Monday, February 27, 2006

The Cartoon Controversy

Cartoons haven’t led to this much violence since Bugs Bunny blasted Elmer Fudd with his own gun and Acme explosives blew up Wile E. Coyote. Actually, as Muslim mobs in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa riot, commit arson, and kill to protest political cartoons that have the temerity to suggest that Islam is, well, violent, what are the rest of us to do?

What follow are words of observation and advice to those interested in maintaining some semblance of civilization.

To George W. Bush: The rioters, with the tacit support of Muslim thugocracies, are attempting to turn the global war on terror into a conflict between Judeo-Christianity and Islam. Don’t let them. Be patient. Stand up for freedom of speech and of the press. Defend persecuted religious minorities in Islamic societies. Continue working with moderate Muslims wherever you can find them. Encourage them to speak out in support of shared monotheistic values. Lean on the complicit governments in Syria, Iran, and elsewhere to cut off financial aid to the radicals. Keep pushing for democracy. In places such as Iran, it is closer than many people think. One more thing: Find alternatives to America’s addiction to Middle Eastern oil.

To Western media: Stand up for your freedom (or you may lose it). Refuse to abide by radical notions of Islamic law. Publish and broadcast the cartoons (which will let the public see how relatively tame they are). Also, remember how Christians in most parts of the world may be offended by your attacks on their faith, but they don’t try to kill you. And next time, think twice before you light a match in a room full of religious dynamite.

To Christians: To those persecuted by Muslims using the cartoons to settle old scores in Pakistan and Nigeria, stand firm. Get your stories out. Call on your governments and human rights organizations to defend you. Protect your businesses, families, and lives when you must, but do not seek revenge, or you will be perceived as just another group of religious fanatics. Remember your Savior.

To Muslims in the West: Speak out for freedom. Remember that you are enjoying the many benefits of free and democratic societies, which are mostly unavailable in your ancestral lands. You are welcome to protest religious slights, but do not expect (or demand) that non-Muslims abide by strict notions of Shari’ah. If you want to live by Muslim law, then go to Saudi Arabia, Iran, or Pakistan. Finally, support freedom in Muslim countries. They need it.

To Western governments: Apologize for the journalists who offended Muslim sensibilities, but explain what free societies are and don't give one inch on press freedom.

To the Muslim elites: Consider what a black eye you are giving to the public image of the “religion of peace.” Stop manipulating ignorance and manufacturing Muslim outrage over mere cartoons to cover up your corrupt, authoritarian regimes. Remember that a fire once started is difficult to put out—and may burn the one who started it.

To Christian missionaries in the Muslim world: Redouble your efforts. Prepare to suffer. Share your joy. Muslims, also created in the image of God, need to hear the good news. Only the light of Christ will dissipate the spiritual darkness in which Muslims are held.

Monday, February 20, 2006

Overrated Things

Guacamole. People rave over this Mexican condiment. Why? It has a nice color but is basically flavorless.

Homemade spaghetti sauce. Yes, it’s good when you can get it, but some sauces in a jar taste almost as good, and with a lot less effort and mess.

Homemade cakes. Cake mixes, even generic ones, are just as good.

Popularity. It’s fine if you are popular for the right reasons, but popular people usually aren’t.

Super Bowl commercials. A few are funny, but most are quickly forgotten, despite the millions of dollars they cost. And isn’t the main purpose of an ad to move product?

Political moderates. Most are liberals who don’t want to admit it. Grownups think things through and take principled positions.

Academy Awards. Popular, family-friendly films, such as The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, or those with strong Christian themes, such as The Passion of the Christ, almost invariably get snubbed, in deference to PC “message movies” such as Brokeback Mountain.

Open-mindedness. Not all ideas and philosophies are created equal.

Flat screen TVs. No matter how sharp the picture, it’s still just a television.

Name brand coffees. Generally good, but $4 a cup? Just increase the dosage on your store-bought coffee and you’ll be surprised at the robust flavor.

Relevance. Not bad in small doses, but don’t confuse it with more important values, such as truthfulness and fidelity.

The mainstream media. While the West is locked in a mortal struggle with militant Islam, the White House press corps is calling for Dick Cheney’s resignation over a hunting accident. Sad to see the implosion of such an important institution.

