Tag: books

“Being Gay is Disgusting” An Interview with Author Edward Falzon

The following interview was originally printed in Freethinker magazine, and has been kindly permitted to be reproduced here.

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The Christian right are always quick to cite the Bible when opposing gay marriage, claiming their bigotry is a reflection of God’s will. But how well do they actually know their “holy” book? Are they aware that the same book also advocates human sacrifices or that, as well as condemning homosexuals, it bans cross-breeding animals and wearing clothes made from multiple types of thread?
In Being Gay is Disgusting, Edward Falzon argues that religious fundamentalists are cherry picking which parts of the Bible they follow to suit their own prejudices. He points out that the god of the Bible displays a moral code that is at odds with that of most modern day Christians and draws attention to the parts of the so-called “good book” that nobody who isn’t a complete psychopath could possibly follow. Being Gay is Disgusting lays the Bible bare and pokes fun at some of its less ethically commandments. I caught up with Edward to find out the inside story of this controversial yet highly necessary book.

RS: What inspired you to write Being Gay is Disgusting?
EF: Many years ago, I became curious about the contents of the biblical books – not from a spiritual “I’m looking for answers” perspective but rather an intellectual curiosity. I began to read a Bible and immediately fell asleep. I had discovered why even Christian websites admit that over 90 percent of Christians haven’t read it; it’s long, it’s boring and it’s repetitive. Incidentally, I never use a capital for “bible” any more. It’s not like there’s only one of them; there are countless translations, leaning towards whatever ideology the translators desire, so “bible” has very much become a noun.

RS: Your book sheds light on disturbing parts of the Bible that most Christians probably don’t know exist. Do you think that Christianity’s popularity is partly down to its followers’ lack of familiarity with the book?
EF: Absolutely. In fact during the “Biblical Morality Tour” that I’m doing now, I’ve spoken several times on the subject of Christians not following their own bibles. Not only that, but they wouldn’t follow some biblical directives if Jesus himself were standing next to them holding a crucifix to their heads. They think they’re following the bible in their morality and lifestyle but they simply aren’t. That’s what I try to discuss with Christians and I want to encourage them not to follow [the] Bible any more than they are now.

RS: Can you say a little bit about the tour that you’re doing?
EF: I’m presently travelling throughout North America giving speeches, primarily on biblical morality. I’d prefer debates but ministers and theologians are yet to step up and share the stage.
The Secular Student Alliance has been very supportive, with several student groups booking me to speak on campus. Many groups connected to the Center For Inquiry have also invited me to speak. It has been great meeting so many atheist and secular people who are as concerned for civilisation as I am.
My expat friends in Shanghai, where I’ve lived for four years, aren’t really aware of the constant and seemingly accelerating encroachment of religion into politics, education and law. I want to do my part to stop that, and so I’m on tour, speaking to anyone who wants to listen.

RS: As well as being informative and insightful, your book is also laugh out loud funny in places. How important a tool do you think humour is in the fight against hateful religions such as Christianity?
EF: I think humour is crucial. It’s perfectly okay to ridicule the ridiculous. People have been misled – not since the last election, not even their whole lives, but for literally millennia. They don’t realise it, so taking what they have perceived to be solemn and true all their lives and delivering it as an insightful punch line has the effect of helping them to see how silly these notions are. In some cases, it can even snap someone out of religion entirely.

RS: Have you received much opposition to the book from Christians/religious types?
EF: The only opposition I’ve encountered so far is people saying that Being Gay is Disgusting only covers the Old Testament, which Christians say isn’t as relevant as the New Testament.
Of course Original Sin, from which Jesus is said to have come to absolve us, all the commandments, which Jesus is said to have come to uphold, and the prophecies of Jesus’ coming, which Jesus is said to have fulfilled, are all in the Old Testament. No one would have been on the lookout for Jesus if the Old Testament didn’t exist.
The OT also accounts for 80 per cent of the content and ninety-five per cent of the timeline of any Bible, so to disregard it is to disregard most of one’s owner’s manual. Other than that, there has been a small amount of opposition on “moral” grounds, but for the most part, even Christians have been positive about this book, acknowledging that it’s okay to laugh at the silly parts of the Bible.

RS: What would you say is the most disturbing part of the Bible that you discovered whilst writing your book?
EF: It’s hard to pick just one, since it seems that any minor transgression comes with a death penalty, which is pretty damn disturbing. Of course, above that would be the transgressions that were not specified as wrong but which resulted in death anyway.
Lot’s wife comes to mind. All the angel said was “run for the hills and don’t look back.” Apparently he meant that literally because when the missus looked back, she was killed by being turned into a pillar of salt.
But I think the most disturbing story might be the one of Jephthah in Judges 11. He makes a deal with Yahweh that if he wins in the upcoming battle, he’ll sacrifice whatever first comes out of his gates to greet him when he gets home. He wins the war, heads home and his daughter come out of the gates. He’s sad but still goes ahead and sacrifices her on the altar. There’s better morality in Mein Kampf.

