I recently came across a brutal review from a devoted Christian on goodreads of a novel called Insane Entities, he called it blasphemous and asked for it to be removed. The novel takes religious concepts and twists them into something… unsettling. It got me thinking—why do people react so strongly when a book dares to reinterpret sacred ideas?

One scene in the book hit me particularly hard: a character with three eyes, one weeping while the other two smile as he knots a corpse like a bag. It’s gruesome, sure, but the hidden symbolism makes it even darker—it reflects the Christian Trinity, with Jesus suffering while the Father and Holy Spirit remain distant. It’s a powerful and eerie take on an old concept.

It seems like books that tackle religious themes in unconventional ways always get the harshest criticism. Do you think that’s because people fear reinterpretation, or is it just resistance to any challenge of belief?

  • themeatbridge@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    4 days ago

    One scene in the book hit me particularly hard: a character with three eyes, one weeping while the other two smile as he knots a corpse like a bag. It’s gruesome, sure, but the hidden symbolism makes it even darker—it reflects the Christian Trinity, with Jesus suffering while the Father and Holy Spirit remain distant. It’s a powerful and eerie take on an old concept.

    That seems like a fairly wide metaphorical leap. Are you sure that’s the intended interpretation? Because it just sounds like body horror to me. The third eye has a lot of symbolism in several religions, and comparing a corpse to a disposable vessel isn’t particularly Christian, either.

    Either way, yeah, faith is powerful and fragile. It’s a function of humanity, an intellectual crutch that gives people the strength to stand on an idea that isn’t supported by reality. It is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of the unseen. People who embrace faith for what it is will see it carry them through whatever criticism they face. People who use faith to construct delusions, whether knowingly to benefit themselves or unknowingly because it is all they have ever learned, will meet criticism with anger and resentment.

    • Karry@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      1·
      4 days ago

      I can see how the scene might come off as body horror, but as the story progresses, the layers of symbolism become clearer. The three eyes and the way the character interacts with the corpse are definitely unsettling, but they take on a deeper meaning as the events unfold. Without giving too much away, the connection to the Christian Trinity becomes a central theme that challenges the viewer’s understanding of suffering, presence, and absence. The Father and Holy Spirit’s seeming detachment plays into a broader commentary that unpacks the way suffering and divine roles are perceived.

      As for the concept of faith, I agree with you—faith can be a powerful anchor or a delusion, depending on how it’s wielded. The more we dig into these ideas, the more we realize how much people shape their beliefs to align with what they feel is most comforting, even if it’s not supported by tangible reality.

    • Karry@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      1·
      4 days ago

      You have to remember that the scripture is dictated from the top: the Pope to the bishops to the priests to the masses, or the equivalent in other sects/religions. Therefore it’s not so much about belief as it is about control: “trust my words only, disregard anything someone else says to contradict it.” And it’s repeated over and over with every sermon. Heck, the whole start of the Abrahamic religion is someone being told “kill your son, trust me bro it’s the right thing to do.

      I can see how the scene might come off as body horror, but as the story progresses, the layers of symbolism become clearer. The three eyes and the way the character interacts with the corpse are definitely unsettling, but they take on a deeper meaning as the events unfold. Without giving too much away, the connection to the Christian Trinity becomes a central theme that challenges the viewer’s understanding of suffering, presence, and absence. The Father and Holy Spirit’s seeming detachment plays into a broader commentary that unpacks the way suffering and divine roles are perceived.

      As for the concept of faith, I agree with you—faith can be a powerful anchor or a delusion, depending on how it’s wielded. The more we dig into these ideas, the more we realize how much people shape their beliefs to align with what they feel is most comforting, even if it’s not supported by tangible reality.