"Why the Christians, Peter?"

      "Because the Christians would have destroyed the Roman Empire by invalidating what it stood for," I answered. "Just look at what happened at this time in history. It was bad enough for the ruling empires that Plato and Socrates had been admired by the elite of society. In some cases they were revered almost like they were gods. The Roman Empire was hard pressed to counter that. But then, suddenly, along came this man Jesus, a mere carpenter, a nobody whom the people called the Christ, a preacher who spoke to the common people in the dessert, who literally told everyone who would listen that every human being IS the son of God. He called himself personally so, and he also called himself the son of man in the same breath. This makes every human being the son of God. This profound duality attributes a great measure of divinity to our humanity. It brought everyone who dared to be honest with himself, up to the same high level of dignity that Jesus had recognized and had exemplifies. Also, he had backed up everything that he stood for with unmistakable proof that couldn't be ignored. His proof was his healing power. Can you imagine what this must have meant for Rome, with the word of this new image of mankind supported by that kind of power spreading like wildfire throughout the world? Can you imagine how deeply the Roman Empire was threatened by this idea of a demonstrated truth that every human being IS the Son of God?"

      "I am beginning to see what you are getting at," said Indira quietly. "It must have felt like a potentially mortal blow to the Empire's self-inflated pompous charade. Obviously, the Empire had to strike back. We have seen this all too often here in India under colonial rule. Imperial violence had become an endlessly repeated 'song' of unspeakable arrogance, like a broken record that no one seemed able to stop. But Gandhi did. He said we must fight, but not their way. We fight for the truth, but not against any human being. He won. The British Empire lost."

      "Rome was worse of," I said. "It didn't loose. The Roman imperials struck back out of their weakness. It really was pathetic what the Romans did. The supposedly mightiest empire on the planet was suddenly reduced to having to defend itself against a carpenter and dessert preacher. They took him, they scourged him, they nailed him to the cross, and even while he was dying they railed against him in mockery, which became a mockery of everything that he represented, of everything that they feared. But they didn't succeed in suppressing what he stood for. His light shone brighter after their horrible deed. The budding Christianity, which he set in motion, became a potent force that they feared even more."

      "And so, the empire lashed out again like we've seen it in India?" Indira interrupted. "There were more persecutions, right?"

      "No, there weren't any at first. I don't think the empire knew how to fight an elevating idea, at least they couldn't do it openly. They responded with collective persecutions of the Christians. But, inconspicuously latched onto the tailspin of the empire's response, the Zealots' revolted against Rome. This infamous revolt ended with the destruction of the temple of Jerusalem by the Roman Empire. Countless people were put to death in those days. The persecution of the Christians simply continued on from there and gradually grew in an evermore-public manner. The Empire was really scared by then. The Christians were rounded up wherever they were found. The Romans fed to the lions in horrendous spectacles in which their bodies were mauled to death or torn apart alive against the background of cheering crowds. No ugliness was spared by Rome in its effort to tear to shreds the very notion of the divinity of man that Christianity represented."

      "You are saying that what is happening to our people in India is an imitation of all that, even a poor imitation," said Indira and looked away from me.

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Stories about  Sex from novels by Rolf A. F. Witzsche