A man went to a barbershop to have his
hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work,
they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so
many things and various subjects.
When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the
barber said: "I don't believe that God exists."
"Why do you say that?" asked the customer.
"Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize
that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would
there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned
children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering
nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow
all of these things." The customer thought for a moment,
but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an
argument.
The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.
Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street
with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He
looked dirty and unkempt.
The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again
and he said to the barber: "You know what? Barbers do
not exist." "How can you say that?" asked the
surprised barber. "I am here, and I am a barber. And I
just worked on you!" "No!" the customer
exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did,
there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed
beards, like that man outside."
"Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when
people do not come to me." "Exactly!" affirmed
the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES
exist! That's what happens when people do not go to Him
and don't look to Him for help. That's why
there's so much pain and suffering in the
world."