Borne again

September 15,2005

I'm always suspicious of people who are "born again". They have a curious certainty which is not quite convincing. They're always playing religious pop music up loud (I'm thinking of someone in particular) which hardly anyone else listens to and acting as if they don't have a trouble in the world. They remind me of certain people that you see jogging on the street. There are some who just run and then there are others who do a whole theatrical routine with sweat bands and weights and heavy breathing, swinging their arms and shoulders in ridiculous gesture. They want us to know that they're not just walking and running, they're "exercising". They want credit for political correctness.I always have the impression that people who exercise like this hate every minute of it and would be much better off changing their lifestyles.

People who are "born again" are a lot like that. They don't just experience quiet joy in the knowlege of their religious fervor. No,they want the rest of us to know that they have Jesus on their side while we continue to struggle with our demons. They even presume to give us advice as to how we can be like them.

All the while I have the impression that they're whistling in the dark. Being "born again", after all, means that you were born once and it didn't work out so well and now your back for another try, this time with Jesus as a crutch.I doubt that invoking Jesus is gonna be enough to get over life's bumps. All this "born again" stuff takes it for granted that Jesus loves us. Unfortunately Jesus hasn't weighed yet in with his opinion.