Paging M. Moliere

My mum-in-law was a missionary, but she does not proselytize her wayward daughter and her wayward daughter's wayward husband -- though I really should look up proselytize to see if it encompasses encouraging the wayward to return. I think proselytize has to do with getting people to change sides, not with encouraging those who have given up sides to choose yours.

Damn interesting thing is nuance.

Whatever the word is, my mum-in-law does not do it. I think my wife is the best person my mum-in-law knows; thus, an argument about a necessary connection between religion and virtue is a loser if you put my wife on the scales. My mum-in-law ain't stupid.

But the Mumster has one or two intrusively religious friends. Around one in particular, my wife has instructed me to evade, lie if necessary, so that mum-in-law is not embarassed. At first I was a little indignant, but my mother-in-law has never cornered me to talk about Jesus, so I choose to make her life easier rather than harder -- or, more to the point, to please my wife.

Also, I can play the double game of saying things that mean one thing to me and something else to the listener. Also, there is a Baptist church near us in Oakland of which we are fond -- fond from a distance -- because it was tossed out of whatever Baptist organization it belonged to because it embraced gays as full members of the communion. We can talk about that church, and its vision of What Would Jesus Do?

Perhaps, there will be fireworks yet, all in the context of the risen Christ.