Godidiot of the Week: Alice of “Go Ask Alice”
February 26, 2003 | No Comments
Two college students. He’s a devout Catholic. She’s a raving atheist. They’re thinking about getting engaged, but are concerned that their religious differences might lead to problems in the future. So they seek the counsel of this week’s Godidiot, “Alice” of Go Ask Alice — the pseudonym of a team of Columbia University health educators and health care providers.
Most of Alice’s advice is touchy-feely psychobabble about exploring each other’s feeling about religion and spirituality. But she concludes her answer with this recommendation:
Speaking with a rabbi, pastor, or minister with whom you feel comfortable could also help. Some members of the clergy are more comfortable with interfaith relationships and marriages than others . . . Congregations and community centers sometimes run discussion and support groups for interethnic and interfaith couples as well.
Interfaith relationships? Interfaith couples? Alice — you need two faiths to be interfaith. The girlfriend is a goddamned atheist. She doesn’t have a faith. She’s rational. You can pull the interfaith crap only where both parties share the delusion about an invisible being and can reach some sort of compromise about how to prostrate themselves before it. And talk to the clergy? To what end? The poor girl is going to have enough trouble making her boyfriend see the light, without having to deprogram someone who is paid to spout God-talk.