The weather. You can be happy (or sad) regardless of the atmospheric conditions.

Wealth. See above.

Ring tones. How many do we really need? And if we all want to “express our individuality” through ring tones, aren’t we just following the herd?

Lottery tickets. They exploit the poor, who can least afford them. Most aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on.

Choice. Especially when used as a code word for “abortion at any time and for any reason.”

Candles. They cost too much and can be fire hazards. Try using a flashlight or the dimmer switch.

Vitamins. Most of us get all we need with a balanced diet.

The Olympics. Pseudo-amateurs competing (on tape delay) in events no one cares about.

Tomato juice. You can’t drink tomatoes, which are made for burgers and salads.

The paperless office. When are we going to put this myth out of its misery?

Opinion polls. They change with the weather and are not a solid foundation upon which to advance policies.

A stiff upper lip. Sometimes it’s good to cry—and even a sin not to.

Florida. Nice beaches, good winter weather, but too crowded, too hot, and the bugs are too big.

Politics. It can accomplish good things (or bad), but our salvation lies elsewhere.

Monday, February 13, 2006

Author Insight: Robert Liparulo on Comes a Horseman, Part 2

Robert Liparulo is a journalist whose work has appeared in Reader’s Digest, Consumer’s Digest, and New Man. His first published novel, a supernatural thriller called Comes a Horseman , was released last fall by WestBow Press. Stan Guthrie sat down with him. This is Part 2. Part 1 appeared last week.

Your book describes a secret society. Tell me about it.

In the book, there’s an organization that watches for the anti-Christ. It’s basically an old organization that was part of a Gnostic cult. They ultimately believe the world is evil. They believe that the destruction of the world actually benefits God, [and] is a way of rising to meet God. They understand the Bible very well. They claim to be a Christian organization. They know that the Anti-Christ was to bring about the destruction of the world. In their twisted theology, they wanted to usher in the age of the Anti-Christ, which will destroy the world. So they set up a society that watched for the Anti-Christ and with the intention of not just watching for him but helping him. There’s this powerful organization of business leaders, world leaders, who are watching for the Anti-Christ with all this money waiting for them. And over the years they would vote on candidates. In the book, there’s a candidate they believe . . . is the Anti-Christ. And so they’re putting their support behind him.

In researching this, I was looking for a real organization like that. I just assumed there has to be somebody like that. I called a research guy I know who’s actually at the Vatican and he knew of organizations throughout history that had been doing this kind of thing. So he gave me some names and I just started pursuing those names and it got to a point where instead of people being helpful, they got real reticent about anything—and I knew I was getting close. And so I kept pushing. I got a call from one of my earlier contacts at like 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning and he said, “You’ve gone too far. Stop it”—and hung up. I went into the office the next day and there was a message on my machine that had an electronically altered voice that said, “Stop it.” It was very clear what they were wanting me to stop.

So I just basically stopped. But I used the electronic voice in the book, so I got something out of it. I wasn’t able to find what I wanted. And if they’re as secretive as I speculate in the book, then I would have never found them anyway. But as a former journalist, I wanted to try.

Despite all the interest in secret societies from novels such as The Da Vinci Code, I’m a skeptic. I’m a journalist and I’m against conspiracy theories. How do you see all that?

You know, I am, too. I’m against the concept that anybody is that organized. I think there are organizations like that, just the same way that there are Shriners or Kiwanis. I don’t know if they’re quite as organized or as powerful as I’m claiming in the book, which is part of the fiction element of the book. I don’t think there’s a Catholic conspiracy and the Catholic Church has hidden things. It’s a big world, though. As a fiction writer, I like to just keep my options open to what’s out there. But who knows? I tend to be a skeptic, too. The whole idea that people can be that organized or the government can get really organized and know everything—come on, they can’t even figure out the tax law. So it’s one of those things that I think definitely has to go into the realm of fiction.

So what are your next projects going to be?

The next one is called Germ. It’s about a renegade biologist who develops the world’s most lethal virus. A group of unlikely compatriots rushes to stop him from unleashing his hideous brainchild. Germ’s tagline, which conveys the nastiness of the virus, is “Pray the assassins get you first.”

Where do you come up with these ideas?

