Why A Cowboy’s Simple Question Left an Atheist Speechless
On a flight that was bound to be long and quiet, an atheist, seeking conversation, decided to engage with the dusty old cowboy sitting beside him. The interaction that followed was anything but ordinary.
“Do you want to talk?” the atheist asked, believing that a conversation would make the flight pass more quickly. “Flights go by faster if you chat with your fellow passengers,” he added, hoping to pique the cowboy’s interest.
The old cowboy, who had been happily absorbed in his book, turned to the atheist and asked, “What would you like to talk about?”
Smiling, the atheist responded confidently, “Oh, I don’t know. How about why there is no God, no Heaven, no Hell, and no life after death?” It was a bold choice of topic, and the atheist clearly felt self-assured in his perspective.
The cowboy, instead of diving into the debate, leaned back in his seat and said, “Those sound like interesting topics, but before we get into that, let me ask you a question.”
The atheist, curious about where this was going, listened carefully.
“A horse, a cow, and a deer all eat grass,” the cowboy began. “But even though they all eat the same thing, a deer poops pellets, a cow makes flat patties, and a horse produces clumps. Why do you think that is?”
@ericaboersmaA Flight to Remember: Lessons from a Cowboy I recently read a story that I found both humorous and thought-provoking, and I wanted to share it… An atheist was seated next to a dusty old cowboy on an airplane and he turned to him and said, “Do you want to talk? Flights go quicker if you strike up a conversation with your fellow passenger.” The old cowboy, who had just started to read his book, replied to the total stranger, “What would you want to talk about?” “Oh, I don’t know,” said the atheist. “How about why there is no God, or no Heaven or Hell, or no life after death?” as he smiled smugly. “Okay,” he said. “Those could be interesting topics but let me ask you a question first. A horse, a cow, and a deer all eat the same stuff – grass. Yet a deer excretes little pellets, while a cow turns out a flat patty, but a horse produces clumps. Why do you suppose that is?” The atheist, visibly surprised by the old cowboy’s intelligence, thinks about it and says, “Hmmm, I have no idea.” To which the cowboy replies, “Do you really feel qualified to discuss God, Heaven and Hell, or life after death, when you don’t know shit?”……
The atheist blinked, clearly caught off guard by the unexpected question. He thought for a moment but had no answer. “I don’t know,” he finally said.
The cowboy, with a calm and steady voice, delivered his punchline: “Well, if you don’t know shit, how are you going to talk about God, Heaven, Hell, or life after death?”
The story reminds us that sometimes, the most profound ideas and concepts are rooted in the simplest questions. The cowboy’s question might have been humorous, but it also points out that understanding the world’s mysteries often requires humility and a deeper awareness of our limitations.
