Saturday, May 17, 2008

Dear Canadian Christians: Your writing blows dead bears.


Apparently, Canadian "Christian" writing is putrid, festering crap. How else to explain this:

The Spiritual Brain shortlisted for three Write! Canada awards

According to today's release from The Word Guild, The Spiritual Brain: A neuroscientist's case for the existence of the soul is shortlisted in Book-Culture, Book-General Readership, and Book-Leadership/ Theoretical, in the Canadian Christian Writing Awards.

That would be the book that was so thoroughly and savagely eviscerated thusly, which would lead one to conclude that Christian literature in Canada is horrifically craptacular if Denyse O'Leary's appalling rubbish manages to make it onto the short list in three (count 'em, three!) different categories.

Canadian Christians should be embarrassed. If you're a Catholic, you might want to get a head start on that guilt.

FREE AT NO EXTRA CHARGE: As hard as I tried, I was unable to resist e-mailing the following note to the good folks at The Word Guild:

Sir/Madam,

It has come to my attention that the book, "The Spiritual Brain", by Denyse O'Leary and Mario Beauregard, has been shortlisted for the upcoming "Write! Canada" awards in three categories.

As a regular critic of Ms. O'Leary and her scientifically illiterate nonsense, all I can say is, yes, please, dear God, let her win in all three categories. Given that that book is such utterly worthless rubbish:

http://canadiancynic.blogspot.com/2008/05/dear-canadian-christians-your-writing.html

you have no idea of the entertainment value that will be unleashed if you decide that that book represents the pinnacle -- the creme de la creme, if you will -- of Canadian Christian writing. Trust me, if that book captures any awards, the amusement value will last for months.

Respectfully and atheistically yours,
CC

I'll keep you posted.

UPPITY DATE
: Greetings, Pharynguloids, make yourselves comfortable. Uh, not that comfortable -- you just sat on the cat.

20 comments:

Alex said...

Hahah, very nice job. :)

Red Tory said...

"Christian writing"... WTF is that?

Unknown said...

So wait, aren't ID and the Christian God supposed to be at arms length from each other? Or at least plausible deniability (the only plausible part about the whole mess)? Then isn't it shameful if her half-baked theories get awards for Christian writing?

Gordo said...

Excellent email, CC. Excellent. :-)

arensb said...

that book represents the pinnacle -- the creme de la creme, if you will


I'm probably showing my age here, but is this a reference to the "God Stuff" segment on the old, pre-Jon Stewart Daily Show?

Chimera said...

"When did 'Christian' become a synonym for 'crap?'"

Depends on whom you ask. For a lot of people, it happened about two thousand years ago.

Ti-Guy said...

Canadian Christians should be embarrassed. If you're a Catholic, you might want to get a head start on that guilt.

Hah! Dream on. This product of the French-Canadian Jesuitical tradition isn't taking responsibility for O'Leary's kilt-ridden, patent-leather shoes, nun-induced trauma.

Brownian said...

And I thought we Canucks could hold our own in the writing department. I guess none of the good Canadian writers are Christian.

James Bow said...

Hey, CC, be careful of your broad strokes, there. These Christians don't all speak for me.

KEvron said...

which strokes would be the broad ones, james (and be careful not to omit cc's qualifiers when citing)?

KEvron

James Bow said...

Well, I know that CC isn't referring to me, or to anybody he and I know and are on good terms with. But the title still refers to "Canadian Christians" and the post refers to "Canadian Christian" and makes special reference to "Catholic".

I agree with him that you likely would not find me in a Christian bookstore, or buying Christian literature or whathaveyou, but in this post I'm not seeing the qualifiers you're seeing.

KEvron said...

the post title is a direct reference to The Canadian Christian Writing Awards; hard for him to address the subject matter without mentioning the name. while the swipe at catholics may seem strident, i assumed he was refering to those with a penchant for Canadian Christian Writing, and the indiscriminant taste in literature that might imply (that same distinction is evident in your second comment).

qualifiers? ""Apparently, Canadian "Christian" writing is putrid, festering crap. How else to explain this" also, "....which would lead one to conclude that Christian literature in Canada is horrifically craptacular if Denyse O'Leary's appalling rubbish manages to make it onto the short list". qualiferrific!

KEvron

Ti-Guy said...

Will you join me in prayer for the souls of these unfortunate heathens, James?

...;)

James Bow said...

What heathens? Pat Buchanan and his followers? I've been praying for a while! ;-)

KEvron said...

i'm a little confused, ti-guy: am i the heathen object of your prayers or is denyse?

DOn JUan in HEll

Martin Gamble said...

I've always admired Denyse O'Leary's intelligence and integrity...

Ti-Guy said...

i'm a little confused, ti-guy: am i the heathen object of your prayers or is denyse?

I don't really target all that carefully. I just shoot out Hail Mary's like a gattling gun and expect one of 'em to hit something...

Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus...

KEvron said...

atch where you're pointing that thing....

KEvron

James Bow said...

Well, at least it isn't Detritus' piece-marker.

Kathie Chiu said...

I'm completely surprised by the comments by this blogger?! I read the book and I found it very interesting, well written and intelligently laid out. It's not the writing that you're trashing, it's her philisophical and religious views, which obviously clash with your Darwinist theories.

You know, the jury is still out on the great debate - science has not proven Darwin right. Nor can it prove it is wrong. I guess we'll just wait and see.

BTW, you Darwinists are nasty people!