David Foster Wallace

another didactic little story

two guys sitting together in a bar in the remote Alaskan wilderness

One of the guys is religious

the other is an atheist,

arguing about the existence of God

he atheist says:

Look, it's not like I don't have actual reasons for not believing in God. It's not like I haven't ever experimented with the whole God and prayer thing.

Just last month I got caught away from the camp in that terrible blizzard, and I was totally lost and I couldn't see a thing, and it was fifty below, and so I tried it: I fell to my knees in the snow and cried out

Oh, God, if there is a God, I'm lost in this blizzard, and I'm gonna die if you don't help me.'"

the religious guy looks at the atheist all puzzled.

you must believe now

The atheist just rolls his eyes.

No, man, all that was was a couple Eskimos happened to come wandering by and showed me the way back to camp."