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A review by matthewwester
Every Day is an Atheist Holiday by Penn Jillette
3.0
If you're familiar with Penn Jillette (outspoken atheist and half of the magic duo Penn & Teller that uses humor and meta-talk throughout their show), then you definitely know what you're getting into with this book. So haha, while I cringed at the thought of giving some income to a guy whose mission is to actively work against people of faith, I still wanted to check out the humor and thoughtfulness of this book. And when it comes to that, I wasn't disappointed. Penn writes like he talks, which is conversational, witty, hilarious. His humor often draws upon the gross or inappropriate but that's easy to take in stride, knowing with Penn, what you see is what you get (which is a quality I highly respect, it's the opposite, being a hypocrite, that I don't respect).
And even when Penn is throwing abuse towards religion and the Bible, I get an ever-deepening sense that so much has been lost in translation. After all, most believers I know are huge fans of a marketplace of ideas and ideologies. The Bible I know speaks of God's truth/justice and His mercy/love simultaneously, and the danger of remembering one while forgetting the other. The claims Penn makes about the Bible (misogyny, slavery, inconsistency) are discussed fully by theologians. I've spent my whole life (and will continue to spend the rest of my life) asking questions of my faith, and I've never been unsatisfied with the answers I find. All of which is to say, Penn's comments are a great reminder to me that the world has too many religious hypocrites >-< and not enough people who are living authentically in accordance with their deepest beliefs and convictions. That's true on both sides -- whether you're talking a Saul of Tarsus, or a Paul of Tarsus, either extreme should remember to remain authentic, honest with self and others, and always seeking truth/meaning. I pray we're all bold enough to draw closer to truth when something happens to challenge our earlier beliefs.
And even when Penn is throwing abuse towards religion and the Bible, I get an ever-deepening sense that so much has been lost in translation. After all, most believers I know are huge fans of a marketplace of ideas and ideologies. The Bible I know speaks of God's truth/justice and His mercy/love simultaneously, and the danger of remembering one while forgetting the other. The claims Penn makes about the Bible (misogyny, slavery, inconsistency) are discussed fully by theologians. I've spent my whole life (and will continue to spend the rest of my life) asking questions of my faith, and I've never been unsatisfied with the answers I find. All of which is to say, Penn's comments are a great reminder to me that the world has too many religious hypocrites >-< and not enough people who are living authentically in accordance with their deepest beliefs and convictions. That's true on both sides -- whether you're talking a Saul of Tarsus, or a Paul of Tarsus, either extreme should remember to remain authentic, honest with self and others, and always seeking truth/meaning. I pray we're all bold enough to draw closer to truth when something happens to challenge our earlier beliefs.