RS: Why do you think some Christians are so obsessed with homosexuality?
EF: Because they’re trained from the pulpit to be bigots and taught only to read the “happy” parts of the bible. They don’t realise that something as random as Yahweh liking the smell of burning fat is mentioned more often than homosexuality.

RS: How has Being Gay is Disgusting been received by the gay community?
EF: Extremely positively. I was very gratified to see reviews come in from South Florida Gay News, Out in Jersey, Out in Perth and so on. Actually I think most of my reviews have been from gay mags and every single one was extraordinarily supportive.

RS: You have previously stated that you were raised in a Catholic household. When did the turning point come where you realised that the Bible probably wasn’t true?
EF: Actually that was only once I started reading it a few years ago. As a Catholic kid, I was never given a Bible to read; I was just told that Jesus totally loves me and Hell is a bad place.
After prepping myself with multiple shots of Red Bull and Jolt Cola and sticking toothpicks in my eyelids, I began reading through it from page one. But there’s the problem; page one is just objectively wrong. It asserts that the moon is a source of light, that the sun is inside the sky of earth, above which there is water stored for rain, and that the stars are there purely to remind us of the seasons.
I also delved into archaeology to find out the accuracy of the Bible’s historical claims. It didn’t go in favour of the biblical account. Archaeologists have found less than nothing to support the biblical account, by which I mean they’ve not only found nothing in support of it but also an abundance of evidence against it. The Old Testament biblical accounts, at least in the books of Moses, are entirely, inescapably untrue.

RS: You have criticised the Bible’s effect on children, stating that growing up in a household run by religious fundamentalists can jeopardise a child’s well-being. Can you elaborate on this?
EF: Though most households, Christian or otherwise, make the safety and well-being of their kids the highest priority, many fundamentalist families have allowed their children to die rather than take them to those Satan-inspired hospitals. Mothers have drowned or even stoned their own children because they’ve sincerely believed that Yahweh and/or Jesus told them to. A quick search on CNN, BBC or Huffington Post will show story after story.

RS: Finally, do you have any more books on the cards and what can we expect from you throughout the years to come?
EF: My Biblical Morality series is a pentalogy that began with Being Gay is Disgusting. I’m now writing the fifth volume, which will be about the whole New Testament, from Matthew to Revelation. The title is Women Should Shut Up and Listen. It’ll be out just as soon as I’ve finished it. Then I’ll write the three in the middle.
Phase one of my tour covers the Pacific and Midwest states of the USA and the southwestern provinces of Canada. I’d like to get enough interest to be able to do phases two and three, which will take me to Southeast Canada, the northeast states of the USA, the southern states and the West. I’d like to be on tour until next year but this depends on how long my budget and sanity hold out.
I’ve also started blogging on the Huffington Post at www.huffingtonpost.com/edward-falzon so that’s a great place to keep up with what pisses me off in current affairs. I’m gradually developing a YouTube channel for the enjoyment and ridicule of netizens everywhere, which you can find at www.youtube.com/edwardfalzon. Naturally, I also do the whole Twitter and Facebook things so follow me at @edwardfalzon and add me at www.facebook.com/edwardfalzon.

Book Review: Damaged Goods by Alexandra Allred

Just because this book opens with a disgruntled wife forcing a bloody tampon into the hand of her husband, does not necessarily mean it is a book just for women, although some might be put off by the opening. Damaged Goods follows the life of Joanna Lucas, a well-spoken divorcee who moves to Marcus, Texas to begin a life she can finally be proud of. Unfortunately for her, this town full of possibilities is actually home to the worst case of pollution in the US and a whole host of other issues that are set to make life hard for her, including rape, arson, and a beer-guzzling emu named Eduardo. Amongst this mess she finds herself adopted by a group of outspoken and eternally youthful women who bring out the true feistiness of her nature.
This is not a book to gloss over topical issues in favour of a happy ending, but neither is it didactic in tone. All too often if an author chooses to tackle complex issues you find yourself feeling sometimes enlightened, but rarely entertained and quite often bored. Allred combines her clever narrative techniques with continually evolving conflicts that keep the reader turning each page. Behind all the plot twists, one-legged Lion lovers and the beer-seeking emu there are some very real lessons. Allred makes you face up to the fact that if you want to see change then you have to do something about it. Sitting back and pretending nothing is happening makes you just as guilty as those causing the damage. She also shows the power of female friendship, without painting all male characters in a bad light, which is refreshing.
At times you are given a lot of information about new characters, and that can be a little hard to retain, but this is only at the start. Overall this is a complex story about friendship, politics and free-thinking that will keep you hanging on long after you’ve read the final page.

