> > > > I don't see why being gifted a copy of the Bible represented such a major > theological defeat; it's a book. > > > > Depending on which edition it is, and their quality and readability > differs wildly, it's quite a readable book, <snip> >
> I agree and being presented a book is something I welcome. I remember once being asked to attend a "book discussion session" by a well-meaning father of a friend, when I was in high school in Hyderabad. It quickly turned out to be a "discussion" of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata and it was soon apparent that the session was less about literary criticism and more about indoctrinating us kids with 'good Hindu values'. The older ones at the group were somewhat irritated because I insisted that if science fiction and fantasy like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata were to be talked about at a "book discussion session" then equal time should be given to the works of Asimov and Robert Heinlein. My friend's dad was particularly miffed at some statement where I praised the epic-writing and myth-creation qualities of Tolkein and Frank Herbert over that of Valmiki. That session ended in some disarray. I was not invited back to the second one. But there was no third. :-) M
