Rockingham Remembered
Short Stories
The Aetheist
An aetheist was taking a walk
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 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 the bear right on top of
him, reaching for him with his left
paw  and raising his right paw to
strike him.

At that instant the Aetheist 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 of
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?
Am I to count you as a believer?"

The aetheist looked directly into
the light, "It would be hypocritical
of me to suddenly ask You to treat
me as a Christian now, but perhaps
could you make the BEAR a
Christian?"

"Very well," said the voice.

The light went out.
The sounds of the forest resumed.
And then the bear dropped his
right paw, brought both paws
together and bowed his head and
spoke:

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