After attending Mass, P just blurted out: “You know, according to Nietzsche, religion is for the weak.”
I rolled my eyeballs. “Of course, he was a socialist,” I said.
“No, contrary to what most people think, Nietzsche actually liked religion. He once said, ‘What is morality without religion?’ We actually need religion . . .”
“To keep us in line.” I cut him off.
“Me, I’d rather believe in something than nothing,” I said.
“Nietzsche didn’t believe that we should pander to the poor because the Bible said that the poor would inherit the earth . . .”
“I think that what is meant by that is that Jesus wanted the non-poor to share what they had with the poor. Remember he said that what we do to the least of his brothers, whether good or bad, we do to him?” I said.
“But, Nietzsche said that the poor should not be satisfied with being poor. They should work hard to rise from poverty.”
“You know, there’s a reason why there are poor and rich people and I’m not talking about capitalism. In life there should be balance. We can’t all be rich; otherwise, no one will agree to work the industries anymore . . .”
“No, what Nietzsche meant is that people should excel in their chosen profession, they should aim for perfection. If you’re a blue-collar worker, say a cook, you should try to be the best cook. People should not use poverty as a crutch. To say that this is all I can be, this is my lot in life because I am poor.”
“Agree,” I said.
“I should read more Nietzsche,” P said.
