From: mjmh@crsa.bu.edu (Michael J M Holmes)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: Another introduction...
Date: 16 Nov 92 18:14:22 GMT
Organization: Boston University Center for Remote Sensing

In article <1e79nkINNrha@gap.caltech.edu> ajm@wag.caltech.edu (Abner J. Mintz) writes:
>/* 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.

A grin appears on the face of /*.  "With all the recent chats about
Heinlein, I wondered if anyone would notice!  I was *quite* startled
when I first read 'The Moon is a Harsh Mistress!'"

He takes a sip of his Grape Crush.  "Who knows, maybe we *are*
the same being!"  

>>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.

>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 ...

/*'s eyes widen, and his face blanches to a very pale lavender.

>gulp< "They don't have a habit of coming here, do they?"

He glances around quickly, amethyst eyes searching every corner
of the room.  "Tough to tell in this crowd!"

A purple finger tugs at the violet turtleneck;/* seems a 
*lot* more nervous now.

"Uhm, any Purple-People Eaters around?  Hello? Hello?"

>silence<

"Whew.  Would somebody warn me if any Purple-People eaters
come flying in here?  I'd grapely, um, greatly appreciate it!"

>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 ...

>chuckle<  "I *like* that idea!  But since my brother still lives
with Mom and Dad, that wouldn't necessarily *enhance* family harmony!"

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

"I've noticed that when 'born-agains' are recently converted, or are
particularly zealous, they have almost no knowledge of, or interest in,
other beliefs.  Some of the things my brother used to say to get me
away from Buddhism and into his church made *no* sense whatsoever.
It was clear that, outside of his own beliefs,  when he talked 
about religion, he knew very little. Of course, I'm sure this isn't
true for all born-agains."

>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 ...

"Hmm, haven't heard of that one.  Sounds like a christian cult.
That has been an additional problem with my brother. He is in
one of the 'plantings' of the Boston Church of Christ.  I don't know
if it is a cult, but it has many cultish aspects.  I think I would
have had less of a problem with his being 'born-again' if he had
seemed less like a zombie reciting memorized arguments and speeches,
and more like, well, my brother!"

[some deletions for space]

>>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!"

"Thanks, Abner!  I think I need another drink after that Purple-People
Eater scare!!"

:)
-- 
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Mike Holmes       mjmh@crsa.bu.edu           "Happiness Will Prevail!"
Boston University Department of Geography (a truly GREAT place to work!)
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Newsgroups: alt.callahans