It's way too early for jokes, but I couldn't sleep and opened my e-mail. This is a good one though.

Baptizing the Bear

A Priest, a Pentecostal preacher and a Rabbi all served
as chaplains to the students of The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa .
They would get together two or three times a week for coffee and to
talk shop. One day, someone made the comment that preaching to people isn't
really all that hard. A real challenge would be to preach to a bear..
One thing led to another and they decided to do an experiment. They would
all go up to the Smokies, find a bear, preach to it, and attempt to
convert it.

A week later, they're all together to discuss the experience.

Father Flannery, who has his arm in a sling, is on crutches, and has
various bandages on his body and limbs, spoke first.

'Well,' he said, 'I went into the woods to find me a bear. And when I
found him I began to read to him from the Catechism. Well, that bear wanted
nothing to do with me and began to slap me around. So, I quickly grabbed my
Holy Water, sprinkled him and, Holy Mary Mother of God, he became as gentle
as a lamb. The bishop is coming out next week to give him first communion
and confirmation.'

Reverend Billy Bob spoke next. He was in a wheelchair, with an arm and
both legs in casts, and an IV drip. In his best fire and brimstone oratory
he exclaimed, 'WELL brothers, you KNOW that WE don't sprinkle! I went out and
I FOUND me a bear. And then I began to read to my bear from God's HOLY WORD!
But that bear wanted nothing to do with me. So I took HOLD of him and we
began to wrassle. We wrassled down one hill, UP another and DOWN another
until we came to a creek. So right quick-like, I DUNKED him and BAPTIZED his
furry soul. And just like you said, he became as gentle as a lamb. We spent
the rest of the day praising to Jesus.'

They both looked down at the rabbi, who was lying in a hospital bed. He was in a body cast and traction with IV's and monitors running in and out of
him. He was in bad shape. The rabbi looks up and says:
'Looking back on it, circumcision may not have been the best way to start.'


TIS