I believe in beer, too.

Our friend and regular pub patron Amy posted this essay this morning, and I hope she doesn't mind my reprinting it here.

It's ironic. I regularly read accounts about how non-believers like me constitute a threat to peace of mind, Christian conscience and the American way in comprehensive terms, but I can't recall the last time I invaded a local church's physical space and demanded to proselytize about atheism.

Did I really use the word "ironic"? I meant "hypocritical."

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Separation of Church and Bar, by Amy Weatherford.

It is not everyday that I get into a religious debate with anyone... much less people at Rich O's. But my time had come to debate something loudly in the Couch area. There were two couples that came in from Meade Co. KY. One of them happens to be a Circuit Court Judge. The night started off well with the women ordering wine and the two men having Spaten and me drinking Alpha Naught. How religion was brought up into conversation is blurred to me now, but the topic arose.

Being a regular at Rich O's I know I should have just stopped right there and changed the topic but the Judge was persistent in his wanting to piss me off. I enjoy discussions about controversial topics with people that understand that there is more than one view point in the world and I sensed that there was only one view point for the Judge but continued anyway. Then the question came about...

"Do YOU believe in Jesus Christ?"

STOP... Amy do not answer. Change the subject now... is all I could think, but my recent smart ass came rearing its ugly head.

"Well what do you mean by... believe?"

"That Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior."

"I believe in the historical Jesus, but as to the hypostatic union... I don't know
if anyone can be for sure."

At this moment I can only think about the Big Lebowski and that a world of pain is coming my way by fucking with the Jesus. One thing lead after another. The Judge saying that he lives his life by the laws of God and me explaining that we "got" those laws from a book called the Bible that was written by man and man is fallible. And that the laws that he works within by being a Judge was written by men and that I hoped when he was on the bench "judging" that he remained in this earthly jurisdiction.

After me going through a short Theology lesson on the Bible. The rest of his crew chime in and say that its ok that I am conceitedly assertive and dogmatic in my opinions because I am YOUNG and the Judge informs me that he took a course in world Religions and that he "knew" everything about it.

This is where I lost it.... I did not throw anything... I did not compromise my good upstanding character at Rich Os. I stated clearly...

" I am glad you took one course in world religions when you were in college in
the 60's. I see that it has done you a lot of good. And apparently my 4 years of Theology and Political Philosophy courses that I took in the past 6 years count for nothing. The bottom line is there are different strokes for different folks and if I don't believe that Jesus Christ was our Lord and Savior... I guess I'll meet you in Hell."

I stand up and get another beer and they exit the couch area to return to Meade Co. one of them goes to hug me while whispering in my ear... "If you live with Jesus in your heart you will be ok. You just have to believe."

Me not saying any departing words, sat down on the couch with the cask in my hand and said "I believe in BEER!"