The Game, The Blame and the New Plagues

The Game, The Blame and the New Plagues

I was on my way back from a conference near MacArthur Airport when I called Candy.  She was in the middle of doing some work and would call me back.  

It was a very rainy Tuesday afternoon so I went to see ‘G’ at my hiding place in Baldwin.  I met up with Candy there over some lunch where the topic turned to theological issues.

Generally I don’t blog about such topics but this time I will.  Candy mentioned how her mother always talks about God’s wrath and God’s punishment with the use of plagues and diseases.  (This where our discussion got interesting.)  “RJ, you have a very impressive theological education, does Mom have a valid point?”

“What makes my theological education impressive Candy?” “For one thing the degrees you have, second, you deal directly with human issues and three, you’re not condescending or duplicitous and finally you should be preaching instead of…..” “OK CANDY.  Let’s get back on subject.  What makes plagues and diseases God’s wrath?”

“RJ, that’s what I’m asking you.  What is the benefit of all that education you have if you don’t have an answer for me?”  I said “OK, let me be direct without being too deep on the theology” I took a long sip of beer and gave a short answer.

 

“Old testament prophets essentially said that diseases and plagues were the result of not obeying God and engaging in sin or idolatry.  The New Testament essentially says that they, diseases, plagues and natural disasters are the result of the corrupt nature of man’s heart which is the reason for sin, which keeps man from being close to God.  

Does that answer your inquiry Candy?”

“A little bit, so to understand, God uses diseases as punishment, right RJ?  “No, evil uses disease and plagues as a consequence of man and woman being out of God’s grace.  Man creates his own diseases as a result of living in filth and/or depravity.  God won’t save you from your own stupidity until you realize you’re stupid.”

“Candy, what put you and your Mom on this subject?”  Candy said, “a friend of my mother’s was messing around with several men and caught a new strain of ‘Super Gonnorrhea.”  By that time ‘G’ delivered our last drinks and buy-backs then announced she was leaving early.  We took our time to finish our drinks and finish up this conversation.

“Candy, what is Super Gonnorrhea and what makes this different from regular, nasty, scary gonnorrhea?  (Candy works in the healthcare industry) Candy said “for one thing this version of ‘the Clap’ is drug resistant, it is so antibiotic resistant the WHO (World Health Organization) put out a worldwide alert which was validated by the CDC.”

I asked, “validated how?”  Candy said, “the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), said the new strain of gonorrhea (Neisseria gonorrhoeae) is resistant to cephalosporins, the class of antibiotics that used to be the most effective when other antibiotics failed to work.”  Now Mom’s friend may have to be hospitalized.

“Candy where did super clap originate, was it here in New York?” “No RJ, it was in Europe and it’s all over Great Britain, France, Australia and Japan too.”  I said “So this is why you’re Mom thinks this is God’s wrath?  Engaging in Anglo-Saxon non-ass washing sex?”

“Yeah, but you’re ‘theological treatment’ of the topic is right on.  If a man keeps his dick clean and has only one woman this stuff would not happen, mankind does this to himself by being nasty.”

We finished our drinks and went to Game On to watch the Yankees and the start of the NBA finals. 

During our time their Candy noted that the women’s restroom had an old piece of bar soap in it and made it clear in graphic detail why it should be changed to both Poppy and the night shift bartender.  

Soft soap was installed immediately.

Candy informed one female patron who wondered what was the big deal between one soap or the other.  Candy said, “the difference is the wrath of God or going home clean. 

Cleanliness is next to Godliness and knowing the difference between washing and cleaning could save you a trip to the hospital or the morgue.”

Candy and I left in the last quarter of the NBA finals.

Do you have antibacterial soap in your favorite dive?

Do you think it really matters?

RJ