An ACLU 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.

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 ran even faster, so scared that tears were streaming from his eyes.

He looked over his shoulder again, and the bear was even closer. His heart was pumping frantically and he tried to run even faster.

He tripped and fell to 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 ACLU atheist cried out "Oh my God!.....

Time stopped. The bear froze. The forest was silent. Even the river stopped moving.

As a bright light shone upon the man, the voice of God came out of the sky: "You have denied my existence for all of these years; even taught others that I don't exist and, then credit my 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 atheist looked directly into the light and said with a trembling voice: "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," the voice said.

The light went out. The river ran again. And the sounds of the forest resumed.

And the bear dropped its right paw...brought both paws together...bowed its head and spoke softly: "Lord, for this food which I am about to receive, I am truly thankful."