audible said:
I often come across religious people, who say they used to be atheists.
my querie is, if your an atheist, how could you possiblely turn to a religion, it defies all common sense.
I could understand it a little more if they said they were agnostic, I know there are different types, of atheists but I cant see any of them losing there senses.
so do you, like me feel that they are liers, or could they be just saying that to justify themselves, or do you have another theory.
this in no way, means I dislike religious people, I just feel I'm being lied too.
Let me tell you a story ...
Once there was a man who owned a shop. He made shoes. Day in day out people would come and ask him for shoes and he would measure their feet and make the shoes to fit. His customers were very happy and always recommended him to their friends. The man's business grew and grew and soon he owned many shops and became very rich.
Without warning a terrible drought befell the land where the man lived and all the livestock in the land perished.
Leather to make shoes was not to be had and soon the man's business fell away to nothing. The peoples of that land were not interested in new shoes anymore, in fact they struggled just to find enough water to drink. If it wasnt for the underground resevoirs all would have perished.
Now the shoemaker had accumulated much wealth and so decided to move to another country. He thought and thought about which country to set his empire up in and was faced with a curious dilemma. Should he set up in a country where the poeples there wear no shoes or should he set up in a country where everyone wore shoes?
The man pondered that if he set up where they all wore shoes then he would have to penetrate the market forces already in existence, whereas if he set up in a country where no one wore shoes he ran the risk of never being able to create a market at all.
The man went to visit a wise friend whom he was sure would be able to help him in his dilemma.
The wise friend asked the shoemaker why he thought that some people wore shoes and some didn't. The shoemaker replied "Well I know why people wear shoes but I cannot tell you why people do not wear shoes?"
Well said the wise friend, perhaps you should ask them?
So the shoemaker set off for the land where no one wore shoes. When he arrived he went off to the market place their to see what they did sell. He found fruit and meat and clothes but he found no shoes or anything that even resembled shoes. Now even though the shoemaker knew this was the case, he couldnt really visualise such a place until he actually arrived there and saw all the people with bare feet. The shoemaker decided to ask one of the locals why there were no shoes anywhere but the shoemaker did not speak the language of the country and the native just looked at him blankly. The shoemaker pointed to his own shoes and then to the bare feet of the native. The native looked puzzled and just shrugged his shoulders. The shoemaker became increasingly frustrated and decided to take his own shoes off and give them to the native to try.
The native watched with amusement as the shoemaker struggled to untie the strings that seemed to secure the leather to his feet but was pleased when the shoemaker handed him the leather foot garments. The shoemaker beckoned to the bare feet of the native and made gestures to the native encouraging him to try them on. The native tried to slip the shoes on his own feet but they were far too small. The native struggled and struggled but no matter how hard he tried he could not get them on his huge calloused feet. Other natives had gathered around this scene and were starting to laugh at their native friend who was hopping all over the place with strange leather garments hanging off of his feet. The native turned on his friends and said in a language known to them "Well you try them on then. See if they fit you!"
Each native took a turn but none of them could secure the shoes to their large calloused feet. Eventually the shoes were handed back to the shoemaker by the first native who just shook his head.
The shoemaker was at the end of his tether and in desparation he purchased some raw leather from a nearby market stall. He returned to the native and began to wrap the leather around the foot of the man. All the natives said "Ahhh" as they saw what the shoemaker was doing and all went to purchase leather for the shoemaker to wrap around their feet.
Before long the shoemaker was making shoes for all the natives, well all the natives but one.
The native that wouldn't wear the shoes was scornful of his brothers. He said to them "Look at your feet now, see how soft they have become!, These shoes are the devil's business. How will you be able to hunt in the woods now that your feet have become so soft? Look at the skin of my foot, it is hard and calloused and it has always served me well. You fools, you have been tricked here by some enemy."
The first native turned to his brother and said "Brother, you do not believe that these shoes were sent by God? I tell you this, the skin of my own foot may now be soft but these shoes protect my skin underneath. When I run through the forest now, my feet do not have to endure the rough ground that brings forth thorns and weeds for these leather shoes take the suffering where I now take none. Often I have had to forgoe a hunt because of the damage done to my feet and you have suffered too therefore. If you do not wear these shoes you are putting us all at risk. You are a mighty hunter and your feet are the strongest but you are not infallible. You should thank God for these shoes that will enable you to hunt all season without fear of injury."
The undecided native considered what his brother had said but could not see the logic in it and so went to visit their father for advice.
"Father. Our brothers are all wearing leather garments on their feet and their skin has been made soft. We have always needed the hard skin of our feet to hunt. Only the women have soft feet! I believe these shoes are the devil's curse on us men!"
The father replied "My son, whether you have shoes or not, you will find a way to hunt. If your brothers wish to wear these shoes to protect their feet what is that to you? You do not have to wear these leather garments do you?"
The son replied "No I do not but my brother said that he thought it would benefit us."
"Is your brother against you then?" asked the father.
"No" replied the son.
"Then how can you say that these shoes are the devil's work then?"
The son thanked his father for his wise words and went to see the shoemaker.
"Shoemaker", said the native, "I want you to make for me the very best shoes you can. They must be the strongest most beautiful shoes that you have made."
The shoemaker measured the man and set about his work. He sourced the finest materials and made for the man the very nicest shoes that you had ever seen. The native was very pleased with his new shoes. They fitted him perfectly.
The natives brothers were all jealous when they saw their brothers shoes and they mocked him accordingly "Hey!", they said, "I thought these shoes were the devil's work, but here you are sporting the very nicest shoes we have ever seen. They make ours look poor in comparison!"
"Go and see the shoemaker and take your complaint to him then" retorted their brother. I am sure he can make you a pair just the very same."
peace
c20
they started believing.