Stephen King on the Existence of God

[Alf'Omega]

The Dead Zone is one of my all time favorite works of fiction. Very tight story.

I'm about half way through the last book in the Dark Tower series, and I have to say that it's hard to get a handle on King's beliefs. He's said some very atheistic things at times, but I do get the feeling he's a believer of some sort.

So yeah, I don't think you can really determine his position on the God question from his fiction. If I had to lay down money, I'd go with the catch-all: agnostic.

[_Buffalo]

I liked Stephen King when I was younger. He's a good story teller but a poor writer, in my opinion.

He screwed the pooch on the last few books in his Dark Tower series though.

[_Some Schmo]

I liked Stephen King when I was younger. He's a good story teller but a poor writer, in my opinion.

He screwed the pooch on the last few books in his Dark Tower series though.

Yeah, I hadn't read him in years. I didn't even know the last three books had been written until my daughter got me the fifth one for Christmas. So I grabbed the last two and have been reading the entire series for the last month or so.

I have to admit, there's a huge difference in the quality of the stories from the first four to the last three (Drawing of the Three and Wizard and Glass were exceptionally fun books, in my opinion), so I kind of agree (although I disagree that he's a poor writer - that's just crazy talk. Maybe a little verbose, but he does paint a vivid picture). I'm still entertained by the last three, so that's all that really matters to me.

[_Equality]

I have to say, that's some terrible writing. I'm not a writer or anything, but that's just bad stuff.

Sorry, I know that doesn't address your point.

I'm not sure he really covered the depth and breadth of different approaches to handling the God question, though.

I've only read a few King books and I enjoyed them. I think he's a fine writer. I disagree that the quoted portions are examples of bad writing. A couple years ago, one of my wife's friends sent us a manuscript she had been shopping around. She asked us to read and comment on it. Now, if you want to see some bad writing, I'd be glad to forward you that manuscript. I'm sure it would make King look to you like Faulkner or Vonnegut or Twain by comparison.

[_mikwut]

Schmoe:

So yeah, I don't think you can really determine his position on the God question from his fiction. If I had to lay down money, I'd go with the catch-all: agnostic.

This is King's answer to the question are you religious:

Stahl: Are you religious?
King: I'm not conventionally religious in the sense that I don't go to church. Do I believe in God? Yes. Do I believe in a personal God? Yes.

http://www.horrorking.com/interview8.html

regards, mikwut

[_Some Schmo]

Schmoe:

So yeah, I don't think you can really determine his position on the God question from his fiction. If I had to lay down money, I'd go with the catch-all: agnostic.

This is King's answer to the question are you religious:

Stahl: Are you religious?
King: I'm not conventionally religious in the sense that I don't go to church. Do I believe in God? Yes. Do I believe in a personal God? Yes.

http://www.horrorking.com/interview8.html

regards, mikwut

Interesting, and I'm not surprised in the least. Makes me admire his writing that much more since he's expressed various atheist viewpoints quite well.

Thanks for the information.

[_consiglieri]

[Interesting, and I'm not surprised in the least. Makes me admire his writing that much more since he's expressed various atheist viewpoints quite well.

Thanks for bringing this around to the point I was trying to make (though maybe not clearly) at the beginning.

Regardless of King's personal opinions on the subject, I admire that he is able to take polar opposite stances within 10-pages and express each side ably and eloquently.

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

[_mikwut]

Consig,

Now I get it, I didn't understand the OP.

mikwut