PARA QUEM GOSTA DE HISTORINHAS INGÊNUAS: THE DERVIS AND THE ATHEIST Atheists are those ridiculous and impious persons who, contrary to the evidence of their senses, pretend not to believe in the existence of God. One of them was disputing with a dervis, and said to him: “You tell me God is omnipresent, yet I cannot see him anywhere; show him to me, and I will believe it. – Again I say that a man ought not to be punished for his crimes by your laws, since you affirm that everything is done by the will of God. – You say also that Satan is chastised by being condemned to hell-fire; now, he is said to be of that element, and it stands to reason that fire can do no harm to it self...” The dervis, after a moment’s reflection, took a large lump of earth; struck the atheist a violent blow with it, and then left him. The latter went directly to the cadi; complained the injury, and demanded justice. The dervis was therefore, summoned to answer why, instead of replying to the man, he had thus ill-treated him. “What I did”, explained the dervis, was in answer to his foolish objections. He declares that he has a pain; let him show it if he wishes us to believe him. He accuses me of a crime, yet he maintains that man ought not to be punished as responsible being, since everything, according to our doctrine, happens by the will of God. He complains moreover, that I have injured him by striking him with a piece of earth; now, he does not deny that man is made of the earth, and he argues that an element can do no harm to itself. His accusation, then, falls to the ground, for by his own mouth he has absolved me.” The atheist was confounded, and retired amidst the railleries of the auditors.
Posted on: Thu, 31 Oct 2013 11:50:12 +0000
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