Read: The Rebel Christ (Coren)

From a previous posting....

This atheist must keep an open mind, always. Right now I'm reading Toronto-based author Michael Coren's The Rebel Christ (2021). I actually bought the book last October, and read its "Introduction", but my reading queue is always pages long ― meaning it had to wait in line. The Rebel Christ is more than good, even at just a couple of chapters in....

The writer quotes G.K. Chesterton: "The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried."

As readers here may have heard, members of the Christian right have been going barmy over the Reverend Coren's work. I doubt they've even read The Rebel Christ, or perhaps some have but find its reaffirmation of Christ's message of peace and love to be rebarbative.

Before I go back to coffee and reading, I must add: The author maintains a good sense of humour as he addresses certain concerns. This sent me funny....

"Personally, I prefer a nice card, a box of chocolates, and some roses."

Well folks, I finished reading the book, and I have to say that The Rebel Christ is "required reading at the Academy".

So you know where I stand on Christianity and religion in general, I am a card-carrying atheist. As a matter of fact, I have the hard-to-acquire Platinum Card. As I wrote in April of 2017, I rejected 'faith' very early in my life. "From a Dependent Brat: The Church of Me" goes into a little detail as to when and how this happened. I've not wavered since then.

Now that you have an IMF (Impossible Missions Force) dossier on me, here I go....

Non-believers and believers would have much to glean from Michael Coren's effort to set the record straight on a few matters; matters that have been hijacked and distorted by those who wrap themselves in the bible, even if they've never actually read it, to reaffirm what they believe were Christ's teachings. As Mr Coren states assuredly more than a few times in his work, Jesus never actually addressed certain issues, and if he did, if ever so slightly, in some cases they've been perverted beyond all recognition.

I would agree that Jesus preached love and forgiveness above all. (What's so hard to understand?)

This atheist has adopted a certain phrase, one heard a lot these days from non-believers such as myself: "Even I'm more Christian than many of these so-called Christians."

Final note: Travelling on Twitter introduces one to a lot of far-right anger, anger all too often suggesting violence. Check out a given bio and see "Loves Jesus".

Yeah, buddy, I believe you.

But I do believe Michael Coren. The Rebel Christ is outstanding, and highly recommended... even by this atheist.

"Please believe me when I say that Jesus would not hurt or abuse, would not reject, would not exclude."

A Forever Question: Polarity

“Since before your sun burned hot in space and before your race was born, I have awaited a question."

Sir. Do cats electronically simplify their owners?

Picturing: Shooting With the Arriflex Camera

Yours truly shoots a scene with a hoodlum. While going through my photo files recently, I found this little gem of a shot.

Mark, the actor here, was a great guy, and was always game to act as a tough type. Doesn't he look great? Actually, looking at this picture now, I'm struck by how 'Dick Tracy' he looks.

By the way, the location is Sir Winston Churchill Park, here in Toronto.

CD: Lost in Space 1 (Williams)

Lost in Space

- Original Television Soundtrack -

Volume One

Music by

John Williams

GNP/Crescendo

1996

A Forever Question: Please, Not That!

“Since before your sun burned hot in space and before your race was born, I have awaited a question."

Sir. Would cats banish us to The Dog Zone?"

Picturing: Two Pairs of Pears

Some weeks ago I grabbed coffee for me and friends. The wonderful baristas gave me a tray to carry three coffees ― which makes for easier transportation, of course.

Instead of throwing the holder out, I brought it home figuring I would find a use for it. Yes, a fruit holder!

Happy Canada Day! 2023

Like many Canadians, I am so grateful to be living in this great country.

Picturing: Cats Perfectly

Why would a cat sit still for a photo session when it can just move out of camera view?

I was ready.

My friend's adorably peevish pussycat was not going to get away that easily. The flurrious feline's attempt to slink down from his perch to a lower level ended up giving me a better and more interesting shot, I think; it's not as though pictures of cats hanging about, not doing much of anything, are of a unique breed.

You pettish little....

A Forever Question: He Must Be a Meisner Man

“Since before your sun burned hot in space and before your race was born, I have awaited a question."

Sir. Are cats method actors?

