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tgm21234
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Here is a web-site all you book lovers may be interested in.
shelfari.com/
shelfari.com/
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Roman_Catholic_1
Guest
Yea I like the book so far but I didn’t care too much for how the Overlords that came down were able to “prove” the truth behind all of the world’s religions and their origins and therefore most people gave up on their spiritual beliefs. Although it didn’t specifically say that Christianity was one of them you have to assume it would have been one of them. Anyways I like where it is going now in that once these things (faith, spirituality ect) are destroyed in the human everything starts to break down. True utopias, no matter what, cannot keep people happy all the time.
I was surprised to see that C.S. Lewis highly endorsed this book with the authors little shot at faith.
Who knows though I haven’t gotten to the end, maybe it will come out that the Overlords were lying all the time. If you can’t trust aliens, who can ya trust?
God bless
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cthulhubryan
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Childhoods End rocked. I didn’t like his pimping his flavor of Zen though.
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a_priori
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I have read Atlas and Fountainhead. They are incredible books and Rand is an incredible author. I think we can all agree that extreme objectivism is abhorrent. But, as I think you suggest, let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater. Obviously, in contrast to Rand’s POV, altruism is good.Then you must also read Anthem. If you have not already done so of course…Both books are much shorter than Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead but convey a lot of the same thought.
Opps, I read backwards.
Not all of objectivism is abhorrent. While some parts are in direct conflict with Catholic Faith and Practice, the idea that it is not selfish to be able to keep what belongs to one and use it as one sees fit is a very old idea. Rand distinguishes between choosing to give way what one has, as through charity, and having it taken through force by government.
But I live with a philosopher (married to one in fact, a real neo-aristolean). I get to see the best and the worst of philosophies.I can’t stand Derrida.
But she does have much truth in what she writes. I think Francisco’s money speech is incredible. I don’t agree with all of it philosophically but there is truth there IMHO.
I am a Platonist but I don’t agree with everything he wrote. I love Augustine but he causes me great pain sometimes. Balance is important.
Living with a philosopher has to be very interesting.
I’m being lured by Wittgenstein at the moment.
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tgm21234
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I have read Atlas and Fountainhead. They are incredible books and Rand is an incredible author. I think we can all agree that extreme objectivism is abhorrent. But, as I think you suggest, let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater. Obviously, in contrast to Rand’s POV, altruism is good.
But she does have much truth in what she writes. I think Francisco’s money speech is incredible. I don’t agree with all of it philosophically but there is truth there IMHO.
I am a Platonist but I don’t agree with everything he wrote. I love Augustine but he causes me great pain sometimes. Balance is important.
Living with a philosopher has to be very interesting.
I’m being lured by Wittgenstein at the moment.
I remember years ago, maybe it was on the program Firing Line, or I read it somewhere, that Ann Rand told William F. Buckley that he was too intelligent to believe in God.
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a_priori
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As much as I appreciate her writing she surely falls short on the big questions. I’ve seen her interviewed and she seemed a little prickly. I bet spending some time with her would have been fascinating though.
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Sam_Maloney
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I once read a quote of hers to the effect that she was self sufficient, therefore needed no God. She never seemed particularly dogmatic about it, more disinterested and unconvinced than actively hostile to the concept of God.
The great hole in her philosophy [IMO] is that she never really distinguished the difference between voluntarily helping others, and being coerced into doing so. It’s like she had a giant blind spot with regard to an entire sphere of human experience-- kindness, generosity, gentleness: these things seem to have no place in objectivism. Could be wrong, though: I only read the novels, not the academic works.
But she did do the world a great service by pointing out the problem with institutions that carry ‘altruism’ too far. I think it was Milton Friedman who expressed it very concisly as “In order to do good things with other people’s money, first you have to steal it from them.”
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NPS
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I am very happy for you. The first time I read Father Elijah was such a wonderful experience. I remember one night there was a storm and the wind was blowing and I was just reading and reading and reading…“Father Elijah” by Michael O’Brien and am fascinated! Already read “Eclipse of the Sun” of his and loved it. I know I’m not reading them in order but that’s been the order I’ve found them
Interesting book. It is actually kind of…err…not dense…but…let’s say that there aren’t any throwaway sentences. Some wonderfully insightful writing. But it somehow flows almost as if it’s an adventure or mystery novel.
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tgm21234
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I never heard of the book, but I will look it up on Amazon. Thanks for the heads up,I am very happy for you. The first time I read Father Elijah was such a wonderful experience. I remember one night there was a storm and the wind was blowing and I was just reading and reading and reading…
Interesting book. It is actually kind of…err…not dense…but…let’s say that there aren’t any throwaway sentences. Some wonderfully insightful writing. But it somehow flows almost as if it’s an adventure or mystery novel.
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Dandelion_Wine
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He Chose the Nails - Max Lucado
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NPS
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It’s hard for me to imagine a “reading Catholic” not enjoying that book. I think I first heard about it here on the forums. People kept saying good things about it and I finally bought it. That and “Montanaman” probably said something about it at around the same time. That made for a pretty reliable combo.
Plus I read the customer reviews on Amazon, which are very positive.
Here’s an interview with the author, Michael O’Brien from Ignatius Press:
Part One-- ignatiusinsight.com/features/mbrien_intervw1_july04.asp
Part Two— ignatiusinsight.com/features/mobrien_intervw2_aug04.asp
His website is studiobrien.com (yes, correct spelling). Check that out for sure.
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mommyof4
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I’m about ready to start “Wizard’s first rule.” Anyone else read this yet?
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tgm21234
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Never heard of it, but I will look it up on Amazon. THANKS
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Colmcille
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I tried reading Ayn Rand’s “The Virtue Of Selfishness” back in 1970, having heard accolades about Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. I didn’t like any of them.
The Childrens’ Blizzard is next on my list.
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kimaz
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After several months without reading regularly (bad idea never get too busy to read) I am back on track. Right now:
Mind Over Matters by Michael J. Nelson
Death Rat! by Michael J. Nelson
Leave It to Psmith by P.G. Wodehouse
Mind Over Matters by Michael J. Nelson
Death Rat! by Michael J. Nelson
Leave It to Psmith by P.G. Wodehouse
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flaco40
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I just picked up a copy of John Dominic Crossans Jesus, a Revolutionary Biography. He’s the guy on the History Channel a lot. If I remember right ( and I’m not sure that I do) he seemed rather anti-Catholic?
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tgm21234
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I believe he is.
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Gigglin4God
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Beauty For Ashes by Joyce Meyer. Good book from the first time I picked it up. Couldnt put it down . Read until my eyes got tired.
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a_priori
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The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton
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clairemd
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im actually hooked to paolo coehlo. im on my 8th book, the zahir. there is much profoundness and deep meaning to his works. but i would also like to hear some opinions about it. thanks
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