When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?

I have always been embarrassed for Christians and the people who believe in alien abductions. Good Christians are offended by this book. They are equally offended by the book, An Encounter with A Prophet by Clyde A. Lewis.

Carlin and Lewis have both dared to attack the sacred cow of the Christian religion. Carlin uses humor Lewis uses simple but elegant logic. These men have offended many "Good Christians".

All the righteous indignation over the use of some off color language in the attack of the sacred cow is coming from people who teach their own children that the Creator of this vast Universe loves them, but He will surely burn them in a lake of fire for the rest of eternity if they break the rules. This, to me. is the most humorous thing about all this controversy.

You go George.

It amazes me of all the ranting of the one-star ratings out there. Actually, it doesn't, but they're still funny to read. Especially since that most of those one-star people have rated only this item on Amazon. My favorite has got to be the person who claims she took her book back to Target to tell them that this garbage shouldn't be sold here. Classic, I tell you.

So people wonder how Carlin could do such a thing. Attack Christians, and others. Some saying he's concentrating merely on Christians, well that's the majority here in America. He's not really attacking, but instead asking people to question things. So many people are afraid to think for themselves. They're told to go to church as a kid because their family does, and these kids go on (later in life) to take their kids to church.

I ask you, would Jesus rant like you do about Carlin's personal feelings? Or would he smile and accept his opinion, and say that it was okay? Think about it. Those one-star raters probably haven't made it this far into my review anyways.

Conservative natures are the biggest thing that holding up this world. Fear of religion, or what might happen to you if you disobey rules made so many years ago (many of which I believe were made to help govern people, in the old days) is a struggle in this world that may last until the last of the human race dies away some day. More people have died in the name of God than anything else.

In closing, if you can't take people voicing their opinions on the world - including their thoughts on religion, and how one fantasy book (I'm afraid to say it) has brainwashed so many - then maybe this book isn't for you.

All it's asking is to have an open mind. To think for yourself.

The reaction to this book on the part of many reviewers only proves George Carlin's point: That we as a society have become too sensitive, intolerant, and politically correct. Yes, much of this book is stinging, biting--even morbid--but Carlin's wit and wonderful writing ability thoroughly entertain through the pages of WHEN WILL JESUS BRING THE PORK CHOPS?

Here we have Carlin at his absolute curmudgeonly, disrespectful best. Nothing--and I mean nothing--is sacred in this book, as Carlin launches attacks, observations, and rants over everything from the government, to religion, to politics and politicians, to entertainment, to our diet, our lifestyles, our collective insecurity as a culture--you name it. And most of it is funny, some of it distasteful. . .and then some of it so off-the-wall I was wondering if the author had lapsed into another state of consciousness (and not from this world).

By far my most enjoyable portions of the book had to do with Carlin's discussion of all the endless euphemisms invented to take the bluntness out of life and make us all feel better about ourselves. For instance, we no longer have "poor people," we have the "economically disadvantaged." How nice. A nursing home is now an "assisted living center." Even funeral homes have become "death-care centers." Over and over, Carlin points out the countless euphemisms we have adopted to sanitize and plunder our language--and it's funny and sad at the same time.

But relax, my friends. This is all satire. Carlin doesn't mean this stuff. Or does he?
--D. Mikels

I like George Carlin, and have for years. He is consistently funny and on-point. However, this book seriously disappoints me. In the interest of brevity and good language, I'll just quote one example. The part of the book where he talks about removing body parts from yourself is taken WORD FOR WORD from his last CD/DVD, Complaints and Grievances. Don't believe me? Check out track 3 of that cd, titled You & Me (Things That Come Off Of Your Body). Notice the part in parantheses. Seriously now, if you're going to charge $25 for a slim book, at least make it original, please! Plus, when you open the book, you'll notice the interesting typeset and layout. Yes, the short anecdotes are easy to digest, but they also further reduce the content actually in the book, since there's a blank line after every two lines of text in some chapters.

I like George Carlin, and have for years. He is consistently funny and on-point. However, this book seriously disappoints me. In the interest of brevity and good language, I'll just quote one example. The part of the book where he talks about removing body parts from yourself is taken WORD FOR WORD from his last CD/DVD, Complaints and Grievances. Don't believe me? Check out track 3 of that cd, titled You & Me (Things That Come Off Of Your Body). Notice the part in parantheses. Seriously now, if you're going to charge $25 for a slim book, at least make it original, please! Plus, when you open the book, you'll notice the interesting typeset and layout. Yes, the short anecdotes are easy to digest, but they also further reduce the content actually in the book, since there's a blank line after every two lines of text in some chapters.

George Carlin occasionally hits the nail on the head. And even a broken clock is correct twice each day. If George Carlin were a right-wing fundamentalist Christian, and he wrote a book similar in tone or theme to this one, he would be accused of hate speech. While I am no fan of political correctness, I find Carlin's continuing bashing of sincerely held religious beliefs to be tiresome and offensive. Which, of course, in America, he has the right to do. Nonetheless, one wonders, what heinous act did Roy Rogers and Dale Evans commit to deserve the kind of vile, pornographic commentary that Carlin offers up in this book? It's one thing to criticize, mock, or satirize, but that remark and others by Carlin are simply crude and crotchety...no pun intended.

I would say that half of this book is funny and entertaining and on target,(the parts about men, women, religion and retail), and the other half (burning cats, odes to Michael Jackson, crude bathroom humour)is just plain offensive and not funny at all. Carlin has some interesting insights on some subjects, but unless you're just crazy about him and really enjoy "in your face" type humour, the book is not that enjoyable.

Bypass any feelings you may have about the title. This isn't an attack on Christianity, folks, but one guy's take on life, touching on such topics as how words evolved over time, the language of football compared to baseball and other intriguing aspects of our culture.

Carlin knows we're all a little nuts (or would it be better to say we're "quirky" or "eccentric")? His genius is exposing our peculiarities, forcing us to think about the oddities in the world, especially when it comes to human reasoning and logic.

So why all the controversy over this book? Is it just the title? Looking at the world from Carlin's perspective, even if it is just for an afternoon or two, doesn't have to be threatening...and you don't have to stick around for the ride if you get too uncomfortable.

Has anyone realized that the people who say this book is way out of line, don't seem to be so wholesome in doing so, they seem just as angry as Carlin is. I am a christian, if God didn't want me writing this review, I'd be dead by now. He put me on this earth with a sense of humor, just like he put Carlin. The same people who believe God claimed humility, and turn the other cheek, sure believe God will be pissed off for insulting him.

First off let's get one thing straight, Jesus Christ, to me, is Lord and Savoir, everything else that followed after his resurection was man done. The Catholic Church, a bunch of morons and hipocritical idiots, the Protestants, ugly women that gather to protest abortion. Methodist, them I don't have a problem with, at least the one's I know, liberal to the bone, they have methods to their love.

Like someone smart person said, Well it doesn't matter what he/she said, where talking comedy not IQ. Buy the book people, and leave your belief at page one.

Where has ones' sense of humor gone? So many people are slamming this book, not entirely for its content but for the writers' beliefs. Some people need to 'lighten up'.

George Carlin has the ability to make you laugh and think at the same time. He is never 'politically correct' and that is very refreshing these days. I am savoring this book, as I do all great satire.

A Carlinesque Comment: If every book on the shelves of US bookstores had to comply with the Bible, it would be the only book left in print. Horrors! ; ) As if America would ever let that happen.