Which "Catholic authors" do you think we need to steer clear of?

[manualman]

What? Is this for real? I dont understand this dillemma one bit.

What, are we all kids and need someone to give us clearance to books now?

Not kids, sheep. Sheep in desperate need of decent shepherding. Anybody who thinks otherwise is both arguing with Jesus’ own imagery AND sniffing at Satan’s favorite bait: vanity.

Those advanced in the faith may certainly be able to read books and information contrary to the faith and get something useful out of it. But when I am starting out in a new topic, you bet your boots I’m going to research the fidelity of the author to the teachings of Christ and his church before I expose my mind to who knows what.

 

[OldAgeGuru]

I agree Damascus… I read what I want to read. I really loved Lovely Bones. I cried at the end. I read the DaVinci Code… it didn’t challenge my faith. I read Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Best Friend.

The last one… while def not for the sensitive… made me laugh. So often we think of Jesus and Mary and all the saints as being dour joyless people who were eaten by lions. Well not Jesus or Mary. These people were humans. They had friends, favorite foods, family, hobbies and most important of all of God’s gifts… a sense of humor.

God gave me a brain. A pretty good one. I can read things from Harry Potter to the DaVinci Code to the entirety of the Bible. I don’t take everything in the bible as (pardon the phrase) gospel. I don’t believe that most of the dudes in the Old Testament lived to be 947. I don’t believe that Goliath was an ACTUAL giant. I don’t believe that Harry Potter makes me want to be a witch (no matter how much I really would love to have a stylish invisibility cloak). I don’t believe that Mary Magdalene is buried under the Louvre. I mean I read the DaVinci code and just enjoyed it as a mystery.

I can read things, get lost in the characters and the story lines, and walk away from it at the last page. I can even forget most of it, I read dozens of text books in college and grad school and to be honest with you I can’t remember anything I read.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

I can read things, get lost in the characters and the story lines, and walk away from it at the last page. I can even forget most of it, I read dozens of text books in college and grad school and to be honest with you I can’t remember anything I read.

Are you asking for our approbation or our sympathy here?

 

[Julianna]

If I want to educate myself about a topic, like medicine, I do not start by reading all sorts of foolishness masquerading as medicine. I do not start by reading anything and everything that is contrary to medicine. That is not wise. I discriminate. I choose to use my time as effectively as I can.

Similarly, if I want to grow in my love of the faith I choose authors that will enlighten me and edify me. I do not choose books that mislead me about the faith.

That is thinking for oneself.

You choose “only” authors that agree with your faith line of thinking. That is known as “thinking inside the box”. You only read what you are “told” or “conditioned” to read based on some list floating around, lest someone think you fell off the faith wagon or sound accusations that you are a sinner because you read a “disapproved” book. Not sure what country you are from. But I live in America, where I can freely choose what I want to read. My faith is NEVER challenged by fictional stories about Catholicism. Do you really think that the church has enough people and thousands of surveillance teams out there to see what you all read? Really. Paranoia reigns supreme.

 

[mommyof4]

Avoid Ann Coulter (like the plague).

 

[Karen1996]

You choose “only” authors that agree with your faith line of thinking. That is known as “thinking inside the box”. You only read what you are “told” or “conditioned” to read based on some list floating around, lest someone think you fell off the faith wagon or sound accusations that you are a sinner because you read a “disapproved” book. Not sure what country you are from. But I live in America, where I can freely choose what I want to read. My faith is NEVER challenged by fictional stories about Catholicism. Do you really think that the church has enough people and thousands of surveillance teams out there to see what you all read? Really. Paranoia reigns supreme.

Who’s paranoid? Some of us here simply do not want to waste our time or money on books that are garbage.

“The true concept of freedom is ‘Freedom is the right to do whatever we ought’, and *ought *implies goal, purpose, morality, and the law of God.” —Fulton J. Sheen, from The World’s First Love: Mary, Mother of God

 

[OldAgeGuru]

Are you asking for our approbation or our sympathy here?

Nah, by not remembering things I’ve had to read it frees up more room for baseball stats!

and Karen,

Define garbage… My mother reads Danielle Steele novels. I consider them garbage. My dad reads true crime. Is that garbage? I read chick lit, which is deemed garbage by literary insiders. I can read books for what they are. Books. Fiction books that provide a way for me to zone out. Non fiction books to pique my interest and learn something maybe.

I guess I’ve never understood when people say they see/ read/ hear/ smell something and are concerned it might maybe destroy their faith…

 

[Tantum_ergo]

I guess I’ve never understood when people say they see/ read/ hear/ smell something and are concerned it might maybe destroy their faith…

First, I’m not sure that this is what people are saying; I think it is more what you think they mean.

But even if it were so, are you saying that there is nothing that is seen, read, heard, physically or emotionally manifested that could not have an impact on faith?

