In the name of God

The handsome travelling salesman conducted his business quickly and quitely and waited for his only friend in that town.

The town had changed within a month. His regular shopkeeper had asked with hostility "Whats your religion, you have an odd name". "I am an orphan and simply ket the name I fancied." he had explained. And asked the shopkeeper the reason, for the question on religion.

"Few nights ago, someone wrote an obscene graffiti on my place of worship. We demanded the other community find and punish the offender. They agreed as an eyewash. The next day it was on Their place of worship, and they claimed tit for tat..We argued they were hiding the fact. Bad things have since happened. Everything and everyone is viewed with suspicion and even small things triggers threats and tension." The shopkeeper had said.

He was soon joined by his friend. Over tea, in a no more neutral territory, they discussed the recent tragedy.

Amazingly his friend didn't seem upset, and joked about the suspect.

"They can't protect their Gods, yet fight each other in the name of God", he laughed. "If there is a God" the salesman injected.

Punching him lightly, his friend delivered the knockout punch. "Oh there is no God, I agree with your thought, otherwise I would have been caught".

Stunned, the Salesman heard his friend say "The book you gave is smart and true. Now, I am also an atheist like you".

The salesman stared at his friend in horror and with dismay "Absence of belief in God, doesn't mean absence of morals and values! You are a sick sadist, not an atheist! The book can be your excuse not your reason!"." I am sorry but I have to tell everyone the truth."

His friend laughed "When they learn you gave me the book, they would dissect your theory or you?".

Distraut, the salesman paid his bill and left quietly, unable to accept, there could be criminals amongst, (or claiming to be) atheists too.

He wondered if he could tip off the town annonymously. But couldn't decide what would be worse. His friend saying he did it in the name of atheism and destroying the reputation of atheists. Or his friend keeping quite about his religious beliefs, to get protection from those who believed, he believed in their God..

PS : Atheists, before you protest, please note:
1.Someone from some group had to be the bad guy. You are the only group that has presence in all groups and smart enough to not hold it against me or my group.
2.The Real Atheist was Handsome and Smart.
3.Female Atheists : There were only 2 characters. If I had cast you in either one, I would have been in more trouble. And if I had made both female, the discussion would have been distracted by, are they lesbians theory.