"Jerry Oltion - Salvation" - читать интересную книгу автора (Oltion Jerry)

“Nor do I,” said Jesus.

Billy nearly choked on his wine. “What? What about the loaves and
the fishes? What about the sermon on the mount? And you raised Lazarus
from the dead!”

Jesus shook his head. “I don’t remember raising anyone from the
dead. Simon and Andrew and I had a good day with a net during the famine
several years ago, and I’ve preached my share of sermons, but the tales
seem to grow in the telling.”

“But ... you ... I...” Billy spluttered, unable to bring himself to argue with
Jesus’s depiction of his own life, but unable to quite believe what he was
hearing, either.

The conversation went on like that for some time, with Jesus showing
amusement and occasional irritation at how his reputation was getting out of
hand. “I’m tempted to change my message,” he said at one point, “just to
see if anybody’s actually listening anymore.”

“You couldn’t!” Billy said, aghast.

“I could. There are dozens of ways to improve people’s lives. That’s
all I’m trying to do: help people to see that their existence doesn’t have to
be all drudgery and despair.”

William gave him an appraising look, then said, “You should try
science.”

“Spoken like a Roman,” said Jesus.

“Spoken like a humanist,” William replied. “Science packaged with
your message of love and compassion could transform the world two
thousand years early. We could have an age of reason and an age of
enlightenment simultaneously. Humanity could escape the cycle of religious
fanaticism that has kept us fighting like cats and dogs for millennia.”

Billy could hold his tongue no longer. “Who are you to preach to the
Lord of Creation? Still your blaspheming tongue before I still it for you!”

“Ah, yes, threats of violence for espousing rational thought,” said
William. “I rest my case.”

“Come now,” said Jesus. “You surely didn’t travel all this way just to
continue an old argument. Have more wine and see if you can get one of
these in that cup over there.” He held up one of the beanbags he had been
about to toss when they had arrived.

****