A Short Story about Faith. A Parable

I was walking across a bridge one day, and I saw a man standing on the edge, about to jump off. So I ran over and said “Stop! don’t do it!”

“Why shouldn’t I?” he said. I said, “Well, there’s so much to live for!”

He said, “Like what?” I said, “Well…are you religious or atheist?”

He said, “Religious.” I said, “Me too!

Are you Christian or Buddhist?” He said, “Christian.”

I said, “Me too! Are you Catholic or Protestant?”

He said, “Protestant.” I said, “Me too!

Are you Episcopalian or Baptist?” He said, “Baptist!” I said, ”Wow! Me too!

Are you Baptist Church Of God or Baptist Church of the Lord?”

He said, “Baptist Church of God!” I said, “Me too!

“Are you Original Baptist Church of God, or are you Reformed Baptist Church of God?”

He said, “Reformed Baptist Church of God!” I said, “Me too!

Are you Reformed Baptist Church of God, Reformation of 1879, or Reformed Baptist Church of God, Reformation of 1915?”

He said, “Reformed Baptist Church of God, Reformation of 1915!”

I said, “Die, you heretic scum”, and pushed him off.

As I saw him sail into the Bay below, I thought “I scored one for God today. Besides his faith was not good enough. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been on the bridge!”

People of faith have been too often what Muler (2014) calls “small difference” perfectionists. This parable adapted from Phillips (2006) illustrates the tendency.

Religious people of all stripes have employed small differences to separate themselves and demonize one another. They have done this to others throughout history and continue even now. No faith tradition has ever apologized for their extremist past. Religious Perfectionism kills, both body and spirit.

--Laughing at My Perfectionism, Paschal Baute, Amazon, 2014.

Also available in Kindle:

Anything Worth Doing is Worth Doing Badly. Paschal Baute, 2014.