The difference between a stark atheist and a staunch God-believer

Once a disciple said to his Master, “How horrible atheists are! God is so kind, so compassionate, so forgiving. Without God’s Presence, no human being can live on earth. How can atheists be so cruel to God?”

The Master replied, “My son, that is your way of thinking.”

The disciple said, “Master, please illumine us. What do you think of an atheist?”

The Master said, “The difference between an atheist and a God-believer like you is very simple. You are a talker and an atheist is a doer.”

The disciples were surprised and shocked by the Master’s statement. Then the Master told the following story:

There happened to be a very, very old man who was a street beggar. One day the old man came to an atheist and asked him for money. The old beggar said, “Sir, if you help me, God will be so grateful to you and so proud of you. Then God will bless you and give you more outer riches.”

The atheist said, “Shut up, shut up! I do not believe in God and I have nothing to do with God. If you have anything to do with God, then go to Him for alms and do not bother me.”

The beggar replied, “I know that God exists, but at this moment I do not know where He is. Otherwise, I would have gone to Him and asked Him for a little food and money to lead a very simple life.”

The atheist said, “You believe in God, but you do not know where God is! You have spoken all about God’s Goodness, Kindness and Compassion, but He is not giving you the material things that you need. I do not believe in God at all, but if I give you money, then I shall become your God, your real God. The one who is kind to you and compassionate to you is the real God. The other God is hiding. God alone knows where He is!” Then the atheist gave the old beggar a large sum of money.

After telling this story, the Master said to his disciples, “You always brag about your good qualities, but if this street beggar had come to you, you would have given ten reasons why you could not help him. You would have said, ‘Oh, I do not have enough money. I have to buy something special on this particular day,’ and so forth. For so many reasons you would have refused to help the poor old man who needed money and food so desperately.

“Although the atheist did not believe in God, he helped the beggar. So he became the real God at that time. This is the difference between a stark atheist and a staunch God-believer, like you.”