How is faith destroyed, anyway?

Well, faith is a free gift, right? A gift which one can choose to accept, or deny. That gift is not ‘once for all time’. Faith can be both eroded, and enhanced. It is, indeed, for most people pretty much waxing or waning; if it is stagnant that’s a sign to watch out! If it’s waning, it needs ‘fuel’, if it’s waxing, it needs supervision and nuturing. Right?

So actually there is indeed reason to be concerned about what one reads.

What are, for example, you trying to escape from, in escapist, or ‘chick lit’, or true crimes, etc.

Are you trying to escape from the boredom or the littleness of ‘real life’? Well, sure.

But should you be? Or should you be in that particular way?

Now I’m the first to admit that I am slothful, vain, arrogant, blind, etc. So don’t do what I say because of me. But if what I say is true and correct and good, do it because it is true, and correct, and good.

Before you sit down with a latte and “The Devil Wears Prada”, have you done:

1. What you should do for yourself and others that day?
2. What you should do for God because you love Him?

Most likely, you have not (nor have I, I hasten to add).

What I am saying here, is that we have limited free time at our disposal, and we have a lot of responsibilities as Christians who happen to be parents, students, whatever.

And that with the plethora of written material about (as well as movies, TV, music etc., all these activities for our ‘free time’ and enjoyment), we should be making sure that we meet our responsibilties.

If we spend our ‘free time’ reading junk–even if we spend it reading ‘worthwhile’ material–but we haven’t attended to our souls and faith, even that GOOD material may cause us to slacken, to be sidetracked, to focus just on ‘reading’ and not on doing.

Plenty of people are able to ‘quote scripture’ and read it fanatically–but they don’t apply it to themselves and others. It is wasted reading.

And certainly reading less than worthwhile material–material that may include things offensive to faith, that include bad language, pornography, casual references to immorality, positive portrayals of sin, glamorizing evil, etc.–is even worse for the soul. It is a waste. With the good eyes and good brain that God gives, why waste it on trash instead of filling your mind and soul with beauty and then–most important, fueling yourself to the Christian actions which these beauties and truths will inspire?

 

[MrS]

Avoid Ann Coulter (like the plague).

Avoid any writer, Catholic or not, who slams Ann Coulter… it is usually because they have been exposed by her sharp quill. While many may not like her attitude… she can definitely make one think about a lot of things.

 

[Karianne]

BayCityRickL…Just curious…is that Bay City, MI, by any chance? Sorry. I know I’m off subject. I do read a LOT of different author’s and most are not Catholic (I don’t think ?), but I read them for enjoyment. Some of my favorite’s are:

Janet Evanovich
Dean Koontz
Sandra Brown
Lawrence Sanders
John Grisham (just finished “The Broker”)

I don’t take any of it seriously. If I want serious, I read passages from Saint Faustina and St. Therese, etc.

JMO

I agree about Evanovich, also, we like Rita Mae Brown and her cat Sneaky Pie, Maeve Binchy (who has a new book not yet available in the states but it was on AmazonUK), Rosamund Pilcher (is she still alive?), Lilian Harry (another UK author who does a lot of book about the homefront during WW2 in England). I’m not afraid of Andrew Greeley but I haven’t been able to get into his books. There’s a Catholic author named…Katherine Valentine.
Check out this link:
catholicmom.com/fiction.htm

 

[Karianne]

Avoid any writer, Catholic or not, who slams Ann Coulter… it is usually because they have been exposed by her sharp quill. While many may not like her attitude… she can definitely make one think about a lot of things.

I can’t stand Ann Coulter.

 

[Karianne]

Nah, by not remembering things I’ve had to read it frees up more room for baseball stats!

and Karen,

Define garbage… My mother reads Danielle Steele novels. I consider them garbage. My dad reads true crime. Is that garbage? I read chick lit, which is deemed garbage by literary insiders. I can read books for what they are. Books. Fiction books that provide a way for me to zone out. Non fiction books to pique my interest and learn something maybe.

I guess I’ve never understood when people say they see/ read/ hear/ smell something and are concerned it might maybe destroy their faith…

I read one book by Ann Rice, it appeared to be an updated version of a fairytale but it was really gross and disgusting.
The title had BEAUTY in it. I can’t remember it and I don’t want to google it.
It had way too much violence against women.
I don’t understand how that woman came up with her stuff.
I felt the same way about Scooter Libby’s book.

 

[Karianne]

Can someone say: “overreact”?

I enjoyed the post. It wasn’t an overaction, just a well written comment. I thought that was what you wanted.

 

[manualman]

Seems like the thread is drifting more towards fiction than non-fiction.

Fiction is a rather different animal. As long as you have your antennae up for author agendas sneaking in, catholics need not fear fiction hostile to the faith. But be careful not to submerge yourself too deep. Such things CAN affect your view of the world.

