Comments on: Chapter II: Nylon Strap and Winch

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 23:23:58 +0000

Great writing. Love it! Expose truth, Mr. Wilson, even if it makes us squirm.

By: Dave Hodges

Dave Hodges — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 18:06:45 +0000

“An atheist evangelical nun.”

Simply priceless.

Oh, and Nineveh is spelled like I have written it here. It is misspelled in the first chapter.

By: lewsta

lewsta — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 18:25:19 +0000

On Ruben’s comment, just above: it would be assumed, however, that this phoney “biblically illiterate” ordained charlatan just might have survived some form of seminary training, during which time perhaps a few short busts of Scripture just might have taken root within his cranium. Mind you, not enough, nor of sufficient depth, to ever bear any good fruit, but there, nonetheless. And, having endured the reading of his ghost-written “sermons”, perhaps a few more choice titbits had sufficient tenacity to cling to something….
So far, I’ve thought this phoney “pastor” has been portrayed quite well. His thin veneer of sanctimonious behaviour is sufficiently solid to be believable, yet the depth of his depravity just below the surface is disturbing. Almost as much so as the similar construct of the greater majority of his board of “elders”. I thought the tete a tete just following the meeting, the two guilty cohorts scheming how to preserve their own skins into the bargain, was brilliant.

My personal prediction: this corrupt “pastor” will be sacrificed to the false homosexual accusations to avoid the certain undesirable esposure of the near-universal heterosexual sin ruling that “church”. It will come down to “us or him”, and, since loyalty is first to self (certainly NOT to the Lord and His glory) their leader (in more ways than one) will become the scapegoat.

By: Ruben

Ruben — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 02:02:22 +0000

I think that your attempt to get into Mr. Lester’s mind is running into difficulty. You made the point that he is profoundly ignorant of the Bible: “the writers had put that in a sermon once”, etc. But then he is able to think in Biblical allusions like “bulls of Bashan”. A biblically illiterate person will no doubt think of himself in self-pitying and grandiose patterns, but doesn’t it seem that Gandhi or Martin Luther King Jr. is a nearer referent for such thoughts to such a man than the Psalms?
In other words, in your desire to satirize by the unperceived contrast between Lester and the actual teaching of the Bible, you import more of your own familiarity with the Bible than is really psychologically probable for the character you’ve been depicting.

By: alexsarran

alexsarran — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 08:20:02 +0000

I feel the same way as you Brad. A little uncomfortable reading this second chapter. But I can’t wait to read on and see how the story develops.

By: Brad

Brad — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 17:13:14 +0000

I really enjoyed the first chapter. But I must admit the second chapter was rather uncomfortable for my wife and I. It is so filled with sexual images and debauchery! Now, I understand that the idea is to expose, comment on and condemn this kind of behaviour, but is this a bit much? Perhaps it seems worse because this is a Christian pastor writing a book for Christians…i don’t know. We will keep reading, hopefully the rest of the book is a little more positive in focus. For those of you who didn’t express my sentiments, what do you think?

By: James Goodman

James Goodman — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:55:20 +0000

A niggle: “high-octane powered attorney friend” should be “high-octane” or “high-powered”. Not both.

Regards,

James.

By: J.P. Moya

J.P. Moya — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 13:22:09 +0000

“undecaloguelike behavior.” Excellent diction.

By: Gavin

Gavin — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 19:49:08 +0000

My favorite line was “Rich wood and thankless ministry. Polycarp. Augustine. Calvin. Hybels. No one knows loneliness like a bishop.”

Priceless! BTW, who is Warner!?

I can’t wait till next Monday. I will buy a hard copy, though:)

By: David Young

David Young — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:04:27 +0000

Love the sarcasm, keep it up! This is a well needed ‘tap’ to the jaw of the modern church.

Cheers.