The nun paused, then said, “I suppose you have a point… but alcohol is a powerful demon. It tempts all who touch it.”
The man shook his head. “How can you make such a sweeping statement? Have you ever even tried it?”
“Of course not!” she gasped. “Evil has never touched my lips!”
He smiled. “See, one glass isn’t going to turn a good person into a bad one. It’s the choices we make, not the drink.”
The nun hesitated. “I… I suppose that’s… an interesting way to look at it.”
He leaned closer. “Come inside with me. One drink. I’ll show you it’s not the glass that has power—it’s the person.”
She hesitated. “Oh no… I could never be seen in such a place. But… your point about the person having the choice rather than the drink… is intriguing.”
After a moment of internal debate, curiosity won. She agreed.
Inside the bar, the man ordered two glasses of sparkling cider—“for medicinal purposes,” he joked. The nun reluctantly sipped hers. “Well…” she said, “I do feel… surprisingly okay. Not tempted to do anything evil at all.”
The man laughed. “See? It’s not the drink; it’s the person.”
The nun nodded, then smiled. “I suppose moderation and intention do matter. Maybe I’ve judged too harshly all this time.”
As they left the bar, the man winked. “And just imagine what would happen if you really enjoyed it!”
The nun laughed, shaking her head. “One step at a time, my son… one step at a time.”
And so, outside a New York bar, a businessman and a nun proved that curiosity, conversation, and a little courage can turn a lecture about evil into a lesson about perspective… with just a sip of sparkling cider.