The Atheist

An atheist was taking a walk through the woods, admiring all that the `accident of evolution' had created As he walked alongside the river he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. As he turned to look he saw a seven­foot grizzly bear charging towards him. He ran as fast as he could up the path but looking over his shoulder he saw that the bear was gaining ground. Straining with all his might he frantically tried to run even faster but he tripped over a tree root and fell to the ground. He rolled over to pick himself up and saw the bear standing right over him with a raised paw ready to kill him. At that instant, he cried ' Oh, my God'.

The bear froze, the forest was silent. A bright light shone upon the man and a voice came from the sky saying ' You deny my existence all these years, teach others that I don't exist, even credit my creation to a cosmic accident and now you expect me to help you out of this predicament! Am I to count you now as a believer?'

The atheist, ever so proud, looked into the light and said ` It would be rather hypocritical of me to ask to be a Christian after all these years, but could you make the bear a Christian?'

`Very well' said the voice. As the light went out and the forest came back to life, the bear put his paw down. He then brought both paws together, bowed his head and said;

`Lord, I thank you for this food, which I am about to receive'

This article first appeared in the Ramsden Bellhouse Baptist Church Review - Spring 2005 Edition.