Thread:

I had a friend in college, a year senior to me, who was of a philosophical bent. We used to get into intense debates about the nature of morality, about European history and most of all - Nietzsche. As those who've read him, know his critique of Abrahamanism.

This friend, was a religious Christian, but detested Churches and mass Sunday gatherings. (A Dostoevskian, I presume.) He had a tremendous love for Christ, but hated the organized mysticism that religious institutions generally offer.

He once confided in me of how our debates were much richer in spirit than the salvation 'bullshit' (his words) offered to them by the priests. A hard-lined pessimist, he perceived the world bitterly, but through some intense irony, had nurtured a deep love for Christ.

I knew little of the theology of Christianity (not the evangelical one) but had read Nietzsche cover to cover, and thus was able to draw a counter argument to each of his arguments that were in favor of Christianity.

It mattered little. Our talks usually yielded nothing but frustration, and a cynical sort of awning would seize us, in each of our discussions.

One day, out of the blue, he asked me about Dharma. It was a straight up question, as he wanted to understand what the word meant.

After much deliberation (which included examples from the Srimad BhgavadGita, the Vedas, the Dhammpada and what little I knew of the Guru Nanak) he was intrigued. So, he asked me for a copy of the Gita and handed me one of the Bible, and we both set off to read the texts.

A month or so, we both had completed each of our books. I, was pleasantly shocked in the manner the life of Christ had been told, (the eternal suffrage of man) and he, on the other hand, had developed a love for the Gita.

From that day on, we rarely debated. One fine day, by chance, I saw a pendant of Krishna in his backpack.

Anyway, Merry Christmas. This copy of the Bible, was provided by him.