Which seems to be saying that faith == death. Which is an abhorrent assertion.
That does seem to sit at the center of Whithouse's story, which is why I think it fails. Faith can be problematic, faith - as one aspect of the human soul's longing for the numinous - can be fraught with pitfalls and challenges. But faith is, or should be, a search and a journey. Like all searches and all journeys, the end is unknown. But sitting in one place and letting one's mind stagnate (which is what Whithouse seems to believe) isn't a search.
I was one of those people bothered by the "Amy Williams" comment. I believe you're correct, that he was trying to use that as dramatic shorthand to tell Amy and the audience that what was being talked about was her readiness for the next part of her journey. However the shorthand he chose to use is fraught (wow, used that word twice in a post!) with cultural implications and connotations. In using it - rather than, say, an equally short-handish comment like "Amy ... Rory's waiting." or something of the sort - he did, I think, reflect a societal view that I found unpalatable.
Your interpretation is kind, and perhaps the one I should choose to take, to minimize my ulcers. Heh.
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branchandroot
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Date: Saturday, 1 October 2011 07:06 pm (UTC)That does seem to sit at the center of Whithouse's story, which is why I think it fails. Faith can be problematic, faith - as one aspect of the human soul's longing for the numinous - can be fraught with pitfalls and challenges. But faith is, or should be, a search and a journey. Like all searches and all journeys, the end is unknown. But sitting in one place and letting one's mind stagnate (which is what Whithouse seems to believe) isn't a search.
I was one of those people bothered by the "Amy Williams" comment. I believe you're correct, that he was trying to use that as dramatic shorthand to tell Amy and the audience that what was being talked about was her readiness for the next part of her journey. However the shorthand he chose to use is fraught (wow, used that word twice in a post!) with cultural implications and connotations. In using it - rather than, say, an equally short-handish comment like "Amy ... Rory's waiting." or something of the sort - he did, I think, reflect a societal view that I found unpalatable.
Your interpretation is kind, and perhaps the one I should choose to take, to minimize my ulcers. Heh.