Kilpatrick's audience realizes that Christianity and most evangelicals are quite unlike Kilpatrick's fun-house mirror portrayals."

Mary and I both read this book at the request of the religion writer, Mark Pinsky, who describes himself as a liberal Jew, and who profiled our family (as one of three) in his own upcoming book, A Jew Among Evangelicals. This time he wanted our opinion of the book Field Guide to Evangelicals and Their Habitat by Joel Kilpatrick. While Mr. Pinsky describes the book as "lighthearted" I want to let you know my own thoughts, which he didn't have space to include.

My two-sentence blurb goes thus: "I thought "born again Christians" were totally obnoxious until I understood the importance of their message to my own spiritual health. While some of Kilpatrick's jokes about the evangelical lifestyle were harmlessly funny, I think we should treat core beliefs (like the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins) with serious humility, not the sacrilegious humor so liberally dished up in this book."

Like I said, I don't mind folks poking fun at certain facets of our often quirky lifestyle. That's fair game. What gets me is that the author of the book is supposedly an evanglical Christian who attends a megachurch. It bewilders me because I see absolutely no loyalty or affection for the Savior -- only ridicule for his church and his Word. Ugh! One would think that the only reason this guy goes to church is to get more ammunition for his satirical salvoes. Julia (16) was actually less charitable about the book than Mary and I were -- she was completely disgusted and didn't see any humor in it! May God bless her for her zeal.

Dear friends, I would love to cocoon myself at home and in my church and pretend nothing dark is going on in the world out there that would merit my attention. But any trip to the local bookstore, or even a quick web search will reveal an extreme hostility, in some circles, to our way of life. These folks do not want to live and let live. Some of them dearly want to stop any semblance of a distinctly Christian lifestyle. I don't want to be defensive or self-righteously pious about this, but these are times when we must drink deeply of God's grace and truth -- and then stand strong for the Gospel. We must walk the talk, and talk the walk. We must prepare our children to face the onslaught, because it will come to them no matter how we try to shelter them.

I also asked in the "Extras and Announcements" for your comments on preparing our daughters for a more traditional non-feminist lifestyle. I have already received some wonderful stuff on this, but I would love to get more! Please understand that I want to hear from you no matter what your opinions are on this subject. I want a broad perspective from all segments of the spectrum! I know this will be valuable and stretching to all of us. You can even share how your own mom prepared you for the future, or what you would have loved to have learned ahead of time but didn't, or any stupid mistakes you or your children have made that you wouldn't want others to repeat. If you want, you can even be anonymous. Let me know if you don't want your name used. Anything sent to my [email protected] address is read by everyone in my house, so if you want to send something more privately, use the [email protected] address, which only I read.

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts about anything related to the Hope Chest. I need your feedback! It helps shape what I write when I know what is helpful or not. Drop me a note anytime!

Blessings,

Virginia Knowles

http://www.TheHopeChest.net

  --  To subscribe, send ANY message to: [email protected]  To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: [email protected]  Visit my web site at www://thehopechest.net