screw you God, and merry christmas

By Robbie on October 15, 2009

You irreligious types who like having your convictions affirmed, you God-botherers with a masochistic tinge: click on Amazon and take a gander at The Atheist's Guide to Christmas, out just in time to cash in on the seasonal hysteria. Alongside gentle musings by such worthies as Richard Dawkins, Andrew Mueller, and A.C. Grayling, you'll find a jaunty travelogue on this correspondent's journey from faith to darkness, with special attention to the composing and reception of my great hit, "God Isn't Real." Most of the preceding adjectives are amused or ironic, but "gentle" is the truth -- the editor, a woman called Ariane (who, I find out only now, after checking her website bio, is a Baywatch-caliber devil-worshipping babe) wanted to distinguish the tone of her book from the rapier aggressiveness of today's celebrity atheist literati. I had a little trouble getting gentle out of my pen, but I revised and she waited, and I think the result is pretty darn good. One day I may publish on this site the original draft, which ends comically with Sidney Hook in Hell howling in pain at the ascending Wm. F. Buckley as the gates of Valhalla open overhead. Meantime please do check out this book, the proceeds of which go entirely to charity. A charity called Paste Awful Slogans That Offend Everyone's Grandma On The Sides of City Buses. Kidding!

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6 comments

  1. avatar Fred Posted 1 day later

    http://www.arianesherine.com/

  2. avatar A. L. Straayer Posted 2 days later

    My husband and several friends happened to see you in
    Champaign/Urbana about a month or so ago and couldn't
    quit talking about your version of Billie Jean. They
    loved it. (I was sick and couldn't make it).

    How do I find this song of yours?

  3. avatar Gern Blanston Posted 2 days later

    A.L.-Read Robbie's blog post from 10/5/09. The long-awaited MJ tribute album is forthcoming.

  4. avatar Marc Oxborrow Posted 3 days later

    Buy the book at a local independent bookstore, or online here:

    http://www.amazon.com/Atheists-Guide-Christmas-Ariane-Sherine/dp/0007322615/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255890290&sr=1-1

  5. avatar Aaron Posted 7 days later

    I hope Grant Alden doesn't catch wind of this.

  6. avatar Katharine Christie Posted about 1 month later

    Your song "God Isn't Real" is one of my favorites- it's smart, sad, honest -- I love how musically it sounds like some old Carter Family hymn about God and not drinking and being buried, etc. (That almost makes it funny, actually...)