Re: "Dog-whistle Catholicism"

Here, David Cowie <david_cowie@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
A couple of months ago I read a magazine article about religion and
pop music, which claimed that Bruce Springsteen's records had always
featured "dog-whistle Catholicism", meaning that only people who had
been brought up in the faith would notice (examples were not provided,
so don't ask me).

This made me wonder if any SF/F authors have been using religious
imagery that only people with inside information will spot.
I expect that Orson Scott Card will feature here, and discussions
about Tolkien often take a religious turn, but who else?

As an atheist, I am poorly situated to answer that, so I'll go ahead
anyhow. Hm. Is there such a thing as "dog-whistle atheism"? If so,
does it include all of science fiction? No doubt some theists react
histaminicly to any story in which gods are aliens, machines, past
humans, future humans, created by humans, ... Heck, I'm sure there are
people out there who think that a story is promoting atheism if it
features a rocket taking off without a prayer ceremony.

But anyhow.

The original "Battlestar Galactica" is continually cited for
crypto-Mormonism. I've never asked a Mormon about it, mind you.

I had the experience, as many have, of having read the Narnia books as
a kid and not noticed anything particularly Christian about them. (As
best I can recall, I was always aware they were about *faith* --
that's overt.) It may not be subtle to an adult, but who comes to
Narnia as an adult?

....Pun not intended, but accepted when I saw it coming out on the
screen.

--Z

--
"And Aholibamah bare Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah: these were the borogoves..."
*
If the Bush administration hasn't shipped you to Syria for interrogation, it's
for one reason: they don't feel like it. Not because you're innocent.
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: "Dog-whistle Catholicism"
    ... featured "dog-whistle Catholicism", meaning that only people who had ... I expect that Orson Scott Card will feature here, ... Is there such a thing as "dog-whistle atheism"? ... humans, future humans, created by humans, ... ...
    (rec.arts.sf.written)
  • Re: Final destinations in space
    ... notions about uploaded humans as the most logical interstellar explorers. ... But another feature of the book is a very upscale lunar colony for the ...
    (sci.space.policy)
  • Final destinations in space
    ... notions about uploaded humans as the most logical interstellar explorers. ... But another feature of the book is a very upscale lunar colony for the ... Is any such motivation in sight for off-world habitation by humans and other ...
    (sci.space.policy)
  • Re: "Dog-whistle Catholicism"
    ... cryptoguy wrote: ... always featured "dog-whistle Catholicism", meaning that only ... I expect that Orson Scott Card will feature here, ... I had the experience, as many have, of having read the Narnia books ...
    (rec.arts.sf.written)
  • Re: "Dog-whistle Catholicism"
    ... featured "dog-whistle Catholicism", meaning that only people who had ... I expect that Orson Scott Card will feature here, ... I had the experience, as many have, of having read the Narnia books as ...
    (rec.arts.sf.written)
Loading