1. They are based in truth.
2. They are greatly helped along by tangibles such as chocolate, inventive alcoholic beverages and laughing uproariously at others' fictional foibles.
3. We fully expect to get the same reaction from our efforts. Go ahead.
As a good Reformed writer, We must in all godly conscience say a few things about William Young's The Shack:
It's the antithesis of what We believe in. (Except for the cool bit where the Holy Spirit character gets righteous in the garden and tells off Mack, who's getting a bit annoying.)
That's it, really. But here's some detail to shore up this assertion:
- Minor issues such as God being female and never PMS'ing, Jesus' identity (He seems to have been created after the Fall), and random pokes at orthodox Christianity and religious systems (which doesn't make sense, given the author's determined attempts to create a new religious system based on 'relationships').
- A god who ponces about in the kitchen baking cookies?! This tri-unified Person is supposed to save the world? Jesus did ACTUALLY say, "I did not come to bring peace but a sword", intimating that human relationships can legitimately be squashed for Kingdom purposes.
- The neat side-stepping about a little girl who gets violated, and this god does nothing but sit spiritually by her side and commiserate. Would be more comforting to know that those wall-eyed barstids either get thrown in the Eternal Flaming Slammer or convert.
- "No rules, just Right" - it sounded like an advert for Outback Steahouse.
Relationships are based on Rules: at some point, you have to get exclusive. Or somebody gets hurt. And what happens to the relationship then?
