Book Review: Godless

Godless by Pete Hautman

SUMMARY: Fed up with his parents' boring old religion, agnostic-going-on-atheist Jason Bock invents a new god--the town's water tower. He recruits an unlikely group of worshippers: his snail-farming best friend, Shin, cute-as-a-button Magda Price, and the violent and unpredictable Henry Stagg. As their religion grows, it takes on a life of its own. While Jason struggles to keep the faith pure, Shin obsesses over writing their bible, and the explosive Henry schemes to make the new faith even more exciting--and dangerous. When the Chutengodians hold their first ceremony high atop the dome of the water tower, things quickly go from merely dangerous to terrifying and deadly. Jason soon realizes that inventing a religion is a lot easier than controlling it, but control it he must, before his creation destroys both his friends and himself.

OPINION: I like conventional religions. I am part of one myself. But that doesn't stop me from wondering why we believe what we do. I mean, how did it all start? Did Jesus know that people would still be talking about him 2000 years later? Did Buddha intend to have devotees all over the world? Did Mohammed think that his teachings would be handed down in a holy book? What about newer religions, or older ones that celebrities make popular? In Godless, Jason and a few friends worship "The Ten-Legged One," write its holy book, and even have special cermonies on top of the tower. But that doesn't mean their parents, friends, or the local police force are also believers. Many people struggle with issues of faith, but this book takes questions about religion to a whole new level.

RELATED INFORMATION: Recently, a man fed up with the Intelligent Design debate demanded that his satirical religion, Flying Spaghetti Monsterism, be taught in Kansas schools alongside the theory of evoluion. Visit his personal website, or check out the Wikipedia article about his religion!