Engaging in a conversation with a stranger can be intriguing, offering opportunities to learn something new. Although such encounters are infrequent, they often provide valuable insights.

The dynamics of the interaction are significantly enhanced when there’s a good match between the individuals involved. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the scenario when a cowboy and an atheist found themselves in conversation during a flight.

Initially, the discussion seemed ordinary, but it soon took an unpleasant turn. Fortunately, the cowboy skillfully employed his wisdom to defuse the situation and effectively shut down the atheist’s contentious remarks.

An atheist was seated next to a dusty old cowboy on an airplane and he turned to him and said, ‘Do you want to talk? Flights go quicker if you strike up a conversation with your fellow passenger.’

The old cowboy, who had just started to read his book, replied to the total stranger, ‘What would you want to talk about?’

‘Oh, I don’t know,’ said the atheist. ‘How about why there is no God, or no Heaven or Hell, or no life after death?’ as he smiled smugly.

‘Okay,’ he said. ‘Those could be interesting topics but let me ask you a question first. A horse, a cow, and a deer all eat the same stuff – grass. Yet a deer excretes little pellets, while a cow turns out a flat patty, but a horse produces clumps. Why do you suppose that is?’

The atheist, visibly surprised by the old cowboy’s intelligence, thinks about it and says, ‘Hmmm, I have no idea.’

To which the cowboy replies, ‘Do you really feel qualified to discuss God, Heaven, and Hell, or life after death when you don’t know crap?’”