Light entertainment (ritual, blood, choice, Jerusalem, spiritual)

[Laila]

Rik Bailey writes about a story he has heard;

Back 10 centuries ago, just before the crusade is launched, the Pope decides that all the Muslims have to leave Jerusalem peacefully or there would be bloodshed. Naturally there is a big uproar from the Muslim community. So the Pope strikes a deal. He would have a religious debate with a member of the Muslim community. If the Muslim won the debate, all the Muslims can stay. If the Pope won, all the Muslims would have to leave.
The Muslims realise that they have no choice. They look around for a champion who can defend their faith, but no one wants to volunteer. It's too risky. But they do finally pick their representative, an old Mullah who unknowingly agrees without knowing what he is getting himself into. He agrees on the condition that neither side be allowed to talk but communicate by miming as he is deaf. The Pope agrees.
The day of the great debate comes. The Mullah and the Pope sit opposite each other for a full minute before the Pope raises his hand and shows three fingers. The Mullah raises his middle finger.
The Pope waves his fingers in a circle around his head. The Mullah points to the ground and stamps his right foot.
The Pope pulls out a wafer and a glass of wine. The Mullah pulls out an apple. The Pope stands up and says, "I give up. This man is too good. The Muslims can stay."
An hour later, the cardials are all around the Pope asking him what happened. The Pope says, "first I held up three fingers to represent the Trinity. He responded by holding up one finger to remind me that there is 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 stamping his feet, telling me that God was also right here with us. I pulled out the wine and the wafer to show that God absolves us from our sins. He pulled out an apple reminding me of the first sin. He had an answer for everything. What could I do?"
Meanwhile, the Muslim community have crowded around the old Mullah in total astonishment. "What happened?" they ask. "Well," says the Mullah, "first, he said we Muslims had three days to leave Jerusalem. I told him up yours. Then he said that this whole city would be cleared of Muslims. I told him none of us leaving this land!"
"And then?' asks a woman."
"He took out his lunch and I took out mine," says the Mullah.

On the spiritual path no one has higher or lower status than anyone else. -Nizam al-Din, “Fawa’id al-Fu’ad”

[evearael]

That is hilarious! Thank you for sharing!

[JMoum04]

That's hilarious! I'm totally putting that joke in my blog!