(C)2012
Pizzaonian National Flag - Courtesy of the Pizzaonian Art Institute, Abe Straction, curator
An old controversy has raised its head again in Pizzaonia. Brother Giovanni, former Supreme Pizzaonian, and currently a contributing editor to “The Pizzaonian,'' is back in the news because of his ongoing column "Conversations with Jesus."
The Pizzaonian Council of Monks (PCM) and pizza conglomerate, Pizza digogo DiVinci are concerned when a prominent and respected figure in Pizzaonian politics like Brother Giovanni engages in an activity many Pizzaonians consider weird at best and psychotic at worst.
When asked about the controversy Brother Giovanni seemed unconcerned with the controversy. “I have never made any claim that the Jesus that I correspond with is the JESUS. You may surmise by the way my friend addresses issues that he believes he is the Jesus of the New Testament. I leave that for the readers to decide. The controversy seems to me to be overblown and inconsistent with Pizzaonian tolerance,” said Brother Giovanni.
Brother Giovanni added, "I have every intention to continue to publish my letters and conversations with Jesus because I think they are interesting to our readers. There is also a chance that he is who he says he is."
In the interests of full disclousue "The Pizzaonain" will continue to print the information that Brother Giovanni makes available to us. Diverti Mento, editor
From Brother Giovanni ............
You will find the excerpts of my conversation with Jesus a bit different in tone than before. It seems the topic of why Christians are seen by so many people as hypocrites and bigots took our conversation in a more serious direction.
As before, we are not including the usual perfunctory remarks that start most conversations and I am only allowed to use the recording that is left behind after each conversation.
G: That’s me J: That’s Jesus.
J: You raised the ante in our last conversation when you got into the “why are so many of my followers considered hypocrites?” And, even though I started these meetings intending to be casual, I don’t want you to lose sight of who I AM. Casual as this conversation may be, I still want to make sure a certain sense of decorum and a modicum of respect is maintained between us.
G: Wow, I am sorry if I offended you. It’s not easy being with you this way - I mean as an ordinary person, and as said before, “so human.” I was beginning to feel like we were becoming good friends. I know you are the Messiah and I am the saved. And for that I am thankful. But our relationship now seems more like someone I hang out with. I guess I presumed certain liberties I shouldn’t have. From now on I will be more careful.
J: Well, part of it is my fault. Few Christians appreciate that the human side of my personality is as human and they are – actually more so. And, you have to remember in the beginning, the first time around; I wasn’t taken very seriously either. I suspect that’s made me more sensitive than I should be. Enough of this, let’s get back to your question at our last conversation.
G: You mean my original question, “How can a faith that preaches love and tolerance be perceived as hypocritical by so many people?"
J: Yes that question. But first we have to clear up a few things. First of all I have to communicate with millions of people. You’re all on different paths on the road to discovering God. What I say to you and you accept as ok could start a full scale riot in other parts of the world. You’re going to have to think beyond your personal, and I might add, your parochial perspective for me to make sense to you.
And remember, it wasn’t that long ago when your ancestors were running all over the known world burning people at the stake, torturing and impaling others, and all in our Father’s name. Man, did we have to grin and bear that one.
G: Why didn’t you do something about it?
J: Again you obviously don’t get it. You’re supposed to be a free people. Part of the deal in making you free is to allow you to make all of the decisions and take responsibility for them.
G: What happened to all of those people who were treated shamelessly?
J: We had to come up with other ways to make it up to them.
G: What’s that supposed to mean?
J: I am starting to bring up subjects I am not supposed to talk about. Maybe at a later time I can share more with you – perhaps when we meet on the other side.
G: Your non-answer doesn’t help much – now I am really curious, but I better leave well enough alone.
J: Good idea. I am going to have to go pretty soon, but I do want to give you one more thing to think about. One thing that has really bothered me over the last 2000 years is the need for humans to control everything.
G: Does that mean including you?
J:Yes, especially including me. And you’ve developed ingenious ways of doing it. And it’s not just in religion. It seems you always intentionally make the simplest things so complicated you have to have experts take over to run and explain things. And the experts inevitably create the bureaucracy that always follows.
Before you know it it’s so complicated I have trouble understanding it. You do it with everything and its part of the problem. I get agitated every time I think about it.
But that’s enough for today - we can talk more tomorrow. Till then...
Posted by Brother Giovanni, for - "The Pizzaonian" a division of the Pizzaonain Newsertainment Network
"The Pizzaonian" also recommends - http://giovanniandfranco.com
Comments