I have no idea. I’m a voracious reader. I read everything. Often what happens is, I’ll read the first two paragraphs of an article, and I’ll think I know where this article is going, and it totally goes somewhere else. But I’m thinking, “Hey that’s a story,” because I thought it was going that way.

When is it coming out?

It will be probably in October. I’ve already started the one that will come out in 2007. It’s called Lunatic Fringe. It examines the whole concept of vigilante justice. For a lot of people, if you saw a pedophile and you knew how heinous his crimes were, and then you heard one of the fathers of his victim killed him, there’d be a little part of you thinking, “Okay.” I want to explore if that is valid justice.

Is Comes a Horseman part of a new trend of Christian novels that can win acceptance among Christians and in the wider culture?

It’s not a crossover book. I think it’s a book that can hit both markets, the [American Booksellers Association] and the CBA [formerly Christian Booksellers Association] market, equally well without either side being offended by anything that’s in it. The time for that is right. I do think this is going to be a trend. If it becomes the kind of trend where Christian writers are pandering to the secular crowd, that will be wrong. I don’t think any kind of pandering is right, and I don’t think it’s honest.

Equally as bad would be to write this kind of book and then pull it back and then say, “Oh well, let’s put the prayer warrior in it.” Maybe those who did change the way they would have written will look at it and say, “That’s okay now; a door is opening.” I don’t necessarily think that door was open 10 years ago. Of course, I wish it were 10 years ago. It would have been nice if I were doing this 10 year ago.

Monday, February 06, 2006

Author Insight: Robert Liparulo on Comes a Horseman, Part 1

Robert Liparulo is a journalist whose work has appeared in Reader’s Digest, Consumer’s Digest, and New Man. His first published novel, a supernatural thriller called Comes a Horseman , was released last fall by WestBow Press. Stan Guthrie sat down with him. This is Part 1 of a two-part interview.

Why did you write a novel after all the non-fiction writing?

I’ve always had fiction in my blood one way or another. I probably started writing my first novel when I was 13. Started writing another one at 19. At that age, going to school and everything, I never finished it. It got endorsed by Stephen King, up to the point that it was.

I got into some screenwriting, did some scripts, wrote short stories. The short story market at the time dried up and that’s what got me into non-fiction writing. I was an English major, not a journalism major. Started out as a motion picture production major at Southern Cal. But for various reasons, I ended up at Weber State University in Utah as an English major. So it was kind of a letdown but I ended up liking English better than I liked movies at the time.

So finally, I just decided it was time. Time to go back to my first love.

What’s the difference between writing fiction and non-fiction?

It’s kind of the difference between building a house and making art. However, my non-fiction writing really prepared me for my fiction writing in a lot of different ways. A lot of it had to do with research. I research everything. Verisimilitude is very important to me, and especially since I write thrillers. I think thriller readers expect to learn something about the world, about certain aspects of perhaps the FBI or police procedure. If you’re working in spy novels, they want to know something that’s real, something that you haven’t just totally made up out of whole cloth.

The non-fiction work really prepared me to do all that research I needed to do for the fiction. It also made me comfortable with calling experts and in interview technique.

As a non-fiction writer I don’t necessarily like the journalistic style of non-fiction articles, the here are the facts, the who/what/where/why formula. I like metaphor; I like analogy; I like examples. And the kind of non-fiction articles I wrote had a lot of that in them. A lot of the elements that were part of my fiction writing or what makes me a fiction writer came into my non-fiction.

Why did you move into fiction?

Again, it was just time. It was that feeling that it was time to do it. It was really my love. Part of what kept me from it was that I was not settled in my heart that something that I loved so much—writing in an entertaining way—was what God wanted me to do. I wasn’t sure. I felt that’s what he wanted me to do, but I always had that conflict: “Is this really what he wants me to do or should I be building huts in a jungle somewhere? Shouldn’t I go and have the sweat and the hard work and feed the orphans?”

Every time I prayed, “God what is your will for my life, what is your will for my career?” I kept getting that pull toward fiction writing. But I just couldn’t believe it. And finally I started to say, “I think there is something to it.” And I had always believed that there was more to fiction than just entertainment, that even when you write in such a way that God is not overt in the pages, I believe if you’re writing and you’re trying to please him in your writing, he is there—which is what happened with Comes a Horseman. There’s no conversion scene. It’s one of those things where at the end you would be hard-pressed to say what makes it a Christian novel. What makes it a Christian novel more than anything else is that I’m a Christian and I wrote it. There’s a lot of hope in it. It’s kind of the [J.R.R.] Tolkien-style of evangelizing.

