There was a wise old priest in a nearby town who
was well regarded for his knowledge. It was said
that he had all the answers to all the questions
about religion, and no one who turned to him
returned dissatisfied. So, the atheist decided
to target him now. He thought, if he defeated
the priest, he would instantly become
famous, for he would have achieved what no
one else had achieved before. So, he packed
his bags and went to see him.
The priest used to meet people after sunset every day. The atheist too sat amongst
others on the carpet while they waited for him to arrive.
The atheist had given some serious thought while preparing his question. He
believed his question was impossible to answer, no matter how knowledgeable one
was. The priest finally arrived, greeted the crowd and the crowd, in turn, greeted
him.
'How many of you are here for advice or answers? Please raise your hands.' About a
dozen people did, including the atheist .
‘You, sir. You seem to be new in this town, you are our guest. You may ask first,’ he
said addressing the man.
‘Thank you,’ the man replied. He thought, all of the priest’s good manners were just
a farce.
‘I don’t believe in God,’ announced the man. The people gathered there whispered
amongst one another and looked at him with contempt . The priest, however,
merely smiled.
‘But He believes in you, my son,’ answered the priest.
‘Is that your holy book?’ asked the man pointing his finger in the direction where a
thick book in a black leather jacket was kept on a wooden bookrest.
‘Yes it is,’ replied the priest.
‘Can you teach me this complete scripture ? I promise I shall start believing in
God if you do,’ said the man.
‘It will be my pleasure and privilege!’ Exclaimed the priest.
‘But I have a condition,’ said the man.
‘What’s that?’ questioned the priest.
May 2018
07