Non-fiction was my focus in my previous posts. IMO, it is rather important to know that the author is trustworthy when choosing an author to be your instructor in a matter of faith. Presumably even (former) Father Matthew Fox made sense to somebody. They probably thought themselves highly capable to discerning truth from nonsense too.

God gave us shepherds for a reason!

 

[Karin]

I read one book by Ann Rice, it appeared to be an updated version of a fairytale but it was really gross and disgusting.
The title had BEAUTY in it. I can’t remember it and I don’t want to google it.
It had way too much violence against women.
I don’t understand how that woman came up with her stuff.
I felt the same way about Scooter Libby’s book.

The Beauty series by Anne Rice (written under the name A. N. Roquelaure ) is a soft porn series…would really stay away from them

 

[OldAgeGuru]

First, I’m not sure that this is what people are saying; I think it is more what you think they mean. I have heard people actually say reading something “challenged their faith”

But even if it were so, are you saying that there is nothing that is seen, read, heard, physically or emotionally manifested that could not have an impact on faith? I am certainly not saying that there aren’t things that might challenge one’s faith. I just don’t think that if reading Green Eggs and Ham questions you’re view on Christ that your faith was particularly strong to begin with. If watching Die Hard makes you think twice about Jesus, maybe your faith wasn’t strong to begin with. If smelling bacon on Ash Weds and then saying I don;t care about fasting on Ash Weds, maybe your faith wasn’t particularly strong to begin with. That said, I think witnessing gruesome deaths at a crime scene or in a war. Smelling human and animals bodies burning because a lunatic set them on fire, etc might have a reasonable effect on making you question your beliefs… ie: why would God allow this to happen?"

How is faith destroyed, anyway?

Well, faith is a free gift, right? A gift which one can choose to accept, or deny. That gift is not ‘once for all time’. Faith can be both eroded, and enhanced. It is, indeed, for most people pretty much waxing or waning; if it is stagnant that’s a sign to watch out! If it’s waning, it needs ‘fuel’, if it’s waxing, it needs supervision and nuturing. Right? I don’t believe faith is a free gift. I think that when you reach a certain age/ maturity level it is something that you must work on. The Church asks me to believe some fairly (on the surface) crazy ideas. Virgin births, Rising from the dead, plants on fire and talking to some guy, etc. And I believe it. But I have to get my head around the whole irrational aspect of it, because I have faith. But you can’t tell me that if someone told you your ficus plant was on fire and saying " DON’T EAT BACON! FOR I PROCLAIM IT SO!" that you wouldn’t at least think about taking that person to a mental health proffesional."]

So actually there is indeed reason to be concerned about what one reads.

What are, for example, you trying to escape from, in escapist, or ‘chick lit’, or true crimes, etc.
I’m escaping from the boredom of the day. When I have finally finished all of the tasks that I need to accomplish, and oftentimes more than I needed to. I’m also at times slothful, vain, arrogant. Now I work in social services. I work on keeping elders in their own homes and out of nursing homes. I go above and beyond my job description. I’d donate to charity, but alas I work in social services and at my income level I could qualify for charity. I’m getting my MS in Gerontology. I’m in 5 weddings in the next year and a half. I have an apartment, a dog, and a few other animals. What little free time is mine ( 20 - 30 minutes before I go to bed) I do what I want with. Reading, sketching, talking on the phone, or watching tv, is MY time. No one bothers me, I can zone out and get into a relaxed place with a book that I don’t have to actively think about. That’s why I don’t read “literature” before bed, because I just don’t have the bra(name removed by moderator)ower at 12 AM to process information. I don’t read non fiction at the end of the day for the same reason. I just can’t really be bothered to think about it.

. It is a waste. With the good eyes and good brain that God gives, why waste it on trash instead of filling your mind and soul with beauty and then–most important, fueling yourself to the Christian actions which these beauties and truths will inspire?

I think I live a pretty Christian lifestyle. I do unto others. I don’t let the right hand know what my left is doing. I don’t brag about the good works I do, to seem better than other. I put other people before me, oftentimes to my own detriment. If I choose to read The Devil Wears Prada, then I’m going to do it. And I can readily admit that it won’t affect my faith

 

[Julianna]

Who’s paranoid? Some of us here simply do not want to waste our time or money on books that are garbage.

“The true concept of freedom is ‘Freedom is the right to do whatever we ought’, and *ought *implies goal, purpose, morality, and the law of God.” —Fulton J. Sheen, from The World’s First Love: Mary, Mother of God

The difference between you and I…
I can go to a bookstore, or the library, or by recommendation of friend, “freely choose” to read a book, comment on it, shelve it, return it, or take it back to the library and choose another. The author, the contents have no reflection on my faith at all. Fiction, non fiction…it doesn’t matter.

