Two men wearing holy robes sat in the marketplace. The younger man said, 'There is talkin this town about some people being converted.'
The older man frowned. 'Converted? Just what do you mean by that?'
'It seems there is some fellow going around preaching new ideas to people. His ideas runcounter to our religion and way of life!' The old man sat up. 'That's a serious matter!Don't be so casual about it.'
'I'm not being casual,' the young man protested. 'That's why I brought it to your notice.'
'Do people listen to this fellow and his new ideas?'
'That's the problem,' the young man said worriedly. 'They not only listen to him, many arebeing influenced by him!'
'Is he running a new sect?' the old man asked sharply.
'Well, he does have a band of followers which seems to be growing,' the young man saiduncertainly. The old man fell silent, lost in thought. 'Tell me,' he said. 'What does hesay to people? How does he grab their attention?'
'I'm not quite certain about what he preaches,' the young man said vaguely. 'Somethingabout brotherly love and stuff like that. But I do know why people started flocking tohim. He started healing the sick and ailing. He even tends to lepers!'
'Aha!' the old man said triumphantly. 'So that's what it is! He is inducing people to getconverted by offering medicines and other help. Isn't that a form of bribery?'
'That's what I thought,' the young man said quickly.
'What sort of people are getting attracted to him?' the old man asked.
'Mostly poor people. In fact, they say that he is inciting the poor against the rich. I'vebeen told that he even visited a temple once and abused rich people for exploiting thepoor while recovering loans!'
'Oh really,' the old man said with a dangerous gleam in his eye.
'So he wants to insult the rich and destroy our society, does he! If the government won'tact against him perhaps we should!'
'Why not burn the fellow alive?'
'What did you say the fellow's name was?'
'A chap called Jesus.'
'I have a better idea than burning. Let's nail him to a cross and leave him to die. Thatwill stop conversions for all time...'