With Us on All Issues

We apostles were divided. There were two new applicants for membership, and no consensus appeared to be forthcoming.

"Look, I don't trust that Judas guy, ok?" whined John "He gives me the creeps."

"He's with us on all issues except war," I said. My associates are a fractious and argumentative lot. Sometimes, you have to step up and educate the numbskulled.

"Pretty big 'except,' wouldn't you say, Peter?" interjected Matthew. "Besides, he spends all his time hanging out with Caiaphas and that ... crowd. A bit too Pharasaical for my blood."

"But that's good, you see," I pointed out. "He's a moderate. You know how inclusive the Boss is. He wants to bring together people of all differing viewpoints and philosophies. Having a moderate in the fold will facilitate that. You know what a moderate is, don't you? "

"Isn't that what we used to call a Conservative before we started calling radicals Conservatives?" quipped John.

"Someone who cooks your entrails before devouring them?" sniped Andrew.

"Oh, you guys!" I shook my head. "Har, har. All right? Now, get serious. You don't reject a powerful ally for reasons of ideological purity."

"I think you're missing the point, Peter," persisted John. "He's not an ally. When has he been our ally?"

"Like I said," I said, "he's with us on almost every issue. Oh, come on! He's never going to betray us on anything important, right?"

There was grumbling, but the heads were beginning to nod grudgingly. I could see that most of the guys were coming around. The time was right. We approved Judas on a show of hands.

"But," said Andrew, "that other guy is right out! Are we agreed?"

"You mean Lieberman?" I replied. "Of course. You don't let a guy like that in unless you like walking around with a knife between your shoulder blades."

Sometimes you have consensus.