Two priests and a pastor walk into a seminar...

At a seminar on the great streams of Christian Faith, the Orthodox priest spoke of the practical and personal experience of truth in the life of the individual and the church, communion with God as complete freedom and full humanity, and salvation as reestablishing man's connection with God. Afterwards everyone gave him a rousing round of applause and said, "If that works for you, that's great."

The Catholic priest spoke of the special authority of the pope, the ability of saints to intercede on behalf of believers, the concept of Purgatory as a place of afterlife purification before entering Heaven, and the doctrine of transubstantiation. He completed his words to a round of applause and people said, "If that works for you, that's great."

The Evangelical Protestant Pastor went and he spoke of justification by grace alone through faith, the priesthood of all believers, and the supremacy of Holy Scripture in matters of faith and order. He too received a heartfelt round of applause and people again said, "If that works for you, then that's great."

"No, the pastor said. It's not a of question if it works for me. It's the true word of the living God! If you don't believe it, you are all damned to hell."

And the people all said. "If that works for you, that's great."

This story is told by Simon Blackburn, in the book Being Good. (He tells it as a seminar on religion with Buddhist, Hindu, and Catholic speakers, but it works for most anything.

Often in religion as well as countless other life issues, it isn't enough that our thoughts, ideas, desires, dreams and understandings exist. It is really important that others embrace our truth and believe it, takes it on, and wins others over to our way of thinking. It's why people plead with you to (and chastise you if you don't) forward e-mails, pass out religious tracts on the street, start a different church (one that's right all the time), don't speak to beloved family members for decades, fly planes into buildings, attempt to exterminate entire races of people, and don't wish their child well in their new relationship.

And if that works for you...