Monthly Archives: July 2007

TBTM20070731

Posted on by


The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who in the name of charity and goodwill shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

Let the reader understand.

Hyperion (Dan Simmons)

Posted on by

I wouldn’t say that this was stupendously good – but it’s not far off. Perhaps not as good as Foundation or the first Dune – probably my favourite sf books – but as good as Donaldson’s Gap series. Very interesting thoughts woven through the story; I’m now eager to read the next one. I love the idea of earth being destroyed by a big mistake…

TBTM20070727

Posted on by


I think one of the most important reasons why atheism no longer holds any intellectual attraction for me is because it is dull. It is not a wisdom tradition. It has nothing to say to how to live a life in a rich and fulfilling fashion. As I’ve said elsewhere, if I wasn’t a Christian – if I became convinced that, eg, Christ did not rise from the dead in any meaningful sense – then I’d become a Buddhist. I’d swap one wisdom tradition for another. I wouldn’t kill myself – which is what atheism amounts to.