An atheist was walking through the woods.
"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 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."