Re: the location of religion

Erin McLaughlin (erinseyes@hotmail.com)
Sat, 17 Oct 1998 21:13:49 -0700 (PDT) 

I'm new too, Brian, but your idea is pretty much what I'm talking about. 
That doesn't make it right, of course, but, this is the God I can't 
really imagine anyone living without.



----Original Message Follows----
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1998 20:17:00 +0000
From: Brian Flanigan <flanigan@magibox.net>
Subject: the location of religion
To: bananafish list <bananafish@lists.nyu.edu>
Reply-to: bananafish@lists.nyu.edu

Hi.  I'm new.  One of the most interesting things to me in Salinger's =
writings is the old letter from Buddy that Zooey reads in the bathtub =
while Bessie lurks at the door.  I liked the part where he says =
something like: if you want to be an actor then act!  And this reminds =
me of Seymour telling Zooey to shine his shoes before going on the =
radio.  (I hope I have all these names right - I haven't read the book =
in many years.)  I think a message somewhat implicit in these is that =
our duty is to perform (bad word) - our duty is to engage the world('s =
people); to choose our goals, our activities, and go out to do them with 
=
our whole selves and to try to do our best.  Among so many various =
religious references, when Salinger's characters (Seymour, Buddy, Zooey) 
=
talk about religion on this earth in this life, they fairly often =
recommend: pick a thing and do it as if you had god in you.  (So to =
speak....  Excuse my rephrasing.)
=20
And when Zooey looks out the window, when he's in the living room =
talking to Franny, and sees the little girl playing with her puppy.  Or 
=
when Teddy says that, as he watched his little sister drinking milk, he 
=
saw god pouring god into god.  Or something like that.  (Sorry, another 
=
book I haven't read for years.)
=20
But the point is that god is right in front of you.
=20
Just a thought, or two.



"As if you could kill time without injuring eternity." --H.D. Thoreau


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