Book Review: Kiss the Sky – DC Gallin

Kiss the Sky is the story of three beautiful young women learning to be true to themselves in the drug-infused haze of London in the 90s. Claudia, the heroine of the book, is an impulsive artist determined to carve her own path in life using anything and everything to inspire her painting. She is joined by Paloma and Q and together the three women learn to embrace the London buzz through their creative instincts and sexual freedom.

Gallin’s novel is more of an experience than a bedtime read and with each twist of fate that Claudia faces you are drawn further in. Written in the first person from Claudia’s perspective, there is something very honest and real about the narrative. Kiss the Sky is the perfect insight into the creative mind with no detail spared. We are given everything from beauty regimes to the birthing experience and it is all linked back into her art.

Many reviews have suggested that Gallin has the marvellous ability of transporting people right back to this time of hidden raves and psychedelics, but for a child of the 90s such as myself who has grown up in a very different world, Gallin creates a vision that I can just as easily relate to and be inspired by. The sex is raw and free and yet the consequences are painfully real. It can work as both an inspiration and a lesson learned.

This is a story that goes beyond portraying the wild parties, copious drugs and sex with strangers and Gallin portrays the true conversation of the 90s. Everyone is desperate to make a difference and the dole is ‘today’s patron of the arts’.  This is a novel that is greatly needed in today’s society as it teaches the reader of a world without money, where happiness is still accessible and creativity is more satisfying than a year of one night stands. In the words of Claudia’s father: ‘Why so much luggage for a journey so short?’

The drugs are enlightening, the sex is arousing and the friendships are ever-lasting. I’m really keen to read her next novel, set in India, and that alone is the sign of a good writer.

Get your copy from Amazon at the following link:

 

Book Review: Ghostwriter – Lissa Bryan

*Author Lissa Bryan will be answering questions on October 11, and there will be a giveaway of Ghostwriter for a random commenter. Click the sidebar link on the 11th to take part.*

A good book is about getting caught up in a story and forsaking reality for a few precious moments. With its combination of intrigue, romance and a truly idyllic setting Ghostwriter ticks all the boxes. My first piece of advice would be to avoid reading the blurb and delve right in, without expectations or knowledge of the plot. From the outset Bryan captures the imagination and you’ll quickly find that all awareness of the real world has gone.

Ghostwriter is the story of a work-weary English Graduate, keen to make her mark in the world of journalism. Lumbered with the dull task of ghostwriting a biography for an idiotic politician with minimal information or inspiration, Sara is running out of ideas and funds. Luck, or fate, offers her the chance to live on a quiet island in the cottage of her literary hero. Snapping up the chance she quickly becomes consumed with the history of the cottage and the traumatic circumstances of its owner’s death. She finds herself transported to events in WWI with a troubled ambulance driver as her companion and a deep desire to help heal both of them of their romantic scarring.

Sara is like any graduate and the problems she faces at the start are universal. Perhaps it is this harsh reality that really grounds the reader and helps them follow Sara unquestioningly through her journey of discovery. Any strong sceptics out there might not enjoy this novel for what it is: an escape into the world of writing and romance. It is not realistic, but it doesn’t have to be and wouldn’t work if it was. However, that doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to relate to it. Anyone who came across an unknown novel at a young age and swiftly fell in love with that author and everything they wrote will be able to appreciate Ghostwriter and get lost amongst its pages, just like Sara did.

Book Review: Lessons Learned, by Sydney Logan

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A town reliant on the two pillars of school and church, Sycamore Falls is a profoundly conservative community in the American South, named after the falls that provide a local beauty spot. An English teacher named Sarah has returned to her hometown from Memphis, where a violent incident about which she feels guilty has traumatised her. Going back to live in the house that her grandmother has bequeathed to her, romance blooms when she meets fellow teacher, Lucas, newly arrived from New York City. Their relationship is conducted against the background of events surrounding a troubled student jock called Matt.

Sarah sees Sycamore Falls and the house where she used to live with her grandmother as a place of safety. Her need to return to her roots has taken her by surprise. It’s a response to her witnessing a shooting incident at her former school involving a vulnerable student followed by the end of her relationship with an unsupportive partner. She craves the familiarity of home where she had a special bond with her grandmother, who cared for her after the death of her parents when she was 16 years old.

Spoiler Alert (but not really)
A small town gal returning home from the big, bad city is familiar territory as is a tormented student struggling with his sexuality. I don’t think I’m giving anything away as Matt being gay is kinda flagged up before the reveal, so it doesn’t come as any surprise. He’s the football team’s quarterback and the story begins with him dating the head cheerleader. The author displays a neat sense of the book’s self-awareness. Matt even describes himself as “a walking stereotype”. It’s easy to imagine this as a TV movie, complete with spectacular mountain scenery.

