Meg no longer believes in Santa, of this I'm sure. She makes a good show of faith in the old beardy one mind - asking me whether he's still on holiday after the Christmas rush and so on. But the way she looks at me whilst she's asking belies the truth that she's discovered.
It's all in the eyes.
Of course I play along with the charade;
"Well Meg, I think he'll be getting back to work soon, what with all the Nintendo DS's he'll have to make..."
This way, if we're both convincing enough, we can keep alive what's left of the magic for a little while longer.
On a related matter - they say that things come in threes. Take this evening for example. In the space of thirty seconds or so, I'd spilled my tea cup running to Meg who'd fallen off the doorstep and scuffed her knees just as Dom choked on a Jelly Baby. A high drama was had in suburbia for a while, I can tell you.
Similarly, in these past few weeks, I've come across a pair of mental Scientologists and been accosted on my doorstep by a fervent Jehova's Witness. And to complete this triad - I was invited to join an Alpha Course by a mate last night down the pub.
"Are you kidding?" I asked, "Me? I'd be a right pain in the arse, I swear."
The Christian mate said that I'd enjoy debating with the group leader. Mind, he let slip after a few jars that the Alpha Gaffer had told him that "Atheists were the easiest to convert."
"Ha! He's talking out of his arse" I said.
"Well, come along then and prove it." - so the gauntlet had been thrown.
Now, if I'm honest I really can't be bothered, as I know I'll just get irked, argue the toss and piss off the faithful. However, I am intrigued to find out how a group of educated, intelligent professionals have formed a group to explore their faith in Santa, sorry, God.
Yet who am I to ask how and why they have their faith? But I can't help myself.
Any reasonably intelligent person will doubt the existence of a higher power - it stands to reason, as the notion of God is rather like infinity - impossible to comprehend and difficult to understand even in theory.
I guess this is the purpose of Alpha Courses;
If other people make a show of having faith, and we collude and do the same, then maybe we can all feel safe together and keep what's left of the magic alive for a little while longer?
I might just go along to see if I'm right...
3 comments:
Be warned, while healthy debates are fine (and even fun), from previous experience very few actually want to have an equal talk but would rather shift things in their favor...
You can't debate with someone who refuses to listen. Of course there are atheists who do the same thing...
Have no fear Raine, I'm under no illusion that I'll have a rational conversation, should I choose to go. After all, it is a rare and brave person to change his mind in public...
Rather, I'll go to watch and get a feel for how otherwise intelligent people can collude to preserve a lie.
"I guess this is the purpose of Alpha Courses;
If other people make a show of having faith, and we collude and do the same, then maybe we can all feel safe together and keep what's left of the magic alive for a little while longer?"
I think you've hit it dead on.
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