Sunday, September 28, 2003

Gah. Somehow my Phlog got removed from here, and the last few entries I sent didn't show up.


A joke Mrs Sng told us a long time ago in History 6:

Pope vs Moshe

A long time ago, the Pope decided that all the Jews had to leave Rome.

Naturally there was a big uproar from the Jewish community. So the Pope made
a deal. He would have 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 have to leave.

The Jews realized that they had no choice. So they picked an elderly man
named Moshe to represent them. Rabbi Moshe did not speak Latin. In fact, he
knew very little, but he was a man of great faith and well respected in the
Jewish community.

The Pope agreed. What could be easier than a silent debate?

The day of the great debate came. Moshe and the Pope sat opposite each other
for a full minute before the Pope raised his hand and showed three fingers.

Moshe looked back at him and raised one finger.

The Pope waved his fingers in a circle around his head.

Moshe pointed to the ground where he sat.

The Pope pulled out a wafer and a glass of wine.

Moshe 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 gathered all around the Pope asking him what
happened.

The Pope said: "First I held up three fingers to represent the Holy 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 and
showing that God was also right here with us. I pulled out the wine and the
wafer to show that God absolved 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 Moshe. "What happened?"
they asked.

"Well," said Moshe, "first he says to me, 'You Jews have three days to get
out of here. 'So I said to him, "'Up yours.' Then he tells me the whole city
would be cleared of Jews. So I said to him, 'Listen here, Pope, the Jews
stay right here.

"And then?" asked a woman.

"Who knows?" said Moshe. "He took out his lunch so I took out mine."
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