Philip Pullman, Happily Offensive

It seems that Philip Pullman has written a new book published with the title The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ. In this short video, recorded at an event at the Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford on 28 March 2010, he responds to a man in the audience who says that, as a christian he finds the title offensive.

Pullman agrees that the title was a shocking thing to say, but his remarks aren't going to satisfy the questioner, I think.

[YouTube link for those who don't see the embedded player.]

The remarks, as transcribed at BoingBoing (for which, thanks):

It was a shocking thing to say and I knew it was a shocking thing to say. But no one has the right to live without being shocked. No one has the right to spend their life without being offended. Nobody has to read this book. Nobody has to pick it up. Nobody has to open it. And if you open it and read it, you don't have to like it. And if you read it and you dislike it, you don't have to remain silent about it. You can write to me, you can complain about it, you can write to the publisher, you can write to the papers, you can write your own book. You can do all those things, but there your rights stop. No one has the right to stop me writing this book. No one has the right to stop it being published, or bought, or sold or read. That's all I have to say on that subject.

Posted on March 31, 2010 at 19.11 by jns · Permalink
In: All, Common-Place Book, Writing

3 Responses

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  1. Written by BearToast Joe
    on Friday, 2 April 2010 at 15.41
    Permalink

    Think how many people, authorities, traditions, etc., that Jesus offended! That Jesus has been so institutionalized and domesticated is the saddest thing.

  2. Written by jns
    on Friday, 2 April 2010 at 16.13
    Permalink

    I also don't much care for the way many of his biggest fans cluster closely around him, evidently feeling that he needs bodyguards to keep the rabble away.

  3. Written by S.W. Anderson
    on Monday, 5 April 2010 at 00.19
    Permalink

    Pullman got off as good a broadside for freedom of expression as I've seen in a while. Good for him.

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