A CAUTIONARY TALE FOR ATHEISTS

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

A cautionary tale for atheists

An atheist was taking a walk through the woods, admiring all that the "accident of evolution" had created.

What majestic trees! What powerful rivers. What beautiful animals, he said to himself. But as he was walking alongside the river, he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him.

He turned look and to his horror saw a seven foot 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 getting closer.

He ran even faster and he was so scared that tears were coming to his eyes. His heart was beating frantically and he tried to run even faster. Then he tripped and fell.

He rolled over to pick himself up, but saw the bear right on top of him and reaching for him with its left paw and raising his right paw to strike him. At that moment the atheist cried out "O my God!"

Time stopped, the bear froze.The forest was silent.

Even the river stopped moving and then a bright light shone upon the man and 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 a cosmic accident. Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament?"

The man responded: "It would be hypocritical of me now to ask me to treat me now as a Christian, but perhaps you could make the bear a Christian ?"

"Very well" said God. The light went out.

The river ran again, and the sounds of the forest returned. The bear then dropped his right paw, brought both paws together, bowed his head and spoke. "Lord, for this good food which I am about to receive, I'm truly thankful."

Peter Anderson, Leicester