AS YOU READ THIS: know that I was being very gentle with this religious discussion ....writing it here1:36 am Wednesday October 26, 2022....from around 11 pm 10/25: ...so I go to the piano room (adjacent to the laundry room here) and start practicing Bonnie Bramlett's "Groupie" (the Carpenters had a hit with the song titling it "Superstar.") A fellow starts applauding, he was doing his laundry....turns out that his late uncle and I worked on the first Bon Jovi concert in Boston (Paradise Theater, 1985.) He is wearing his Jesus T shirt...he was talking about attending a Bible study class they have in the same huge hallroom. I repeated what I had said to another nice person, also of the Bible thumping persuasion, earlier on Tuesday "You don't want me during the Bible study as I will start lecturing." You know what is coming next. He is giving me Scripture (I handed some Scripture back....but let him talk a LONG while before interrupting.) He was telling me about a "Jewish couple" and a "female gay couple" he was praying for on the beach. OK, you can see where this is heading. I tell him that I'm praying for a homosexual whose shoes I am wearing (a friend and I traded shoes in Maine this past summer...a fun summer thing to do...I'm still in them...) I don't think he fully comprehended so I told him about the man I lived with for 18 years and that we never had an argument (we never did, God love him....) ....finally understanding he (and I'm paraphrasing him, of course) said how Jesus loves homosexuals ....my reply "Well, he did associate with 12 Apostles, all guys, so...." ...now I'm not getting my practice in and the concert is 10 am Friday morning (10/28) ...but we're just getting started....It is fascinating ....some of these individuals are so immersed in the Bible written by the Holy Spirit, but then he changed his tune that Jesus wrote the Bible (???) I'm of course, asking for Chapter and verse, y'know, that he, of course, can't give me. Also told him that I gave him the floor and would like equal time, but I kept getting interrupted, of course. His way or the highway. He's a nice old fellow with his issues, but, sheesh....If you don't subscribe to their way of thinking he has to pray for you because he's right and your religion is wrong. I ask him about Hindu gods but he refused to answer that, so I started quoting scripture "Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." (N.I.V., John 14:12) ...he was using the NIV Bible thus I'm quoting direct from it here. I asked if he was "doing the works"....and, of course, it went sideways. My suggestion was that all Christians need to come to the table and find a way to discuss things logically with each other rather than a "My Jesus is better than your Jesus" scenario....but it was frustrating as his ears were closed only to his incessant talking about The Lord. I then said "Well, politics and religion" and he said "We haven't spoken politics." I said "It's just an old saying, never talk politics and religion..." I would have been better served practicing the piano, but I think the old fella needed someone to talk to so perhaps Jesus put me there at the time and place. ...JV
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