Shacked Up (A Book Review)
I don't know why, but I was thinking about this book the other day. One of my darlingest (and Catholic) friends lent it to me, swearing that I "had to read it!" Perhaps y'all have heard of that Christian cult phenomenon, "The Shack"?
I read it. I'll read anything, really. My darlingest friend invited me out to a birthday dinner and wine bar date later on, and at that time I returned her book to her. Another mutual friend was there, and they both stared at me sweetly expectant, demanding to know, "How did you like it?"
if you haven't read this book (and I don't recommend it), it is about a god-loving man who takes his three children camping. While one child nearly drowns in a body of water, the other, his five-year-old daughter, is kidnapped and brutally, bloodily, murdered. They never find her body ('til the end of the book), but they do find the shack in which she was killed. The man feels great guilt and horrible grief, obviously. One day, he gets a note in his mailbox from god inviting him out to visit the shack where his child breathed her last. He thinks it is a very tasteless, cruel joke. However, it gnaws at him and he decides to go.
Sure enough, god, Jesus, and the holy spirit are all there hanging out. The man gets to see his child, and she is happy and has forgiven the man and told dear old dad that the murder didn't hurt and she wasn't scared because Jesus was with her the whole time (which made me wonder, then, why people are so horrified by it if it's such a gentle experience?). The trio wanted the man to forgive the guy who went around killing small children because they all loved him as their child, and he'd had a rough childhood. Plus, the kid had forgiven him, right?
It's all very healing and assumptive as to what the trio would be like should they exist and a swampy bog of BS.
I thought very carefully about my reply. I didn't want to offend, as I do love this lady like a sister. She is an awesome, awesome person.
So, I said, "I hated that book." Not a good start, but one must be honest, no? "All I can say is, good thing god loves that (insert swear word here), because if he murdered my precious little baby I would hunt him down and I would drag his ass to that shack and I would tie him up and castrate him without the benefit of painkillers. I'd leave him there to bleed out and be eaten by animals. I don't give a (insert yet another swear word here) about his sorry childhood. He murders innocence and I would go to jail to protect mine. Of course, I'd have to be caught first."
Wide-eyed silent shocked stares. I smiled sweetly and changed the subject, "So, girls, ready to order?"
I read it. I'll read anything, really. My darlingest friend invited me out to a birthday dinner and wine bar date later on, and at that time I returned her book to her. Another mutual friend was there, and they both stared at me sweetly expectant, demanding to know, "How did you like it?"
if you haven't read this book (and I don't recommend it), it is about a god-loving man who takes his three children camping. While one child nearly drowns in a body of water, the other, his five-year-old daughter, is kidnapped and brutally, bloodily, murdered. They never find her body ('til the end of the book), but they do find the shack in which she was killed. The man feels great guilt and horrible grief, obviously. One day, he gets a note in his mailbox from god inviting him out to visit the shack where his child breathed her last. He thinks it is a very tasteless, cruel joke. However, it gnaws at him and he decides to go.
Sure enough, god, Jesus, and the holy spirit are all there hanging out. The man gets to see his child, and she is happy and has forgiven the man and told dear old dad that the murder didn't hurt and she wasn't scared because Jesus was with her the whole time (which made me wonder, then, why people are so horrified by it if it's such a gentle experience?). The trio wanted the man to forgive the guy who went around killing small children because they all loved him as their child, and he'd had a rough childhood. Plus, the kid had forgiven him, right?
It's all very healing and assumptive as to what the trio would be like should they exist and a swampy bog of BS.
I thought very carefully about my reply. I didn't want to offend, as I do love this lady like a sister. She is an awesome, awesome person.
So, I said, "I hated that book." Not a good start, but one must be honest, no? "All I can say is, good thing god loves that (insert swear word here), because if he murdered my precious little baby I would hunt him down and I would drag his ass to that shack and I would tie him up and castrate him without the benefit of painkillers. I'd leave him there to bleed out and be eaten by animals. I don't give a (insert yet another swear word here) about his sorry childhood. He murders innocence and I would go to jail to protect mine. Of course, I'd have to be caught first."
Wide-eyed silent shocked stares. I smiled sweetly and changed the subject, "So, girls, ready to order?"
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Comment by Doug Reardon on March 5, 2010 at 9:48pm -
I wonder what kind of mind would think that was a good book? But, I think I'm better off, not knowing.
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Comment by James on March 5, 2010 at 10:12pm -
Well, they do call the Bible THE good book, so you have to consider the source. :)
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Comment by Jason Wagner on March 5, 2010 at 10:58pm -
Ya, compared to the bible that book is kid stuff. Amazing what people are ok with as long as they think God would go along with it.
Good on you for being straight up and honest.
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Comment by Danair Joa Estrare on March 5, 2010 at 11:43pm -
hmm....that's a good story if you want to find only the good lesson on it.
and also it was a bad story, bad god if you look at the negatives. hehehheh lol
there were already thousands of stories like that.........forgiving your someone who hurt you, loving
god just watching people die, crippled, in sorrow, innocent child become bad because of rough childhood...........
yeah like reading the bible if you have faith you'll just ignore that god let his people killing each other
i read bible to get the good lesson it has. and i believe those good lesson.
murder is not good. also revenge.
there are more good book than that.
heheheh you know M, i'm more interested of what you guys ordered than that book hahhahahha lol
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Comment by Shine on March 6, 2010 at 12:45am -
With a piece of rubbish masquerading as literature, I say that you had no choice but to mince words.
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Comment by Eoganacht on March 6, 2010 at 5:10am -
I would hunt the bastard down and do untold horrors. I don't think jesus would love me like a child then.
That book is disgusting. I've been told by my christian friends that if you repent, you get off scot free at the divine level but you still have to face worldy punishment. I don't know if all christians feel the same. This is one of the main problems I have with christianity. If you repent and are forgiven, you can live in heaven with the person(s) that you raped, murdered and stuffed in a suitcase. What a bitch that would be! Eating dinner next to the person that rammed a three-metre iron rod through your head. Only an idiot would trust someone like that!
But then, the bible is full of people killing and raping with no worldy consquences. What a good thing to learn. As long as you have the forgiveness of this god, you're sweet!
That book is a lot of christian propoganda!
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Comment by M on March 6, 2010 at 1:44pm -
I had some very delicious prawns, thank you for asking, and drank lots of wine. It was a good night, actually!
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Comment by Eoganacht on March 6, 2010 at 3:36pm
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I like seafood too!
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