Comments on: More religion

By: Darwin

Darwin — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 16:33:46 +0000

Thanks for elevating my diatribe to the holy level of Main Text–my apotheosis is complete. If you’re into all that saintly malarkey, don’t forget about ‘St Christina the Astonishing’ who apparently couldn’t bear the smell of humans. Or the virginal (and entirely fictional, yet still venerated) St Wilgefortis whom God blessed with a full beard to ward off potential agents of deflowering. My favourite tale from the Lives of the Saints recounts how the Buddha himself somehow ended up accidentally being canonised, and remains so!

By: eliza

eliza — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 14:15:35 +0000

I love Flannery…Catholic in the south in the forties and fifties (not a lot of catholics down here then).

The River is one of my favorite pieces…and I think a lot of people get it wrong. When the little boy witnesses the baptism in the river, and sees everyone’s jubilation and washing away of sins, he returns to the family home that is cold and without love. He returns to the river and using the trappings of the religion as an excuse drowns himself.

I think quite a number of reader’s miss entirely Flannery’s great sense of irony. “A Good Man is Hard to Find” ?? Perfect sense of irony.

By: MJ

MJ — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 14:11:17 +0000

So? Did you get any head?

By: mary

mary — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 12:35:43 +0000

I seem to remember (and I am very old) that a catholic who leaves the church is called a pervert!
But that might only be if he or she goes to another faith and is not just lapsed. I am a pervert and lapsed.

By: Conan Drumm

Conan Drumm — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 11:10:39 +0000

Ms O’Connor’s one of the great American story writers - you should find her novels/stories in any good bookshop. Info on that film is at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080140/

By: Bock the Robber

Bock the Robber — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 09:47:51 +0000

Eliza: So that’s the Baptist life, eh? Hmm. On principle, I distrust women whose first name is a surname, so I wouldn’t be too familiar with old Flannery.

Mr Darwin: Foetal saints. What a good idea! We could even take it a step further: Saint Glint-in-my-father’s-eye.

Conan: Good man. More info please.

Sheepworrier: You’ll have to blame Mr Darwin for posting that link. He’s a shocking time-waster when he gets going.

By: sheepworrier

sheepworrier — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 09:21:48 +0000

Bock, i just wasted 15 mins of my life readin that little nellie story. I want them back, you time-theivin hoor!

So basically they made this wee girl a saint because she hallucinated, didnt whinge as much as normal, and yet they fully admit she was dropped as a baby? Hmmm….

By: Conan Drumm

Conan Drumm — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 08:51:04 +0000

That’s right Bock, cast that demon out!!

Eliza, Flannery’s known in these parts too. And there was a good film, Wise Blood, made from one of her stories… religious mania always travels.

By: Darwin

Darwin — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 20:31:58 +0000

What about Little Nellie of Holy God? What’s that all about? She was only four years old but she become a saint. So why not three or even two? Why not make a fetal saint? That would sort out the pro-choice crowd.
Some poor indoctrinated and brainwashed child spouting Catholic pap gets to be a saint and a poor old Einstein, Lincoln, or Helen Keller won’t get a look in–coz they’re just atheists!

By: eliza

eliza — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 20:25:54 +0000

Actually, Flannery O’Connor’s short story “The River” pretty much perfectly describes what I think of Baptists.

Did Flannery make it to Ireland? Not sure if she’s that internationally popular or if this is an American lit kind of thing.