멋진 친구 세계적 우정

그 둘은 초등학교도 같이 다닌 불알친구로 둘다 중부 이태리 출신 이었다.

70대로 성장한 지금 한사람은 본당신문의 집필가가 되어 일하고 있고 또 다른

한 사람은 목소리를 내는 요란한 무신론자 였다. 무신론자가 된 70대의 친구는

수년동안 예수의 존재를 부정하는합법적 투쟁을 해오다 최후 일격을 성당으로

날릴려고 소꼽친구를 피고로 그 자신이원고가 되어 예수의 존재를 부정하는

소송을 제기했다. 미국 대통령이 법으로 결정되기는 했으나 예수의 실제 존재여부가

이제는 이태리의 법정에서 결정되어지게 되었다니, 허참 역시 여유로운 이태리

유럽 노인네들답구나. 인생이 얼마나 심심하길래 또 얼마나그 사이가 막역했으면

이런 멋진 세계적 희귀 사건을 기획해낼 수가있을까. 로마 카토릭에서는 기적이

일어난다면 이길 수 있을 것이라고, 예수님도 워낙에 재미있기에 얼굴 한 가득

미소를머금고 사랑으로 뭉친 둘의 긴 우정에 웃고 계실 듯...

Did Jesus exist? Italian court to decide

By Phil Stewart Wed Jan 4, 10:28 PM ET

ROME (Reuters) - Forget the U.S. debate over intelligent design versus evolution.

An Italian court is tackling Jesus -- and whether the Roman Catholic Church may be breaking the law

by teaching that he existed 2,000 years ago.

The case pits against each other two men in their 70s, who are from the same central Italian town and

even went to the same seminary school in their teenage years.

The defendant, Enrico Righi, went on to become a priest writing for the parish newspaper. The plaintiff,

Luigi Cascioli, became a vocal atheist who, after years of legal wrangling, is set to get his day in court

later this month.

"I started this lawsuit because I wanted to deal the final blow against the Church, the bearer of

obscurantism and regression," Cascioli told Reuters.

Cascioli says Righi, and by extension the whole Church, broke two Italian laws. The first is

"Abuso di Credulita Popolare" (Abuse of Popular Belief) meant to protect people against being swindled

or conned. The second crime, he says, is "Sostituzione di Persona", or impersonation.

"The Church constructed Christ upon the personality of John of Gamala," Cascioli claimed, referring

to the 1st century Jew who fought against the Roman army.

A court in Viterbo will hear from Righi, who has yet to be indicted, at a January 27 preliminary hearing

meant to determine whether the case has enough merit to go forward.

"In my book, The Fable of Christ, I present proof Jesus did not exist as a historic figure. He must now

refute this by showing proof of Christ's existence," Cascioli said.

Speaking to Reuters, Righi, 76, sounded frustrated by the case and baffled as to why Cascioli --

who, like him, came from the town of Bagnoregio -- singled him out in his crusade against the Church.

"We're both from Bagnoregio, both of us. We were in seminary together. Then he took a different path

and we didn't see each other anymore," Righi said.

"Since I'm a priest, and I write in the parish newspaper, he is now suing me because I 'trick' the people."

Righi claims there is plenty of evidence to support the existence of Jesus, including historical texts.

He also claims that justice is on his side. The judge presiding over the hearing has tried, repeatedly,

to dismiss the case -- prompting appeals from Cascioli.

"Cascioli says he didn't exist. And I said that he did," he said. "The judge will to decide if Christ exists or not."

Even Cascioli admits that the odds are against him, especially in Roman Catholic Italy.

"It would take a miracle to win," he joked.