BC Pires, God and me

James C Aboud

I’ve always told BC Pires (known to me as Baz), the well-known atheist/agnostic/anti-religionist, that I would, one day, publicly expose him as the person who converted me back to the Catholicism in which I was raised.

Now is as good a time as any to do so, as he fearlessly fights cancer and is still alive to read this “in the living days,” as the song goes. So I am keeping my promise to expose him.

Baz moved into my Barbados apartment to cram for the Cave Hill LLB law exams. Of course, we were immensely distracted by each other’s company and naturally fell behind in our cramming schedules. I have been his best friend since we were 13 and we have an irrepressible off-the-wall sense of contagious humour.

I was an atheist at that time and had published a few articles on the theme of Friedrich Nietzsche’s declaration that “God is dead.”

Baz was not too interested in law, but was very bright and had no problems passing exams with limited effort.

I needed the standard cramming time to pass law exams, namely 14 hours per day, every day, for six weeks.

If you want to cram law, avoid living with BC.

Here’s what happened that year in Cave Hill.

I ran out of cramming time for the Friday Law of Torts exam. I had the Company Law exam on the Monday of that week and the Law of Torts exam on the Friday.

I figured, heading into that week, that after the Monday Company Law exam (for which I was fully prepared at least a month earlier), I’d have enough time between Monday night and Friday morning to cram for the Torts exam.

I was very wrong. My chronic insomnia set in. I lost my appetite through lack of sleep. I vomited whatever I ate. I couldn’t concentrate without sleep and nourishment. Baz suggested that we move our beds onto the covered patio for some night air. I was still wide awake.

By Wednesday I was an anxious, sleep-deprived wreck. On Thursday morning Baz reminded me about the powers of God. I fell under his Catholic influence. I started to pray for strength. My heart opened to God in my moment of impending collapse.

On the Thursday afternoon I went to see a doctor for a vitamin B booster injection. I was a wreck. She told me that I was in no physical shape to write an exam the next day. Trusting in my newly activated faith, I took her advice. She gave me a prescription for sleeping tablets and advised me not to write the Torts exam.

I didn’t buy any sleeping tablets. When I returned to my apartment Baz noticed that I looked calmer. I told him that there were supplemental exams for Tort in August, and why should I kill myself. I went to my bed with peace of mind. I prayed and soon fell asleep.

I woke up around 6 pm and sat at my desk. Not one to throw in the towel, I told Baz that I should at least try and answer one exam question.

Baz helpfully advised me what Torts topic always comes: malicious prosecution.

So I said a prayer and began to study my notes and textbook. Baz guided me throughout the night, picking topics he felt would be on the paper. I stuck a note on the lamp: “God give me strength.”

I covered three topics by 12am and went peacefully to sleep. Baz kindly drove my car to the Friday exam so that I could cover a fourth topic on the drive.

It was a wild shot, engineered by Baz, and I didn’t have any hope of passing.

The results of the exams were mailed to me in June. I surprisingly passed Torts with a B+. However, I failed the Monday Company Law exam. Many others failed that exam, not only me, if the truth be told.

I phoned Baz and told him that God was crap. I scolded him for converting me back to Catholicism.

“Look at this! God let me down! I failed an exam!”

He very calmly replied, “Jim, you didn’t have God with you when you wrote the Monday exam. You had him with you for the Friday exam and you got a B+.”

Baz had a point.

I passed the supplemental exam with a B+. Through him and “Him,” I passed all future law exams with honours.

Very surprisingly, a few years later, Baz started writing defiant newspaper articles doubting the existence of God, leaving me on my own with the faith that he had restored in me.

He once again challenged my rational mind with these irreligious articles, and during our many conversations on the topic. Once more, through Baz (thank you, sigh) I again have philosophical doubt about any religious dogma that professes to be in direct contact with the personhood of God.

However, I confess that I say the Rosary on nights of intolerable insomnia or anxiousness, so you didn’t entirely succeed in your second conversion of me, my friend.

I am left with this prayer for you: may the unknowable and unseen Force be with you during your ordeal. There is a Force out there, and it is good.

You are immortal to me, Baz. Your influence on my life, for however long our lives last, will never be forgotten. I love you and will always treasure you. Brothers forever. And ever.

James Aboud is an Appeal Court judge