Two young women presented themselves to my front door a while back.  They were ever so neat and clean and all bright with cherubic smiles.   I just wanted to buy some cookies from them.  But the brighter eyed cherub explained that they hadn't brought cookies but had something much more valuable for me:    SALVATION FROM MR. JOSEPH, THE MORMON, SMITH.   They came into my sunny dining room and sat down.    I learned that in 1828 Mr. Joe Smith found some shiny golden tablets when he was digging around in New York.  They had mysterious symbols on them but Joe with his third grade education was able to translate them from their ancient Egyptian glyphs.   From them he developed the BOOK OF MORON and started a new religion for us, MORONISM.  And these charming angels were here to invite me to salvation.  No cookies but still a very good deal. 

I listened attentively as they showed me actual pages from his book.  When I had a chance, I asked them if they had any evidence for their religion.     OH, YES, the golden tablets are the evidence.   Super, said I, where can we seen them?     OH, you can't see them, they were taken up by god.   Then there is no evidence?    THAT IS THE EVIDENCE, that they were taken up, proves there is a god!

Well, I explained the nature of evidence for them and they agreed that they didn't have any, but they didn't need evidence because:  WE HAVE FAITH!   Indeed they had a bushel of faith.  I was sorry to disappoint them but I explained that I had been canvassed by a variety of religious salesmen and all had faith as exuberant as theirs.  So I asked if they had anything in their faith baskets that was stronger, more earnester, more convincinger than the others.  I wanted to help so I suggested that if there were several gods...........OH, NO, NO, NO.    there is only one true god and he belongs to Joseph Smith!

The smiles were some tarnished now but they gathered their wits and asked?     Have you read the Bible?    Sure, I've read it plenty.  Do you two believe it?   Oh, we surely do, every word.  

It was my turn now and I said:    Excellent, then now we can get down to business.   Do you know that Jesus said, TRULY, TRULY (I paused for a powerful effect between the first TRULY and the second TRULY,   then I started up again,  TRULY, TRULY, ANYTHING YOU ASK OF THE FATHER IN MY NAME WILL BE GIVEN YOU.   Oh, they believed that with all their sunbeam hearts.  Now, I said, we can get some evidence.    I took a lovely pear from a bowl on my table.  It glowed of summer's sun with radiant greens, yellows and pinks.    I asked them to pray with me:    Dear god, we pray in Jesus' name that this pear be turned to solid gold in the next five minutes that we may sell it and give the money to your church for good deeds.   This will display your power and glory and will cast away all my doubts.  Amen.

OH, DEAR, OH, DEARIE ME!   The tension grew thick as the minutes started.    Smiles flattened into grimaces as the older cherub suddenly remembered that they had another house to visit and were late.  Up they jumped and started for the door.  WAIT, WAIT, only one minute more and we will surely know if Jesus and the Bible told the truth and you will have a convert!     But OH, NO, it was time to go!  They said they would pray for me and scooted out.     I called after them:     Don't you trust your god?

Well, the pear just remained a pear, no gold at all.   I guess that disproved the bible and Mr. Jesus and Joe the moron.   I checked on the pear the next morning.  Perhaps god had been out of the office or on a journey.   But still no gold.    And that was just fine because I didn't want any religion and the pear tasted swell.