I go for little books. It’s not that I don’t like reading big books or thick books or huge volumes, it’s just that little books have some sort of appeal to me. Little books with big huge text are just my cup of tea.
The only thing is that little books aren’t all that common and so when I find one like God’s Blogs I really get into it and make sure to hand it around to my family before I reluctantly give it back to the library (and pay my past due fees on it, haha).
I thought God Explained in a Taxi Ride was one such book and though I didn’t read it on the way home from the library in the car, I did read it once I was at home. The book is a small white paperback with a bold yellow taxi on the front and in a medium text across the front (could be 20 points). It states: “Since the beginning of mankind more thought has gone into the understanding of God than any other subject under the sun – and still nobody is any the wiser. In the length of a taxi ride, this little book explains it once and for all.” Sounds good, right?
It was, until the middle of the book where I started picking up hints that the author, Paul Arden, wasn’t exactly on the same page as most of the authors I enjoy reading.
Arden starts by laying out the argument that man needs God to survive. Nothing off about that: God = Life. He then goes on to say that people don’t need middlemen, they just need God. Not too bad as long as you take into account that you need Jesus in order to be saved, Jesus being part of the Holy Trinity that is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three in one. However, on page 28 (the book is only 125 pages which took less then 10 minutes to read), he starts to digress.
“The Bible is a great read, but like Chinese whispers, the truth of it has become distorted. It’s hard to tell where history stops and legend begins”
I should rest my case here, however, I will continue this rant – as Kurt Ramspott stated, I tend to do so on this blog.
Arden expresses that the Bible isn’t historically accurate and even though he doesn’t really go into the reasons too deeply he claims that the Bible writers must have collaborated and exaggerated when writing the Bible. He doesn’t even consider the fact that the Bible is a compilation of 66 books written by over 40 separate authors from a variety of backgrounds (from lowly peasants to noble kings) over a period of at least 1,600 years and that all of those authors agreed with each other! Nor does he consider that the Bible was completed in its entirety nearly 2,000 years ago and stands today as the best-preserved literary work of all antiquity with over 24,000 ancient New Testament manuscripts discovered thus far.
However, I can’t take Arden too seriously. After all, his book states that Jesus’ followers probably took him down off the cross alive and brought him to the tomb where they nursed him until he died three days later. Then they probably dragged him off and buried him somewhere secretly – Oh, I almost forgot, Arden also says that the Bible is the Church’s book and not God’s. I wish the Church would follow their book much more then they do.
The first page in the book states that if you’re on a very short taxi ride then you should turn to page 94. It will tell you all about God in a 2-minute timeframe. Page 94 starts off by asking you, “Where is God?” Arden answers his own question by telling you that he found God in West Sussex, England – Where he lives. He then goes on to state the following:
“Look at the sunset? What do you think made that? Do you think it’s an accident? Do you think it’s a trick of the light? Do you think it’s a fluke? If you do then say ‘I believe in flukes.’ Evolution, fate, creation, fluke. You can call it what you like. They are all words we use to describe the same thing… The existence of God. God is our name for the force behind nature. That’s what I believe. I believe in God.”
To end his book he states, “If you don’t believe in God, this is the end.” I would like to end this post just as simply: If you don’t believe in the authenticity of the Bible, you don’t know God. This is the end.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I read these sorts of books all the time (just finished one this afternoon) because reading opposing views can be helpful. I certainly have found them so, when I’m in the mood to survive the irritation!
Anya (from the Rebelution) I believe refers to these sorts of books as those which cause you to throw various articles of furniture against the wall and scream loudly.
Great post. That guy is woefully arrogant.