Atheist Defines Meaning of Easter

Arnold the atheist dies and finds himself at the Gates of Heaven, where he is greeted by St. Peter, who tells him that, because he was an atheist in life, he must answer a biblical question in order to be allowed in. The question is an essay question: define the meaning of Easter.

Arnold thinks long and hard and then gives his best response: “A holy man is beaten, hung from a tree where he dies, is taken down and laid in a cave. A big rock is rolled in front of the cave. Three days later, the man in the cave rolls the rock away, steps out, sees his shadow, and goes back into the cave—six more weeks of winter.”