Dear diary,
I enjoyed talking with my mom on the phone yesterday. She called with a question about her taxes, but I didn’t know the answer and couldn’t help; so then she ended up telling me about her two-person book club, which recently disbanded:
The club consists — or rather consisted — of my mother and her friend Saraghina. Their habit was to choose books about Christianity to read and discuss together.
My mom was sorta raised Catholic but then joined the Protestant church in her early adulthood; and her goal when reading these books about Christianity is to strengthen her belief. (My mom’s belief is always waning and in need of repair.) I don’t know much about my mom’s friend Saraghina, but what I can gather from what has been relayed is that Saraghina is a longtime Catholic who’s almost a freethinker, but she continues to identify with the church (whatever that entails) on account of her husband.
So, like I said, what happens is that the two of them, my mother and Saraghina, will choose to study a text that deals with some aspect of the faith. Then they’ll meet at one of their houses — carefully obeying the social-distancing rules, on account of the plague; also wearing facial masks (which, when I try to envision my mom and her friend attending these meetings, I see them each as sporting those large white masks worn by goaltenders in hockey) — and mull over the present session’s reading.
Their latest title was a book-length study purporting to give evidence proving that Jesus of Nazareth was the one and only savior, the exclusive, unique World-Christ: superior to anything from any other religion.
When mom and Saraghina met to discuss this tome, my mom’s take was that she loved it: it rejuvenated her belief: it was the best thing she’s read in a very long time.
Saraghina’s opinion is that the book was lousy: it was a waste of effort: it did not convince her one bit: she still thinks that all the saviors of all the world’s religions are equally holy.
This got my mother’s goat. The two club-members spent the next hour volleying statements for and against the book’s thesis, yet neither party budged an inch.
Then, while they were preparing to adjourn this latest session, Saraghina said:
“I think we should maybe call it quits. Disband the book club. We’re getting nowhere. You’re stuck in your ways and stubborn as a mule; whereas I’m deeply rooted to the truth of genuine divinity. It is but lost time to continue studying together.”
And my mother agreed, albeit reluctantly. Thus the book club dissolved.
So, while she and I were on the phone, I asked my mom if she could make clearer what this rift is between her own beliefs and those of Saraghina; for I, as an atheist, have trouble seeing the two of them as much different, since they both claim to believe in God, and they even both attend Christian churches. And my mom answered:
“I believe that Jesus is the ONLY savior, whereas Saraghina places all the idols from all the earthly cults on the same shelf as Jesus.”
I thanked my mom for this explanation, because it helped me to understand their club’s breakup. Then I talked for a long time about my own stance and views, hoping to sway my mom little; but my words had the same effect on my mother’s beliefs as my mother’s own arguments had on Saraghina’s convictions. So I apologized for sermonizing; then we bid each other adieu.
I guess that’s how things go: different strokes for different folks.
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