Hi Foxy,

When he asked, about Salvation, you should have answered with. Join The Army... The Salvation Army, humm. Then again you could have burst out in a stirring rendition of 'Bring In The Sheaves' and asked him to join in. Nothing like a bit of old time Southern Baptist Revivalism.

Just for you; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad54bH-nQTM

Dear David and Paul,

Thanks for your advice.

I took the question seriously and it could have been the
medication I was under, or the fact that I didn't want to
insult this old man. But it did make me question things
within myself.

cont'd ...

In any case, he did not raise the matter again
and ended up bringing me a piece of cake and
some lovely small tomatoes that his family had
brought in for him the following day. He wanted
to share them with me. I gave him some fresh fruit.
So it was all good.

But I admit his question was unexpected.

The Southern Baptists split off from the other baptists because of their support for slavery. I prefer my grandmother's attitude.

I remember her questioning both miracles and the Messiah. Orthodox Jews are not supposed to light fires on the Sabbath. One Friday in the twilight she saw my grandfather crouched down next to the woodshed smoking. She said in shock, "Goldberg, it's still shabbas!" He responded, "Goddammit to hell. I forgot!"

In that incident my grandfather was violating the law and my grandmother was concerned with observing it. Yet my grandmother was a sceptic, and my grandfather was a believer. She observed rigidly, but her mind roamed free. My grandfather was a thorough believer, but apparently his God was one who wasn't going to get his knickers in a knot if an old Jew had a smoke on shabbas. She exemplified the misnagid attention to ritual, and he exemplified the devout belief of a Hassid.

I loved them both, and they loved each other.

Hi again Foxy,

The question is only answerable if one believes they need to be saved, and then saved from what, themselves, others, God, the Devil. Generally those who ask that question, believe we are inherently bad creatures, sinning against God, and need to be saved from that sin, there's those commandments for you. One of the basics of Christian belief is that humans are weak creatures easily susceptible to "temptation", Adam, Eve and the apple stuff. I'll be okay, after I've done my 10,000 years in Purgatory, as Sr Mary reliably informed me of that fact, when I was about 8 years of age in 3rd Grade. Do you think I might get time off for good behaviour?

"Monty Python, possibly one of those sages you refer to, said the answer was "42" which is just as rational as any faith based interpretation can be. "

Nup. Actually it was from 'the Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy' and was said by a massive compute called 'Deep Thought'.