As the man sailed head over heels and started to fall towards the open jaws of the ferocious beast he cried out, "Oh, my God: Help me!"

Suddenly, the scene froze in place. As the atheist hung in midair, a booming voice came out of the clouds and said, "I thought you didn't believe in me!"

"God, come on give me a break!" the man pleaded, "Just seconds ago I didn't believe in the Loch Ness monster either!"

"Well," said God, "now that you are a believer you must understand that I won't work miracles to snatch you from certain death in the jaws of this monster, but I can change hearts. What would you have me do?"

The atheist thinks for a minute and then says, "God, please have the Loch Ness monster believe in you also." God replies, "So be it."

The scene starts in motion again with the atheist falling towards the ravenous jaws of the ferocious beast.

Then the Loch Ness monster folds his claws together and says, "Lord, bless this food you have so graciously provided...."

This page was posted at 3.10 pm MYT on 24 July 2000.