Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at U.S.C

On Saturday, Colleen and I made our trek to the U.S.C. Campus to the 19th annual Festival of Books sponsored by the L.A. Times.  I have been fortunate to attend almost all of them starting when they were on the U.C.L.A. campus.  It is a celebration of reading and creations from amazing writers covering the spectrum from children, to youth, to young adults, to cooking, travel, novels, non fiction, biographies and more.  About 50,000 people show up each day of the weekend to celebrate books.

On Saturday we met our friends Nancy and Jim and enjoyed several panels.  The first was Raza Aslan and Lawrence right in Conversation with L.A. Times Davan Maharaj.  Aslan is an acclaimed writer and scholar with an online journal for news about the middle East and the world.  His recent book is "Zealot" about the life of Christ as taken from history. Wright is a staff writer for the New Yorker and author of six books of nonfiction including his most recent "Going Clear:  Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief."  He lives in Austin, Texas.

Wright stated that people are drawn to religion for a sense of community, structure, a good time, to advance themselves, and for piety.  Competition in religious organizations can be dangerous as it may lead to fanaticism.  Aslan said that Jesus and L.Ron Hubbard were both prophets, both attacked the status quo and both were attacked.  Jesus went to the temple in Jerusalem, the center for God, and challenged the temple leaders.  He said that neither Jesus or his followers could read or write and so it was up to others to later record his message.  Paul who never met Jesus was educated and wrote a lot of the New Testament through his letters to the congregations he founded.  L.Ron Hubbard had the advantage of media, and later the internet to get out his message.  He wrote 1000 books and articles during his life.

Reza, said that it was amazing that Jesus founded a religion for the poor.  His message was profound...the meek shall inherit the earth...the rich will become poor and the poor rich.  This did not play well to the powerful at the time.  He said that although the stories...written hundreds of years after Jesus death...may or may not be true...Jesus message was powerful.

Both authors did a lot of research on their subjects.  They said that religious beliefs are potent and effect lives for good will and for harm.  Wright wrote about the Jones Town massacre and interviewed Jim Jones' son who had to identify the 900 bodies.

Reza said the the stories about Jesus could be a compilation of a number of people but the teachings were unique and revolutionary.  He said religion is a language of how you see the world, cultural views.

Wright said that the Apostle Paul and L.Ron Hubbard had a lot in common.  Paul never knew Jesus in the flesh but only the spiritual Jesus.  The first church was run by James, Jesus' brother who was uneducated.  Paul was rich and educated and could write to get out the word.  He never talked to the disciples..."only the risen Christ."

Wright said don't blame religion for wars and violence.  He said people will kill for any reason, religious or not.  He said their has been a lot of abuse in Scientology.  He said it is important that reporters "open the windows" to let people know about religions so they can choose what they want to believe.

Davan Maharaj

Lawrence Wright

Reza Aslan