[OPE] Fragment of a conversation

*Scene*: Lunchtime at McSorley's Old Ale House on East 7th Street in

Manhattan - the oldest ale house in New York City. Two old friends

from college, now middle-aged, are sitting at a table alone sipping

McSorley's famous dark ale and deep in conversation.

*Characters*: The two friends knew each other from the early

1980's when they were both undergraduate students sharing a room

in a dormitory at Harvard University. *Mary Ellen*, went on to get a

PhD in philosophy and religion from Notre Dame University. Her friend,

Stephanie, is a socialist, a Web design consultant, and a software

developer.

               --- Fragments of a Conversation ---

*Mary Ellen*: "So, Stephanie, are you _still_ a Marxist?"

*Stephanie*: "I'm a socialist, not a 'Marxist'. I'm not a Marxist and

neither was Marx, as you already know. The main problem with 'Marxists'

is that - even while claiming to be faithful to Marx - they have departed

from the original perspectives of Marx and Engels. Do you know what I

mean?"

*Mary Ellen* (among other courses, she teaches 'Comparative Religion'

and the 'History of Christianity' at St. John's University) says, with a

wry smile: "Yes, I think so. That, in a nutshell, describes the

history of Christianity. Ever since the death of Jesus, rival factions

and sects have been accusing each other of lack of fidelity to

the Gospel as originally espoused by Jesus. These sects and

denominations have historically accused each other of heresy by

which they mean a deviation from the Lord's will as expressed by

our Savior, Jesus Christ. Some of these sects even denounce all

_organized_ religion and don't even call themselves Christian so as to

emphasize how different they believe the Gospel according to Christ is

from the Gospel according to the 'Christians'. Do you understand what

I mean?"

*Stephanie*: "No, what does the history of Christianity have to do with

Marx and the 'Marxists'?"

*Mary Ellen*: "Never mind. Would you like another drink? I'm buying."

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The above is, of course, merely an exercise in creative writing and

has no relevance whatsoever to anything we have been discussing.

In solidarity, Jerry

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Received on Wed Mar 4 08:50:20 2009