The Three Christs of Ypsilanti - Milton Rokeach [36]
General Reactions to Confrontation
At various times, in group sessions and individual interviews, the three Christs had occasion to express their attitudes toward one another, toward me, and toward the meetings. In general they did not think too highly of one another.
“I don’t care for either one,” Clyde said. “They’re no good. One of them looks like a Purcell, the other is a Catholic. Rex is one of those knick-knackers. I’m ’way up. I’m saved. Why should I monkey with such low characters as that? You better believe me. He’s no such thing as Christ. He hasn’t got the shape. He never had a woman. He’s a criminal. Jesus Christ was a Jew and the Jews wouldn’t have anything to do with him. Joseph must know that he doesn’t tell the truth. He’s got Canada, Detroit, and Ohio all mixed up. He isn’t alive, anyway. He’s the son of God and he’s done an awful lot of travel. He had a woman. I like the meetings all right, except for Catholic readings.”
There is no question that Clyde enjoyed and looked forward to the meetings, if for no other reason than that they provided attention and human companionship. Actually he was on fairly good terms with both the other men; apparently he admired them for their education. The least accessible of the three, the least easily aroused, he was content to sit back and watch the other two interact. Neither especially friendly nor especially hostile to either, he seemed to like being physically close to them. For example, he often asked them for a cigarette light.
Joseph vouchsafed: “I don’t dislike the meetings. It is advantageous to iron out the hostilery [sic]. Rex isn’t a bad fellow, and the old man is all right too. They can’t hurt me. You’ve been doing wonderful work because of the effect on my opposition. If you keep ironing out like this, in time there is nothing left for the opposition about what I am—God. They won’t believe they’re God; they’ll believe that they’re just mortals. They will believe that I am God. Then I will be able to do my work better. I will be more tranquil. I want to do this work without being disturbed.”
—Would you be disappointed if the sessions were discontinued?—
“I have already told you that I came from England for a purpose and if you want to dismiss me from the hospital, I will be glad. If you want to continue the discussions with different subjects, for example, drama, literature, authors, poets—but every time we talk about religion we go into a discussion about God.” Joseph laughed.
—Do you think that’s funny?—
“I think that Rex and Clyde talk too much. If I wasn’t God, and I am, by golly, I wouldn’t be wasting my time. I would look forward to getting out of the hospital and getting a job. Every time they talk religion they go crazy; that is, the old man and Leon, not me. I use my head. I use Leon and Clyde, too.”
Joseph’s dislike of Leon was obviously far greater than his dislike of Clyde, and he asserted this dislike more openly as their quarrels reached greater intensity. At the same time, paradoxically, he also displayed an affirmative attitude toward his present situation.
“I want to tell you one thing,” he said. “When I was outside, the scene of my life was disappearing and I was forgetting about being God. And a man has to face life. A man has to avoid dangers so he won’t perish.”
—How do you feel now?—
“I feel better since I’m back in D building. I was too long in C building.” Apparently he felt that he was better off now, in spite of the daily conflicts, than he had been on the back wards.
Leon’s responses were, as usual, more intellectual and more subtle. “No, sir, I do not hate them, I do not, on the merits that they who hate