Monday, March 28, 2005

When the Host's Away,
New Yorkers Will Play

Christians who live outside the New York City area may have a hard time understanding just how hard it is to find observant Christians here, let alone anyone with the courage to stand up to a "militant secularist" at a cocktail party. So it was with some amusement that I read New Criterion associate editor James Panero's account of how he stood up to a young woman at a party at his apartment when she spoke disrespectfully Christian missionaries.

What I find amusing—and again, you have to know New York City—is that, while James is describing how he defended the faith, he mentions in passing that the "Easter weekend" party that that he hosted was on Friday night. That would be Good Friday—not exactly an evening when I imagine Christians outside the tri-state area booze'n'schmooze 'til the wee hours.

In Gotham, everything is relative—including orthodoxy. Take it from the chaste woman who dyed her hair platinum blonde.