Safely agnostic?

A man was walking along a road when he came to a fork in the way.

To the left was a good, wide path, which seemed to lead to pleasant green meadows, well-fed cattle and trees laden with good-looking fruit. To the right the path was narrow, and looked rocky and difficult; he couldn’t see where it was leading.

Now the man remembered his Sunday-school lessons, and realised that the good-looking path to the left might not be the right way to go - but then it looked so inviting! So he decided to sit a while on the fence that he noticed between the two roads; from there he could see which path other travellers would choose.

As time went by many came and chose the left path, and he could see them going on to enjoy the meadow and the fruits. A few, just a few, decided to turn to the right and he could see them struggling over the rough terrain until they went out of sight.

Then a well-dressed man came to the fork, and noticing our traveller sitting on the fence, went up to him and said, “I see you have decided which way you are going!”

“No, sir!” he replied, “I am sitting here on the fence watching people coming by and choosing which path to take, before I decide for myself.”

But the well-dressed man responded, “No, you have decided already!”

“Who are you, sir, that you know so much?” the man replied.

“I’m sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Satan. That meadow and those fruit trees to the left belong to me.” And without waiting for a reply, he continued, "And so does that fence that you are sitting upon; it also belongs to me, for I put it there."


(I claim no authorship, other than for retelling this story in my own words; I first heard it at my church and do not know its origin.)