The tragically hip vicar

Mark Shea says there's nothing more painful than a tragically hip Anglican. This is the poor boob he's talking about:

An Anglican vicar has tried to make Bible stories more “accessible” to modern readers by rewriting them to portray Goliath as a celebrity binge drinker, Eve as a sex addict, and Noah’s wife as a woman with murderous intentions towards her husband, the Daily Mail reports.

Reverend Robert Harrison’s book, titled “Must Know Stories," retells ten Bible stories.

In the story of the Nativity, Jesus is born in an overcrowded house instead of a stable. Harrison’s story goes on to portray family conflict as Joseph’s aunt deals with the marital state of Joseph and Mary, who in Harrison’s retelling are unmarried.

Harrison said he wrote the book to encourage people to read stories "that are so utterly part of our culture.” According to the Daily Mail, he said people should know the stories not as a matter of religion but as a matter of cultural education."

"I wanted to write a book that tells the most important Bible stories in a way that relishes them rather than tries to make any particular religious point.”

Rev. Harrison added, "After all, who knows what the point is?”

Well, I would say the same thing about the Rev. Harrison's brand of Christianity. But via Ruth Gledhill's blog, the comedian Eddie Izzard says it better, really (caution -- some profanity).