Mel Gibson goes into a bar #2

Mel Gibson goes into a bar. He turns to the customer next to him, looks him up and down and says 'Hey fella - what's your name?'

'Ira Goldberg,' says the customer. 'Why?'

Gibson smacks him on the nose and shouts 'You people killed our Lord!'

The customer straightens himself up and says: 'Actually, that was the Romans. However, the fact that the Christian church had its power base in Rome when the New Testament was being established both necessitated, and provided the opportunity for, the obfuscation or distancing of Roman involvement in the crucifixion. Pilate's 'washing of the hands' cleverly abdicated apparent responsibility – despite the fact that Rome had absolute administrative power in Judea in AD 33, that the Herodian family were mere client kings, and that Roman prefects personally appointed the high priests of Herod's Temple anyway – and scriptural repetition of this notion finally succeeded in shifting historical blame onto Christ's Judaic contemporaries, even though the execution is carried out by Roman soldiers acting under Roman law against a man who threatens Roman authority. The entire episode, from beginning to end, was really about protecting and continuing the dominance of that authority.' He pauses. 'Which is kind of funny when you think about it.'

Gibson stares at him for a moment and finally says. 'Fair point. Well argued. It appears we only have ourselves to blame. Can I buy you a drink?'

Mel Gibson goes into a bar #1

Mel Gibson goes into a bar. He turns to the customer next to him, looks him up and down and says 'Hey fella - what's your name?'

'Ira Goldberg,' says the customer. 'Why?'

Gibson smacks him on the nose and shouts 'You people sank the Titanic!'

Reeling, the customer protests. 'The Jews did not sink the Titanic! It was an iceberg!'

Gibson shrugs. 'Iceberg. Goldberg. What's the difference?'