Little Johnny and Billy were walking to church for Sunday prayers.
As they walked, Billy had a question.
“I wonder if it’s okay to smoke while praying,” he said.
Little Johnny replied, “Why don’t you ask the priest?”
So Billy walked over to the priest and asked,
“Father, may I smoke while I pray?”
The priest frowned and answered,
“No, my son. You may not. That would be very disrespectful.”
Billy returned to Johnny and said, “He told me no.”
Johnny smiled.
“I’m not surprised,” he said. “You asked the wrong question. Let me try.”
Johnny walked up to the priest and asked,
“Father, may I pray while I smoke?”
The priest smiled warmly and replied,
“Of course, my son. You can pray whenever you want to.”
Moral: The answer you receive often depends on the way you ask the question.