saved

Scottie Bowman (bowman@mail.indigo.ie)
Fri, 06 Feb 1998 08:19:00 +0000 

	`...it's really difficult to talk about this,' writes Helena, 
	`but i always found the whole concept of the fat lady to be 
	very, well, christian...'

	I wonder is she expressing an embarassment that many of us 
	feel as soon as the word Christian appears ?  I for one certainly 
	share it. Zen, Buddhism & so on, have a stylish, chic quality.  
	You wouldn't be ashamed to bring them up in the most fashionable 
	company.  Whereas `Christian' conjures up all too readily images 
	of earnest, clean-cut, young Mormons or seedy old whiskey priests. 
	Many people of my generation - myself among them - slide away 
	from the problem by denying allegiance to the church but claim, 
	modestly enough, an empathy with Jesus the ethics master.

	Yet Salinger actually put this dialogue into Zooey's mouth:  
		`And don't you know - listen to me now - don't you know who 
		the Fat Lady really is ?  .... Ah, buddy.  Ah, buddy.  It's Christ 
		Himself. Christ Himself, buddy.'

	Sweat-making, huh ?

	Scottie B.