You on the other hand, have to check with the Vatican Library Police and find out if it’s a sin to read certain authors to see if it is OK to read it. Are you sure you live in America?

I don’t read porn, as I believe it is degredation of women. But then again, that is my “opinion” and personal choice.

 

[fix]

You choose “only” authors that agree with your faith line of thinking.

No, I would choose authors that accept the authority of the Church as that is the authority of Christ. I bind myself to the barque of Peter, not to moral relativism.

That is known as “thinking inside the box”.

Perhaps you need a bigger box? I have an intellect illuminated by faith. I do not wander around lost seeking truth. I know Truth. I hopefully can discern error. I do not have itchy ears that need to run after every trendy vicar or false prophet to fill myself with nonsense.

You only read what you are “told” or “conditioned” to read based on some list floating around, lest someone think you fell off the faith wagon or sound accusations that you are a sinner because you read a “disapproved” book.

False. I know of no list these days. I do not need a list to know the spirit of error. I can read the signs of the times. Again, I start from the premise I know Truth. I do not start from the premise truth does not exist.

Not sure what country you are from. But I live in America, where I can freely choose what I want to read.

Your Americanism does not define truth. No one wants to ban any books. What some want is for Catholics to think critically and not follow secular falsehoods that equate liberty with license.

My faith is NEVER challenged by fictional stories about Catholicism. Do you really think that the church has enough people and thousands of surveillance teams out there to see what you all read? Really. Paranoia reigns supreme.

I have no idea how you conclude that from what I have posted here. I told the OP to read things that edify her and not waste time on chasing error. If you want to educate yourself on a topic by reading nonsense you are free to do so, but I recommend not calling it education.

 

[manualman]

Julianna, you crack me up. Did you know that the great majority of Americans think that they are NOT influenced by advertising? Funny how stupid those coporations are to still pour BILLIONS of dollars into “worthless” advertising…

Or on the other hand, maybe we Americans only THINK we are able to go uninfluenced by advertising. I used to be among them. Now I have a rather more realistic opinion of myself. I’m a human and I am influenced by my peers. It’s a fact of human nature. I can pretend that it is not so (and be subtly lead by people NOT of my own choosing), or I can use my intellect to ensure that I give myself enough exposure to what I deeply believe to be innoculated against the opposing influences.

Advertising and propaganda are the same thing. And they WORK. The only cure is to recognize that they exist and actively work to ensure that your own will in conformance with a healthy conscience is guiding your decisions and convictions, not the culture we live in.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

From Thomas A Kempis “The Imitation of Christ”–and this says a lot on the topic --Part 1:

EVERY man naturally desires knowledge; but what good is knowledge without fear of God? Indeed a humble rustic who serves God is better than a proud intellectual who neglects his soul to study the course of the stars. He who knows himself well becomes mean in his own eyes and is not happy when praised by men.

If I knew all things in the world and had not charity, what would it profit me before God Who will judge me by my deeds?

Shun too great a desire for knowledge, for in it there is much fretting and delusion. Intellectuals like to appear learned and to be called wise. Yet there are many things the knowledge of which does little or no good to the soul, and he who concerns himself about other things than those which lead to salvation is very unwise.

Many words do not satisfy the soul; but a good life eases the mind and a clean conscience inspires great trust in God.

The more you know and the better you understand, the more severely will you be judged, unless your life is also the more holy. Do not be proud, therefore, because of your learning or skill. Rather, fear because of the talent given you. If you think you know many things and understand them well enough, realize at the same time that there is much you do not know. Hence, do not affect wisdom, but admit your ignorance. Why prefer yourself to anyone else when many are more learned, more cultured than you?

If you wish to learn and appreciate something worth while, then love to be unknown and considered as nothing. Truly to know and despise self is the best and most perfect counsel. To think of oneself as nothing, and always to think well and highly of others is the best and most perfect wisdom. Wherefore, if you see another sin openly or commit a serious crime, do not consider yourself better, for you do not know how long you can remain in good estate. All men are frail, but you must admit that none is more frail than yourself.

HAPPY is he to whom truth manifests itself, not in signs and words that fade, but as it actually is. Our opinions, our senses often deceive us and we discern very little.

What good is much discussion of involved and obscure matters when our ignorance of them will not be held against us on Judgment Day? Neglect of things which are profitable and necessary and undue concern with those which are irrelevant and harmful, are great folly.

We have eyes and do not see.

What, therefore, have we to do with questions of philosophy? He to whom the Eternal Word speaks is free from theorizing. For from this Word are all things and of Him all things speak – the Beginning Who also speaks to us. Without this Word no man understands or judges aright. He to whom it becomes everything, who traces all things to it and who sees all things in it, may ease his heart and remain at peace with God.