Atheist Book Club

>>Though I would've wished it so, this book is not about math.

Thats ironic. I just bought a book called "The History of Pi" hoping it was a book about a boy on a raft. Maybe we could swap sometime.

I think that's a great idea. You get the silly book about the boy on the raft who evidently develops a strong bond with a tiger, and I'll learn about numbers.

That's hilarious. Next time I hear a Christian talking about Christ's sacrifice I'll have to suggest they feed themselves to a lion to atone for its sins.

Seriously though, how was this presented? Initially I thought Pi was making fun of Father Martin, but perhaps not?

In my reading, Pi seemed to be completely sincere in his reaction to Father Martin's story. I find it funny, and perhaps the author intended it (at least in part) to have a humorous side, but Pi really is serious about this. Of course, that just makes it all the more amusing to me...

Pi decides to become Christian, in case I didn't mention that. But he also embraces the rest of the world's major religions-- he likes the religion of it, not the particularities, so he's of every faith.

I find it humorous that the atheist has stumbled upon such an openly religious book! I have just this day completed the unabridged audio book and I can assure you it's more than a silly book about a boy and a tiger, and I certainly didn't know it's premise beforehand.

Pi does more than like the religion, he loves God. He doesn't agree that there is only one 'passport' to God (demonination, religion) and so through his zeal to love God, finds God in all religions.

As Pi recalls his story to a couple of Japenese business men who've come to understand the sinking of one of their vessels, they are incredulous of this fanciful tale. Pi repeatedly asks them why it is so hard to believe. They believe in the existence of the lifeboat, the sea, and the tiger, but cannot for some reason, imagine them together. They are allowing their limited experience to confine their openness.

Those who believe in God do so with no need for approval, they understand that it is 'hard to believe'.

Pi gave the Japanese a story more to their liking, then asked them to choose which they would most like to believe.

Ironic that choice is at the heart of the believer.

Meant to include earlier...great quote from the book about agnostics (applies equally to atheists).

"To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation."

I'm not sure what humor you find in my reading this book, but the religiousness of a book isn't a reason not to read it. Not only do I read religion-themed books, I read the religion's books, including the bible and the Koran.

It's good to hear another's viewpoint on the book, since I know it to be popular, but have thus far not seen its appeal.

In which book did you find the quote on agnostics?

My apologies, 'humorous' wasn't the most accurate word for my thought. 'Ironic' doesn't quite fit either.

Let me say that I when I was younger (not condescending, I assure you), I craved information about religion, reading voraciously...all the while discounting the belief in any. I was certainly agnostic, and often atheist. Reason was my god, and I saw it as extremely weak to surrender that reason and believe in God. I read books like "Siddhartha", "One", and "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" to name a few. The images remain from those books (the river, the plane, the birds).

At some point along my search, I realized that the smartest, most logical and rationale explanation is God. It was a strength, not a weakness, to accept the truth. I am not happy due to sedation (placid acceptance and compliance), but rather I am happy because I am now fully awake.

Back to the point about my poor choice of words... I wanted to convey that it doesn't surprise me that you do not see its appeal, it wasn't written for you. You are the Japanese business man (from the book) who hears testimony but does not believe. They said "bananas don't float" to discount the orangutan story, but resisted the test to prove it. Once proven, they conveniently discounted and found another argument. Until you are ready to believe (and you may very well never be), you won't.

The quote was from "Life of Pi".

Thanks for the discussion.

In the life of Pi Martel wittily makes you believe in god not just by creating a character who wanted to worship Krishna, Allah, and Jesus, but by telling two different stories that you can both ponder on. In some ways you might think he’s confused that he believes that the three religions are together the same by saying that "Hindus, in their capacity for love, are indeed hairless Christians, just as Muslims, in the way they see God in everything are bearded Hindus, and Christians, in their devotion to God, are hat-wearing Muslims." When confronted about his religious practices and asked to make a choice, Pi responded with "why can't I just love God?"

In the book two stories are told, and the reader must choose which story to believe. Do you believe in the last story in at the end that sounds more realistic, or the story that provides us with something harder to believe in? The Japanese investigators believe in the existence of the lifeboat, the sea, and the tiger, but cannot for some reason, imagine them together. They said, "Bananas don't float" to discount the orangutan story, but resisted the test to prove it. Once proven, they conveniently discounted and found another argument to try to disprove Pi’s story because they were allowing their limited experience to confine their ability to believe that the animal story is real. Thus, Martel in a way explains how we create our own reality that will shape our lives. How might a book make you believe in god? That faith can provide us with the better story and "to choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation.”

-/<yle R.
Psalm 27

...great quote from the book about agnostics (applies equally to atheists).

"To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation."

ATHEISTS? and you actually READ this book? Martel made a direct point to NOT include atheists in this quote....it's purely about agnostics...think about it, if you really have to. It says so right in black and white in the book, I believe just before this great quote. I can't believe you said that.

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I'm reading this book for class, and was wondering which ending each of you believed in?

Hey Stephanie. If your still looking for a discussion about the book (specifically the endings perhaps) give me an email.

Yes, Martel does make it a point to differentiate rather decisively between agnostics and atheists. He says something along the lines of he can identify more with atheists because they, too, have taken a leap of faith to define their beliefs. Does anyone know the exact phrase?

Hey Karen, Pi says, in Chapter 7, that he felt a kinship with Mr Kumar, his biology teacher. "...atheists are my brothers and sisters of a different faith, and every word they speak speaks of faith. Like me,they go as far as the legs of reason will carry them - and then they leap." He then goes on to talk about agnostics - "Doubt is useful for a while...But we must move on. To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation."
I wish I had seen this site the first time I read the book - I was dying to talk with someone about the endings. I just decided to buy it, reread it and force it on my thinking friends in hopes of a lively discussion.