‘Being Gay is Disgusting’ – A New Take on an Old Testament
A new book entitled Being Gay is Disgusting, which irreverently paraphrases the first five books of the Judeo-Christian Bible, has launched worldwide through amazon.com. By removing the repetition and formality in in Scripture, says the author, "all that's left is, frankly, the ridiculous."
Australian author Edward Falzon has ‘faithfully’ paraphrased the first 2,700 years of biblical history, chapter-by-chapter, into a tome whose alternative title is ‘God Likes the Smell of Burning Fat.’ By removing the repetition and formality in the text, he says, “all that’s left is, frankly, the ridiculous.”
“Having investigated religion and the religious for many years,” says Falzon, “nowadays my primary beef is that nobody seems to have read the book that they claim is their guide to life and the afterlife. I find this wilful ignorance of one’s own faith to be incomprehensible. The Bible’s a hard read, though, so I’ve taken it upon myself to make it more readable and entertaining, and this first instalment is the five books of Moses.”
When asked what kind of backlash he expected, Falzon said, “I expect a lot! But I only expect it from people who haven’t read ‘Being Gay is Disgusting’ and probably never will. From the exposure I’ve had so far in non-religious, religious, straight and gay circles, I have had overwhelming support – people do seem to get the joke, particularly about why I’ve used that title.”
What about ‘that’ title? “There are laws passed all over the world restricting the rights of gays,” he says. “The UK’s Section 28 was only repealed in 2003, California’s Proposition 8 is brand new, and even in Australia, gay sex was illegal until 1994! The source of these and other laws and bigotry against gays is rooted firmly in the Bible, as if anti-homosexual rules are written on every page. But in fact, in the whole 1,500-page King James Bible, homosexuality is mentioned all of six times. By contrast, UNICORNS are mentioned nine times – 50% more often. Clearly, gay people weren’t a huge priority for Yahweh. But the way Christian groups carry on, the Bible might as well be called ‘Being Gay is Disgusting’ because the only laws passed nowadays that have anything to do with the Bible are about restricting the rights of the LGBT community. It’s bullshit. So my book is part-parody and part-protest.”
Edward Falzon is targeting ‘Being Gay is Disgusting’ at believers and unbelievers equally. “Look, if you’re an atheist and say the bible is untrue, then you should read it so you know what you’re talking about. If you say the Bible is true, then you’d REALLY better read it, because you’re supposed to be following it!” Either way, ‘Being Gay is Disgusting’ will give you a version of the Old Testament the way Douglas Adams might have written it. “My writing style has been greatly influenced by the whole Adams family: Douglas and Scott.” With its bold title emblazoned on the front cover, Falzon expects – and hopes – that just picking up the book takes readers a little outside their comfort zone.
On the book’s supporting Web site, www.beinggayisdisgusting.com, Falzon writes short, punchy commentary on news, videos and resources about religion and homosexuality, with his stated primary purpose of “raising consciousness about just how blind so many people can be about their own faith.”
‘Being Gay is Disgusting’ is now available in paperback (US$14.95) from Amazon , as well as eBook ($9.95) and autographed hard-cover ($21.95) from www.beinggayisdisgusting.com. “Think of it as an online book-signing,” Falzon says. “Anyone can order it and provide a name, and I’ll sign each one as they go out the door.”
Edward Falzon, 36, spent his formative years in Sydney, Australia, as a good Catholic boy. His family moved to Brisbane in the 80’s, where he attended a secular high school. His fifteen-year IT career took him around the world, allowing him to meet people from all points on the religious compass, and resulting in his fascination with biblical beliefs. Falzon now lives in Shanghai, China, a “refreshingly secular place.”