Converting Bears

A friend of mine who pastors one of the local churches told me this story the other day.  It went something like this:

There were three good friends who were all “men of the cloth.”  One was a Catholic priest, one a Baptist minister, and the other a Jewish rabbi.  They often met for lunch or coffee and discussed the ups and downs of life.  During many of these discussions they all had a tendency to brag about their skills in converting people into their religious affiliations.  One day, they decided to see which of them was the best at getting people to join their fellowships.  However, they all felt human subjects would be too easy.  They decided that the first one to truly convert a bear would definitely be the best.  So, each set off in search of a bear with promises to return victorious to their next luncheon. 

Well, a week or so later when they met for lunch it was obvious by all appearances that the task had not been as easy as anticipated.  At first it was just the Catholic priest and Baptist minister.  The Catholic Priest was scratched and bruised from head to toe.  He spoke first of how he had found a bear and began to try to talk to the creature about becoming a Catholic.  He went on to tell of how the bear began to charge and attack him.  After a bit of a struggle, the priest was able to get some of his holy water and sprinkleit on the bear.  He claimed the bear calmed down immediately.  The Baptist minister, also broken and bruised, spoke up and said he had a similar experience.  He found a bear and when he tried to get him to become a Baptist, the bear attacked him.  He wrestled the bear until they landed in a creek where he baptized the bear and the bear calmed down immediately.  

Just as the Baptist minister ended his story, in rolled the Jewish Rabbi in a wheel chair.  He was in pitiful shape!  His friends barley recognized him behind all the bandages, and plaster.  As he wheeled himself, his IV’s and his oxygen tank over to the table his friends began to question him about his sad estate.  He said he too had found a bear.  He went on to say that everything seemed fine…  Until he tried to circumcise him….