God Is Not Allowed to Ride the San Francisco MUNI
"Some people call him Jesus, some people call him Buddha, some people call him Allah," an elderly black homeless woman preached as I climbed aboard a bus on the #3 Line on the way home from a dentist appointment. "But whatever you want to call him, the point is that he's God. And he LOVES you!" she shouted, so that everyone --even the forlorn looking youths at the back of the bus with their earbuds blasting mp3s into their ears--could hear her message.
At that moment, the bus driver slammed on the brakes, put her into park, and got up out of his seat to wag his finger in the face of our Universalist evangelist and inform her that there was to be "no religion, none whatsoever on this bus. Because you know why? Because you might be a Christian, and I might be no religion, and that woman over there..." and as he pointed at a woman in a full, black burqa, the bus driver began to look a little uncomfortable, "she might be...some la la blah blah blah religion. So no religion on this bus."
"Yessir," our preacher mumbled. But as the bus driver resumed his seat, she couldn't help but conclude her sermon with some closing thoughts. "It's just that I really don't want to see another 9/11 happen. And I want folks to know that God loves them."
Profound, absurd, and so quintessentially San Francisco.
- Comment (25)
- · Quote
- · UnfollowFollow (4)
- Pages:
- 1
- 2
- Pages:
- 1
- 2
Comments :
Re: God Is Not Allowed to Ride the San Francisco MUNI
I just took a lengthy bus ride (8 hours) and was seated next to a woman who railed on Israelis for much of it. Oh how I wish I'd had your bus driver!
Jun '10
Re: God Is Not Allowed to Ride the San Francisco MUNI
And if you intend to preach on a city bus, always make sure your visual aids fit on the bus.
May '10
Re: God Is Not Allowed to Ride the San Francisco MUNI
Muni shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people to peaceably assemble...
Sep '10
Re: God Is Not Allowed to Ride the San Francisco MUNI
Diane Ellis, Ed.
That's what I found strange...
You've lived in the BA for how long and you found this strange? Par for the course, in my experience.
The only way you can get away with being publicly religious in San Francisco is if you're:
That's it. Anyone else is SOL.
Sep '10
Re: God Is Not Allowed to Ride the San Francisco MUNI
It's offensive because the sickly-sweet message "God loves you" is also accompanied by the absurd revelation that if we who have been made so that we cannot believe ignore the overtures of the credulous, fire, torture and damnation are ours for all of eternity.
It may come as a surprise to you, but if you want to claim one you must claim the whole lot.
So please pardon me if I choose to remain "un-grown up" and politely but forcefully decline to be spoken to in that tone of voice.
Thanks.
Edited on Aug 31, 2011 at 2:22pm