Post-Election Pledge

Since I try to link everything in my life to books, I decided on this simple pledge, come November 7:


If Barack Obama wins re-election, I will re-read Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand.


If Mitt Romney wins the election, I will read The Book of Mormon.


I read Atlas Shrugged during the final months of 1999. It was a difficult book to get through, though it held my attention throughout. Now, since Rand’s vision is becoming clearer and clearer and regrettably more realized through the work of our 44th president, my only wish to glean some hope from the book during this re-read.

And, yes, I am aware that Rand’s philosophy is incompatible with Catholicism. But so is so very much of what is increasingly coming to pass in progressive 21st-century America.

I attempted to read The Book of Mormon, twice, first time two decades ago and the second time fairly recent, and at the risk of alienating anyone with the honest admittance of my feelings, I stopped both times because of an overwhelming sense of silliness.

And, no, I will not convert to Mormonism reading the book. Just like I did not become a Buddhist reading a handful of Daisetz Suzuki’s works on Zen, nor a Hindu upon reading the Upanishads and part of the Mahabharata, nor Jewish upon reading the Old Testament, nor a Scientologist reading half of Battlefield Earth, nor some insane atheistic secular materialist college professor from reading Hegel. But it will give me a greater understanding of the world, or at least further my edge next time I play Trivial Pursuit or watch Jeopardy on teevee.

So that’s my pledge.

Stay tuned for details, and of course I will blog plenty about each experience.