The Sin Bin

When Matt’s sexuality is revealed, the town is divided with many people at school, on the football team and in church ostracising him. His few allies include our romantic pair, Sarah and Lucas. Oh, they disapprove of his ‘lifestyle’, but they don’t think that should affect anyone’s relationship with him or treatment of him. I was waiting for at least one character to come along and say that, actually, there is nothing wrong with being gay, but no one ever does. No one is put forward to offer a counter argument.
All credit to the author for incorporating a controversial social issue in the romance genre, but it won’t go far enough for the more liberal readership. The message is to disapprove of the ‘sin’ and not the ‘sinner’. Even the Falls is a metaphor for sins being washed away.

The only argument to support the disapproval is that the Bible says so, so there isn’t any springboard for a debate. There is a lot of talk about tolerance and unconditional love, ironically also inspired by the Bible. Small town life and life in the ‘big city’ is compared in terms of its capacity for tolerance. The author asks the question, are the ugly attitudes of a small town ever a price worth paying for living there?

In Lucas, Sarah finds her soul mate, as he too is coming to terms with an upsetting incident. He’s left New York under a cloud, despite being cleared of all charges, having faced a malicious and false accusation by a student. When Matt’s problems overwhelm him, Sarah and Lucas are determined to defend him. This new situation mirrors the one in which Sarah’s former student in Memphis found himself and her guilt about failing to save him is a compelling motive to save Matt. Helping this young man represents closure for Sarah and the chance to move on from her past.

This might sound unkind, but Sarah is high maintenance. Lucas has the patience of a saint in dealing with her insecurities and mood swings. She is reluctant to let herself go and trust her feelings. This leads to some tension, which sometimes seems to be heading for conflict but it never comes. I was longing for a blazing row, but instead, Lucas dries her tears and sweetly reassures her every time.

The couple’s bond is cemented in the face of Matt’s life spiralling out of control. He’s a sensitive and thoughtful young man, without being insipid. At the other end of the spectrum, his father and his head teacher are reactionary bullies and respond as if he’s grown two heads overnight.

Future Promise

Sydney Logan has a very good ear for dialogue, both dramatic and light-hearted. She doesn’t go in for elongated descriptive passages, so the pace zips along and you certainly want to turn the page to see what happens. The structure of the story is impressive given this is her debut novel.

When Logan looks at the raw emotions of Matt and the people affected by the fall out, it is very powerful and I would have preferred more of that and less of the domestic bliss of our loved up teachers. There was a bit too much “brushing lips” for my taste, but this is a romance novel, after all. I did find Lucas to be impossibly perfect, to the point of being tedious.

I think Sydney Logan has an assured future as a writer. One of the most moving passages is when Matt’s mother makes a speech defending her son to the church congregation. My wish would be for her to explore issues in a more balanced way in her next book and to do more of what she’s good at – describing real emotions.

 

If you have a Kindle and want to read Lessons Learned, you can grab a copy here.

Book Review: 50 Shades of Grey – E L James

Everyone is talking about it and even those who haven’t read it know exactly what to expect. Mummy-porn, Clit-Lit, whatever you choose to call it, the result is the same. A naughty novel with a simple story. The most frustrating part about this new craze is that from a literary point of view the book is terrible. Repetitive phrases, unbelievable characters and poor use of a thesaurus! Even from an erotic fiction point of view it is weak. I’ve read many Mills and Boon books that are much more captivating, but at the end of the day that isn’t the point. While the trilogy may be infuriating to an English student, for many people across the globe it has awoken something that was long forgotten.

Aside from the content itself, everything about this trilogy has caught the attention of millions worldwide. Starting out as Twilight fanfiction, many people were drawing comparisons between the two love stories before they even knew of its origins. This could be partly to blame for the immense publicity that 50 Shades has achieved. It is the perfect example of just how valuable word-of-mouth can be. Women of all ages have been talking about this book, with many finding themselves unable to resist reading it. While some unwitting readers may have picked it up thinking it was an innocent love story, it is surprising how many did not cast it aside as crude, but used it as inspiration to try out different things in the bedroom.

The BDSM content has been criticised as misleading, but it is very much an introductory lesson, not a hardcore demonstration of all things bondage. The increase in Ann Summers sales of the more adventurous variety of toys is certainly a tribute to the success of the story. So with all this in mind, it is difficult to decipher what the real definition of a good book is. In terms of literary skill and the criticism it has received it is certainly nothing to write home about. However, when a book rejuvenates so many people’s sex lives, opens their eyes to new experiences and new forms of literature, can it really be called a bad book?