A Religious Debate
This
is the story of a debate between two religious figures.
About a century or two ago, the Pope decided that all the Jews had
to leave Rome. Naturally there was a big uproar from a religious
debate with a member of the Jewish community. If the Jew won, the
Jews could stay. If the Pope won, the Jews would leave. The Jews
realized that they had no choice. So Moishe asked for one addition
to the debate. To make it more interesting, neither side would be
allowed to talk. The Pope agreed. The day of the great debate came.
Moishe and the Pope sat opposite each other for a full minute before
the Pope raised his hand and showed three fingers. Moishe looked
back at him and raised one finger. The Pope waed his fingers in
a circle around his head. Moishe pointed to the ground where he
sat. The Pope pulled out a wafer and a glass of wine. Moishe pulled
out an apple.
The Pope
stood up and said, "I give up. This man is too good. The Jews
can stay."
An hour
later, the cardinals were all around the Pope asking him what had
happened.
The Pope said, "First I held up three fingers to represent
the Trinity. He responded by holding up one finger to remind me
that there was still one God common to both our religions. Then
I waved my finger around me to show him that God was all around
us. He responded by pointing to the ground showing that God was
also right here with us. I pulled out the wine and wafer to show
that God absolves us from our sins. He pulled out an apple to remind
me of original sin. He had an answer for everything. What could
I do?"
Meanwhile,
the Jewish community had crowded around Moishe. "What happened?"
they asked. "Well," said Moishe, "First he said to
me that the Jews had three days to get our of Rome. I told him that
not one of us was leaving. Then he told me that this whole city
would be cleared of Jews. I let him know that we were staying right
here."
"And
then?" asked a woman.
"I
don't know," said Moishe, "He took out his lunch and I
took out mine."
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