An atheist was walking through the woods one day
"What majestic trees"! "What powerful rivers"!
"What beautiful animals"! He said to himself.
As he was walking alongside the river, he heard a rustling in the bushes
behind him. He turned to look. He saw a 7-foot grizzly bear charge towards him.
He ran as fast as he could up the path. He looked over his shoulder &
saw that the bear was closing in on him.
He looked over his shoulder again, & the bear was even closer. He tripped
& fell on the ground. He rolled over to pick himself up but saw that the
bear was right on top of him, reaching for him with his left paw & raising his
right paw to strike him.
At that instant the Atheist cried out, "Oh my God!"
Time Stopped. The bear froze. The forest was silent.
As a bright light shone upon the man, a voice came out of the sky.
"You deny my existence for all these years, teach others I don't exist
and even credit creation to cosmic accident." "Do you expect me to
help you out of this predicament? Am I to count you as a believer"?
The atheist looked directly into the light, "It would be hypocritical of me
to suddenly ask you to treat me as a Christian now, but perhaps you
could make the BEAR a Christian"?
"Very Well," said the voice.
The light went out. The sounds of the forest resumed. And the bear
dropped his right paw, brought both paws together, bowed his head
& spoke:
"Lord bless this food, which I am about to receive from thy bounty
through Christ our Lord, Amen."
