Tuesday, July 8, 2008

J to the E to SUS

Here is a little story about religion to celebrate WYD which will soon create an APEC-esque feel to Sydenny once more (although as long as they keep the helicopters to a minimum this time it doesn't bother me too much).

There are some odd characters in the Zosia clan. Undoubtedly, one of the most colourful is Dotty Great-Aunt Dotty. When she found out that her brother was going to marry a (gasp) Catholic, she cut the family (ie: me, ultimately) out of her (considerable) will and left all her money and possessions to an Anglican boys home that had closed about 20 years before she died, and some nasty right-wing violent political organisation.

Although she was never swayed to change her will, she did once soften enough to talk to my Catholic grandmother about something they had in common - Jesus. I know, scintillating topic of conversation. So Dotty Great-Aunt Dotty brought out a holy card she had with an illustration on it of her mate J, and showed it to my grandmother. My grandmother looked at it and said, slightly amazed "He's got blue eyes in this picture. Jesus wouldn't have had blue eyes". Dotty Great-Aunt Dotty said "why not?" or "how do you know?" or something, to which my grandmother replied "well, because Jesus was a Jew". Scandalized, Dotty retorted furiously "He was not a Jew!!!"

And upon reflection, that is probably why she never changed her will.

3 comments:

davey said...

I dunno what's more disturbing Zos, your Great Aunt's belief in a theological history she knows nothing about or your Grandma's misrepresentation of Jewish lineage.

Nah I kid, your Aunt takes it by a mile.

Felix for Zosia said...

Look forward to more Dotty stories in the future Davey, there are a few. Next time I'm stuck for a blog post I'll just call up my mum and ask her for some family dirt.

Juice Bar said...

He might not have been a Jew, but at least we now know he knew how to have a good time:

Jesus Christ picture kicks up row
13 Jul 2008, 0412 hrs IST,TNN

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In what seems like a big faux pas that may snowball into a controversy, the official journal of a Catholic diocese in Kerala carried a picture of Jesus Christ with a beer mug in one hand and a cigarette in the other on the cover page of its June issue.

The picture, which has invited strong reactions from the Christian community in the state, appeared in the June 5 edition of "Vachana Jyotis" — the magazine published by diocese of Neyyattinkara, on the outskirts of the state capital.