CD: Lost in Space 2 (Courage, Mullendore, Williams)

Lost in Space

- Original Television Soundtrack -

Volume Two

Music by

Alexander Courage, Joseph Mullendore, John Williams

GNP/Crescendo Records

1996

A Forever Question: Philosophical Tricks

“Since before your sun burned hot in space and before your race was born, I have awaited a question."

Sir. Is my cat letting me live so I can write this?

Titanic to the IMAX

Early last Monday morning I fired-up my computer, clicked onto Twitter, and saw the news: all contact had been lost with a submersible 1 hour and 45 minutes after it started its descent to the Titanic. I spoke out loud with nobody to hear my take: "It imploded. They're all dead."

My natural inclination was to tweet out, "It imploded. They're all dead", but I decided that such a tweet so early would be construed as being negative, not to mention, ghoulish. However, that was the only answer possible. James Cameron, the Canadian deep sea explorer and filmmaker, admitted a few days ago that he knew what happened, but decided to keep a lid on it for the time being ― after all, perhaps there was another possible explanation for a total communications breakdown with the submersible Titan.

With terrible news confirming that the tiny ship had indeed been crushed instantly by tons of water pressure, I did not tweet "I knew it", but rather: "With the horrible loss of the OceanGate submersible Titan, and crew, Morgan Robertson's 1898 novella 'Futility' has come full circle."

Thirty years ago I attended a CSC (Canadian Society of Cinematographers) meeting, here in Toronto, that had, as guests, a film crew that visited the wreck of the Titanic in order to shoot footage for the IMAX film Titanica.  (I enjoyed the finished film; saw it with friends at Ontario Place's "Cinesphere".) Around a mockup of the submersible dangled a netting, the kind one could use for a grocery shopping trip. We attendees gathered around, and all of us, no doubt, took notice of what cargo was in the netting: miniature Styrofoam coffee cups. We listened as the filmmakers talked about going deep down into the consuming darkness. Eventually one of the explorer chaps pointed out the 'reformatted' cups. He explained that they were normal-size Styrofoam cups when they were on the ocean surface. We all laughed, and pondered....

CD: Lost in Space 3 (Salter, Stein, LaSalle, Williams)

Lost in Space

- Original Television Soundtrack -

Volume Three

Music by

Hans J. Salter, Herman Stein, Richard LaSalle, John Williams

GNP/Crescendo Records

2000

Book: Midway (Sanford) ― Movie Tie-In Novelization

Midway

by

Donald S. Sanford

A Bantam Book

June 1976

A Forever Question: Fair Trade

“Since before your sun burned hot in space and before your race was born, I have awaited a question."

Sir. Do cats eat cryptocurrencies?

Father's Day 2023

H.W. St. Laurent, RCAF / CAF

Poem: Hey June, Don't Make Me Mad (Late This Year)

June has arrived knocking at my door

before I've finished cooking....

(The year has been speeding with us stuck in traffic

gassed from fast food dripping sauce over our laps,

down our legs,

and into our dancing shoes.)

... June will eat Macaroni Cheese Dinner from a paper plate

― not formed out of fibre but pressed out of paper.

Can I drink wine from coned copier paper?

It'll have to do, for that's the kind of year it's able to.

Hey June,

You can start to make it better.

___

2022

Simon St. Laurent

A Forever Question: Well Versed

“Since before your sun burned hot in space and before your race was born, I have awaited a question."

Sir. Do cats read Shakespeare?

Andrew Cartmel's Latest 'Arrived in Fine Condition'

Andrew Cartmel is one of my favourite working fiction writers. His outstanding "Vinyl Detective" books, three of which I've read and greatly enjoyed, prompted me to buy his latest effort.

Death in Fine Condition, the first in the planned "Paperback Sleuth" book series, is on my reading table ready for some investigative mystery action, and no doubt it will be deliciously entertaining given Mr Cartmel's track record... pardon the pun.

"He was dead all right."

How can I not read further?....

***

The Paperback Sleuth - Death in Fine Condition

Titan Books (June 6, 2023)

A Forever Question: Humor [sic]

“Since before your sun burned hot in space and before your race was born, I have awaited a question."

Sir. Are Conservatives unintentionally funny deliberately?