The bear, the atheist and Lord (Recto Verso)

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 bear charge  towards him.

He ran as fast as he could up the path. He looked over his  shoulder and saw
that the bear was closing in on him.

He looked over his  shoulder again, and the bear was even closer. He tripped
and 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 and 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 and spoke:

"Lord bless this food, which I am about to receive from thy bounty  through
Christ our Lord, Amen."

Recto Verso (12/12/2007)