I can only reply by stating,
I am not a Christian ... certainly in the sense that I believe the 2nd of your statements, Pattimax. As for the first statement, I only agree
with caveats. But sure, and so what?
Let me only say this, in case it has any meaning for this thread ...
Suppose, rather than this fella's statements about
salvation via Jesus Christ, he said something along the lines of --
Ladies and gentlemen, did you know that right now, even as this bus travels down Main St., our atmosphere is literally teeming with sentient, intelligent, extra-terrestrial life? Did you know that these beings are deeply concerned about our well-being, and are doing everything possible to help us move through the current planetary crisis ... yet they are also largely powerless - beyond a certain point - to change our own future, if we ourselves do not step up to plate, and start taking responsibility? Well folks, it's true. YOU, every one of us ... each and every one of US ... can do something to help our planet, and each other, get through this crisis - and reach the goal of a sustainable society. Thank you very much, for your attention.
Hmmm, what do you say,
then? Are you still only capable,
or so insistent, on simply saying,
"Well, he's speaking the truth, and you heard it. Therefore, you're responsible for it." If you take this approach, then fine. After all, such is the case. And, what's more,
you've just heard me say it ... 
Not in a Bible, yet? No problem. I'll write one for you. Will that help?
Oh don't worry, once I get a few million people to buy into it,
it will be `God's word,' right? No? Well then,
how do you know, and thus,
how do you know that even this brief statement, either of mine, or as uttered by an imaginary chap on an imaginary bus, isn't ... `God's word?' Your argument for what the first fella said, is basically that
`he's quoting the TRUTH from THE BIBLE,' is it not?
The point is, if you can't
step out of the
content of what's being said, long enough to ask questions about
CONTEXT ... then I really don't think
it even matters - WHAT is being said. After all, the Fundamentalist Christians on the bus will simply
nod their heads, or perhaps just silently - or maybe out loud - say something like,
hear hear!
And the rest of folks, as we see,
will just nod their heads, and say something about mental illness, or make some offhand remark - quite possibly a critical, or cynical one.
The trained psychologist or psychiatrist might have just as much trouble as the Bible-beating Fundamentalist in
backing away from the picture, thus what s/he will say will quite possibly be something about
what kind of delusion this poor guy is having.
And a person with strong Fundamentalist Muslim beliefs will very possibly take offense, and the
rather outspoken nature of the guy who just told us about Jesus,
may in fact, lead to an argument.
Truthfully,
I'd rather hear something about
extra-terrestrials, NOT just because it is equally true, but because I happen to think it is both infinitely more important, relevant and interesting.
But if you want a bit more
neutrality, and less potential for an argument (don't worry, some folks
will argue regardless - or, as my Mother used to say,
"you'd argue with a signpost, and still go the wrong way!" ) ... suppose the fella on the bus said
this:
Ladies and gentlemen, right now our planet Earth is going through an environmental crisis. You all know this, as well as I do. Even just the use of public transportation, as we are all doing here today, by riding this bus, can help
enormously in energy conservation ... and in preserving our environment and the Earth's natural resources. I'm just an ordinary Joe, but I wanted to
THANK you for riding the bus. Have a wonderful day!
Now, as I say, there is still
all sorts of potential to either judge, criticize, or find an argument with what would have been said ... and it's easy to ask,
"Why did he just do that?" - although, clearly, some of us are not accustomed to looking past
CONTENT to even
get to
CONTEXT.
But I find it somewhat lamentable, that even while we can find
presumed Truth in the statements regarding
Jesus Christ, and some of us
likewise see complete and accurate, factual information in what the fella might have to say about
extra-terrestrials, why is it that for some of us,
even all three of these scenarios (one actual, two imagined) - only make it
so far, before our
filters have either, FOUND FAULT, and kicked the statements back out ...
or some resonant chord has been struck with
our own beliefs, and thus -
no additional thought is necessary, since a surface smile of smug self-satisfaction has now been produced.
Is this what we believe is
desired, hoped or asked of us, by someone such as
a Master Teacher, much less the presumed
SAVIOR of Humanity?
I dare to believe that
such Great Ones expect more. I like to imagine that They expect
much, MUCH more.
And as the Zen saying goes,
`Talk does not cook the rice.'
Love & Light ...
