Side Notes

I think things have been summed up pretty well with this book. I just wanted to add a couple of other thoughts I had while reading both the book and your posts...

First, I miss Cameron's input on this. I laughed when Jimmy told me the story of Cameron taking one look at the book, saying, "this is ridiculous", and then putting it down. But it would have been nice to hear the big guy's opinion on these topics.

Second, I think Ben did a good job summarizing Islam in general, and Frank's comments about tolerance were spot-on, but I believe it's also important to draw a distinction between the RADICAL Islam we see in the terrorist community today and the pure Islam which Ben described. Not understanding the difference is what leads to INtolerance and eventually gets Harold and Kumar thrown in Guantanamo Bay.

Last of all, I wasn't a huge fan of the book, either. But not because it was biased. As Ben pointed out, you had to buy the book in the "Religion" section of the store--it was SUPPOSED to be biased. The loose interpretation of scripture and the author's attitude turned me off in the end. But one thing I did gain from reading this book--the signs of the times ARE at hand. It has been suggested that the scriptures be used especially for personal revelation and understanding of God. This is absolutely 100% correct. But let's not forget that part of that personal revelation is understanding the prophecies of the Lord, and recognizing when the Savior will come again. I don't agree with Rosenberg's interpretation of the scriptures, but I am grateful for the reminder that the work of the Lord is happening right before my eyes...

D&C 84:119 - For I, the Lord, have put forth my hand to exert the powers of heaven; ye cannot see it now, yet a little while and ye shall see it, and know that I am, and that I will come and reign with my people.

PS - I hope I didn't upset anyone about my Grisham posts. It was just my opinion. One work of fiction I've been wanting to get to is "My Name is Asher Lev", by Chaim Potok. I also wouldn't mind reading Dave Eggers with everyone. I know Ben and Cameron are fans. I think "A Heartbreaking Work..." or "You Shall Know Our Velocity!" would be fun for the book club.