From: ajm@wag.caltech.edu (Abner J. Mintz)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: Another introduction...
Date: 16 Nov 1992 04:57:24 GMT
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA
NNTP-Posting-Host: seurat.wag.caltech.edu

/* enters the Place ...

(Michael J M Holmes) writes:

Abner looks suspicious.  "Mike Holmes, eh?  You wouldn't happen to be
telneting from Luna, would you ..."  He then quiets down as Fast Eddie glares
at him.

>The stranger is a male, a little on the short side of average
>height, casually dressed in purple jeans and a violet turtleneck.
>He wears glasses, and has a beard and mustache.  He would be a 
>relatively unassuming sort - except for the fact that his hair is 
>a deep shade of royal purple, and all of the exposed skin on his
>body is a darkish lavender.

>The stranger lifts his glass, and says "A toast... to the strength
>that comes from diversity."
>He drains his glass, and then smashes it into the fireplace.

Abner looks around the place, just in case.  OK, diverse it is, but no
sign of any One-Eyed One-Horned Flying Purple People Eaters, so /* is
probably safe ...

>"My toast?  Well, I've noticed that some of the conversations have 
>been getting a little heated, particularly in the 'God and Science' 
>talks.  I realize I am a newcomer, but due to some of the people 
>and experiences in my life, I have an insight or two I'd like to 
>share."

"Well, heated conversations are good for making toast, especially if the
people are well-bread!"

>I have become very excited about the philosophy 
>behind Buddhist teachings.  It is now the closest thing to a 
>'philosophy of life' for me."

>"The problem?  My family is VERY Roman Catholic.  Except for my 
>younger brother, who is a born-again fundamentalist evangelical 
>Christian.  For the past three years, ever since he was 'saved,' 
>our relationship has gone from friendly to antagonistic.  I found 
>it *very* difficult to support his religious choices when I was 
>constantly told that I was going to Hell, that I had turned
>my back on Jesus who died for me, that reincarnation was a 'silly, 
>immature' idea, and that my choices were simply pride and 
>stubbornness."

"How could he think that reincarnation was silly if he was born again?"

Abner then becomes serious.

"I once signed up to room with a friend of mine, who became 'born-again'
two weeks before we moved in.  Too late to change arrangements ...  For the
first month or so, things were *very* strained.  After the first few days of
preaching I told him that every time he preached at me I'd buy a girlie
calender and put it on the wall.  We got up to three of them before he
realized just how much room there was on that wall ...

The strangest event was when I put up a Star of David and he told me that it
was a pagan symbol !!!!  

After a few weeks, our arguments turned into discussions, and we became
friends again.  In fact, he picked up all his old friends again, including
the atheists.  He's still, to this day, born-again, but he stopped *preaching*
about it all the time.  Of course, he had trouble getting away from the 
local branch of the AFA (American Family Association ...  if you don't know,
you probably don't want to know) ...  They don't like giving up a new
recruit.  He had to threaten to go to the papers to get them to drop him from
their list of officers ...

Many of my friends have been born-again christians.  And many of my enemies.
I don't think christianity can change a person's fundamental nature for long.
It can, however, give a person with a good nature who has trouble following
that nature a number of good reasons to live a moral life and not harm
others.  It can also give a fanatic yet another cause to slaver over."

>"My brother and I have had some recent 'heart-to-heart' talks, 
>in the interest of coming to some common understanding.  (I 
>had been avoiding some family occasions in order to prevent 
>conflicts).  He has a more open attitude, and has certainly 
>become more understanding of different viewpoints.
>But that understanding, and our rapport, only came with an 
>'agreement to disagree.'  He has even apologized for earlier 
>statements, attributing them to overzealousness and a lack 
>of empathy."

"Right!  The only possible response when two intelligent people have an
honest disaggreement!"

>"In the end, I believe this is an issue that individuals must 
>deal with individually - I won't know for sure what happens when 
>I die, until I die!  And two people with strong but differing 
>beliefs can interact productively - as long as there is mutual 
>respect.  So, I just ask for a little understanding and acceptance 
>of differences and diversity - if we all believed the same thing, 
>what a boring Place this would be!"

"Amen!" 

Abner grins.

>With that, / * realizes he's on some soapboxes, jumps down,
>heads back to the bar, hands over another purple bill, and asks
>Mike to make him another Grape Crush.

"Mike, /*'s next Grape Crush will be on ***  I'll buy his next Grape
Crush!"