Pre-evangelism, maybe?

Kind of that. It’s nudging. It’s the nudging maybe toward something else. Showing characters, having people in your novel whose character is reflective of God’s character somehow. I think that’s how Tolkien wrote. I think what resonates in Lord of the Rings is that we see a truth in the way they stood up to evil, in the way they stood up for what they had to do and the responsibilities in the hope they had in the face of despair. That’s what I was trying to do in Comes a Horseman.

Perhaps you’re trying to nudge people a little farther along in their spiritual awareness, but not necessarily trying to convert them all at once.

I think that’s what it is. I struggled with that. “Can I write the stuff that I really want to write and still be true to the way God designed me and where he wants me to be?” And through prayer and really good friends, I came to an understanding, it was almost an epiphany, that this is what I was designed to do, to write fiction. And it’s okay—even the kind of fiction that isn’t the typical Christian fiction with conversions or has the Bible, or the one old lady who’s a prayer warrior, even without that. The Bible says God’s everywhere. We can witness him in nature. And you can see a mountain and know that he’s there.

When I set out to write Comes a Horseman, I prayed in the morning about it, about my writing day. And while keeping him with me I kind of kept him off the page. And I trusted that because he was in me that day, he’s coming out in my words. Even in Chapter 1—there’s nothing Christian about Chapter 1—but I think he’s there. I think it’s maybe a new way for Christian writers to be relevant. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the typical Christian work that has all the things I said, the prayer warrior and all that. But I think God wants us to be broader.

Who’s this book for?

It’s broad. Primarily it’s for guys, I think, even though I’ve had a lot of women readers who really enjoyed it, and there’s this very strong female protagonist in it. When I’m writing, I’m thinking of guys who like action, adventure, thrillers, who like maybe David Morell or Lee Child. And yet at the same time they can’t find it in the Christian bookstore. But you pick up almost anybody, even Lee Child, who is also not gratuitous in any way, he still has his characters going to bed with women who aren’t their wives, some foul language, things that are offensive. I didn’t like the idea that I had to tolerate that just to get the action and thriller. I don’t mind seeing evil, as long as evil is not depicted as good. That’s my main emphasis.

Maybe the guy who’s doing evil thinks its good but ultimately when we take a step back and look at the whole story we realize evil is not depicted as good. And so I don’t want to have likeable characters who I hold up as being likeable doing these things and then never addressing them as bad somehow.

Maybe they’re doing bad things and they recognize they want to do something different, and they’ve been struggling with it. That’s okay. [John] Grisham, who is Baptist, has unmarried characters living together. That’s what I don’t want. He’s very good at creating characters that we empathize with, and so they’re almost mentors or models for the reader—and here they’re doing bad things. I don’t like that. I don’t even like reading that. I like the action, but I don’t like that. I wanted to write something that had all the action, all the thrills, all the good, the bad, and everything in between, without that one element, which is the bad depicted as good.

It’s been read by a lot of non-Christians, and nobody has even suggested that there’s anything Christian in it. I think that’s a good sign. I’m exposing them to positive elements of God’s nature without them saying, “Oh, wait a minute. This is Christian.”

I was worried about the language. They wouldn’t run into bad language and that would trigger [a negative reaction]. But we just sold the movie rights to Mace Neufeld, who does all the Tom Clancy movies. There was no question in his mind that he wanted to do this.

Are you going to have the same kind of control over that kind of stuff in the movie?

No. I don’t know what’s going to happen. Holding out on something like that probably would have killed the deal. And I really think that God wants me to move in this direction. I’m a screen writer as well, but I don’t have time right now to work on it. If I did have the time, that would give me partial control. But in Hollywood your scripts are rewritten 50 times anyway.

I think I need to be in the wider world, even though I’m with a Christian publishing house. It’s a publishing house that understands my vision and agrees with it ... doing that nudging.

Next week: Liparulo discusses secret societies and other matters.