MY RELIGIOUS EDUCATION is now many years in the past, but I was never taught that Pontius Pilate was a great moral thinker. Rather, he was portrayed as a man who used superficial doubt as a means of avoiding responsibility.

UPDATE: Frank J. emails: “I hope Pilate is a great moral thinker. He’s running for judge in my county.” Heh. That’s got to be something of a handicap.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Reader Mark Przekwas emails:

If you read Mr. Judge’s original story, in particular the transcript of the conversation, you would notice that just before the Pilate comment Mr. Hewitt is discussing Plato’s Allegory of the Cave – the name Plato being mentioned several times. Now, is it not possible that in Mr. Sullivan’s reply he misspoke and said Pilate instead one Plato – when referencing Plato’s comments on the unveiling of truth in the Allegory of the Cave?

Well, that would make more sense.

MORE: A reader emails:

Yeah, except…um, why would he misspeak and say “Pilate,” while meaning to say “Plato,” when in fact quoting Pilate?

I said it would make more sense. I didn’t say it was likely.