Today Films and Books interviews TK Kenyon, author of the highly controversial novel RABID (ISBN 9781601640024, Spring 07), already creating buzz because of its portrayal of religion at war with science:
 
Q: The book blurb is very provocative. “Science proves it: there is no God.” Are you anti-religion?
 
A: No, I present Science as too arrogant as well. Religions can bring comfort to people and improve their quality of life. Religious charities drastically improve the world by helping some of the poorest people on Earth with far more efficiency than governmental groups. However, I’m anti-stupid religion.

Q: Can you give an example of stupid religion?

A: Many. Too many religions border on being cults. An example of a stupid religion would be one that tells people that they will go to Hell unless they believe what the religion tells them to. It smacks of junior high school girls ganging up on other kids and harassing them until they conform. It’s like teasing someone because they drink the wrong flavor of soda or wear the wrong brand of shoe. It’s an attempt to feel superior based on a stupid reason.

Q: Another?

A: Religions that rationalize murder astound me with their stupidity. People who kill other people in the name of religion are idiots or insane.

Q: Sounds like you could go on.

A: Yep. Any religion that makes you unhappy, guilty, hateful or angry is stupid. Religion should lead you to a closer relationship with the Divine and give you strength and serenity.

Q: But you’re a scientist. What’s your field?

A: My PhD is in molecular virology. I did postdoctoral research in neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania.

Q: Yet in your book you paint the scientists as equally dangerous, at least some of them. Do people really conduct secret and dangerous experiments in university science labs?

A: All the time.

Q: Tell me about one.

A: I’ve attended conferences where they presented results of experiments such as adding human receptor proteins to animal viruses like Pseudorabies virus (PRV) or Herpes B (an encephalitis virus), which could result in a terrible new plague to which no one has any natural immunity. These things are joked about because the possibility of creating a superpathogen is low, but it is possible.
 
Q: In your book you suggest the Inquisition still exists.

A: It’s now called the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith and is part of the Roman Curia. It deals with heresy.

Q: One of your main characters Dante seems to be an inquisitor in pursuit pedophile priests.

A: Yes. The Vatican document Crimen Sollicitationis demands that priest sexual abuse cases be dealt with in secrecy. The CDF is charged with investigating pedophile priests.
 
Q: Your novel takes both religion and science to task. It can only be described as highly controversial.
 
A: I think I take certain practices to task. Dangerous science. And dangerous religion. And blind faith in either religion or science regardless of what they do.

Q: Your characters are very complex, all quite naughty.

A: Nothing in Rabid is far-fetched, though. Sexually predatory professors often view incoming classes of graduate students or undergraduates as “fresh meat.” Naïve graduate students believe that either the professor is attracted to their mind or talent or it’s some kind of compliment. Some priests are pedophiles, and the Church has protected pedophiles by hiding them. Sooner or later, the Catholic Church is going to have to face the fact that seminary admission standards and the celibate priesthood are perhaps the most perfect system ever devised to recruit pedophiles. Both religion and science in their extreme forms appeal to the most damaged and unstable people among us.

Q: But you really stir the stew at high boil.

A: Yes. My characters do spin out of control. Their situation is compounded by the fact that these four damaged, twisted people are thrown together and have to survive each other. If you threw four sane, stable, normal people into this situation, well, the book wouldn’t have a murder, a trial, and an exorcism in it.

Q: That’s what makes it fun. I thought the characters were quite brilliant. The trial scene is one of the best I’ve read.

A: Thank you.

Q: Do you expect a backlash from the Church or Science?

A: Maybe. Probably. I certainly think these issues shouldn’t be hidden.

 
TK Kenyon’s RABID, releases in April 07 from Kunati Books

ISBN 978-1-60164-002-4