L'engle has some fairly interesting and strongly expressed views on religious faith:
Such as I sometimes think God is a s--t--and he wouldn't be worth it otherwise. He's much more interesting when he's a s--t.
[Newsweek:] So to you, faith is not a comfort?
Good heavens, no. It's a challenge: I dare you to believe in God. I dare you to think [our existence] wasn't an accident.
Many people see faith as anti-intellectual. Then they're not very bright. It takes a lot of intellect to have faith, which is why so many people only have religiosity.
...
[Newsweek:] What are you against?
Narrow-mindedness. I'm against people taking the Bible absolutely literally, rather than letting some of it be real fantasy, like Jonah. You know, the whole story of David is a novel ... Faith is best expressed in story.
[Newsweek:] If the Bible is not literally true, does that mean we don't need to take it seriously?
Oh no, you do, because it's truth, not fact, and you have to take truth seriously even when it expands beyond the facts.
"Have you read the Harry Potter books? I read one of them. It's a nice story but there's nothing underneath it. I don't want to be bothered with stuff where there's nothing underneath. Some people say, "Why do you read the Bible?'' I say, "Because there's a lot of stuff underneath.""
(He ought to have asked about Philip Puillman's "Northern Lights".)
Shes published several volumes of her journals that are also very interesting.
L'engle has some fairly interesting and strongly expressed views on religious faith:
ReplyDeleteSuch as I sometimes think God is a s--t--and he wouldn't be worth it otherwise. He's much more interesting when he's a s--t.
[Newsweek:] So to you, faith is not a comfort?
Good heavens, no. It's a challenge: I dare you to believe in God. I dare you to think [our existence] wasn't an accident.
Many people see faith as anti-intellectual.
Then they're not very bright. It takes a lot of intellect to have faith, which is why so many people only have religiosity.
...
[Newsweek:] What are you against?
Narrow-mindedness. I'm against people taking the Bible absolutely literally, rather than letting some of it be real fantasy, like Jonah. You know, the whole story of David is a novel ... Faith is best expressed in story.
[Newsweek:] If the Bible is not literally true, does that mean we don't need to take it seriously?
Oh no, you do, because it's truth, not fact, and you have to take truth seriously even when it expands beyond the facts.
*****
http://www.newsweek.com/id/105017
Fascinating!
ReplyDeleteThis comment is especially on target:
"Have you read the Harry Potter books?
I read one of them. It's a nice story but there's nothing underneath it. I don't want to be bothered with stuff where there's nothing underneath. Some people say, "Why do you read the Bible?'' I say, "Because there's a lot of stuff underneath.""
(He ought to have asked about Philip Puillman's "Northern Lights".)
Shes published several volumes of her journals that are also very interesting.