A
Anonymous
Once upon a time, there was a pig farmer who spoke loudly and often
> > about
> > the hypocrites he saw in church. He refused to ever set foot in a church
> > because of a hypocrite from his past, and he never wasted a chance to
> > run
> > down people who did go to church.
> >
> > One day, a local pastor went to the pig farmer. He told the pig farmer
> > he
> > wanted to buy a pig. The farmer was amazed that the pastor would even
> > come
> > to him since his contempt for church going folks was well known. But,
> > hey!
> > A dollar was a dollar!
> >
> > The farmer took the pastor out to choose the pig he wanted. Proudly, he
> > stood by the pig pen, admiring the work of his hands and the effort he'd
> > put forth in raising these fine pigs. He had many fine, fat, healthy
> > pigs.
> >
> > "Pastor," he says, "pick out which pig you want."
> >
> > The pastor looked over all the pigs and chose the runt of the bunch. It
> > was
> > the ugliest, scrawniest, pig in the pig pen and looked to be a little
> > sickly.
> >
> > "Pastor," says the pig farmer, " you don't want that one! That's the
> > runt!
> > Let me choose one of my nicer, finer pigs."
> >
> > "No," says the pastor, " that's the pig I want." And so, the farmer
> > accepted the money from the pastor.
> >
> > Then, the pastor told the farmer that he was going to take that pig all
> > over the county and let everyone know that he had bought it from this
> > particular pig farmer. Outraged, the pig farmer protested.
> >
> > "You can't do that! Why, people will think I only raise scrawny, sickly,
> > runty pigs. I take great pride in my pigs that are fat and healthy!
> > You'll
> > ruin my name as a pig farmer if you do that!!"
> >
> > "But, farmer," says the pastor, "isn't that what you do to me when you
> > speak badly and loudly about the people who come to my church? You judge
> > everyone that comes to church by someone who may be a runt of the
> > litter,
> > or someone who may be suffering as a person, or someone who may not have
> > grown as they should as a Christians. Just as this pig does not reflect
> > the
> > majority of pigs you raise, neither does one person's mistakes reflect
> > all
> > Christians. No sir, I think I'll stick with my plan. And I'll be telling
> > the truth, too, because this is the pig you sold me."
> >
> > The farmer saw exactly what the pastor was saying. He decided to give
> > church one more try, and showed up the next Sunday where he was welcomed
> > by
> > the pastor and those attending. To this day, he's the first one at
> > church.
> > about
> > the hypocrites he saw in church. He refused to ever set foot in a church
> > because of a hypocrite from his past, and he never wasted a chance to
> > run
> > down people who did go to church.
> >
> > One day, a local pastor went to the pig farmer. He told the pig farmer
> > he
> > wanted to buy a pig. The farmer was amazed that the pastor would even
> > come
> > to him since his contempt for church going folks was well known. But,
> > hey!
> > A dollar was a dollar!
> >
> > The farmer took the pastor out to choose the pig he wanted. Proudly, he
> > stood by the pig pen, admiring the work of his hands and the effort he'd
> > put forth in raising these fine pigs. He had many fine, fat, healthy
> > pigs.
> >
> > "Pastor," he says, "pick out which pig you want."
> >
> > The pastor looked over all the pigs and chose the runt of the bunch. It
> > was
> > the ugliest, scrawniest, pig in the pig pen and looked to be a little
> > sickly.
> >
> > "Pastor," says the pig farmer, " you don't want that one! That's the
> > runt!
> > Let me choose one of my nicer, finer pigs."
> >
> > "No," says the pastor, " that's the pig I want." And so, the farmer
> > accepted the money from the pastor.
> >
> > Then, the pastor told the farmer that he was going to take that pig all
> > over the county and let everyone know that he had bought it from this
> > particular pig farmer. Outraged, the pig farmer protested.
> >
> > "You can't do that! Why, people will think I only raise scrawny, sickly,
> > runty pigs. I take great pride in my pigs that are fat and healthy!
> > You'll
> > ruin my name as a pig farmer if you do that!!"
> >
> > "But, farmer," says the pastor, "isn't that what you do to me when you
> > speak badly and loudly about the people who come to my church? You judge
> > everyone that comes to church by someone who may be a runt of the
> > litter,
> > or someone who may be suffering as a person, or someone who may not have
> > grown as they should as a Christians. Just as this pig does not reflect
> > the
> > majority of pigs you raise, neither does one person's mistakes reflect
> > all
> > Christians. No sir, I think I'll stick with my plan. And I'll be telling
> > the truth, too, because this is the pig you sold me."
> >
> > The farmer saw exactly what the pastor was saying. He decided to give
> > church one more try, and showed up the next Sunday where he was welcomed
> > by
> > the pastor and those attending. To this day, he's the first one at
> > church.
