RACEBUICKS
06-25-2003, 06:53 PM
This story is of something that was alleged to have
happened just a few
years ago at USC.
There was a professor of philosophy who was a deeply
committed atheist.
His primary goal for the required class was to spend
the entire semester
attempting to prove that God couldn't exist.
His students were always afraid to argue with him
because of his impeccable
logic.
For twenty years, he had taught this class and no
one had the courage to go
against him. Sure, some had argued in class at
times, but no one had ever
really gone against him because of his reputation.
At the end of every semester on the last day, he
would say to his class of
300 students, "If there is anyone here who still
believes in Jesus, stand
up."
In twenty years, no one had ever stood up. They knew
what he was going to do
next. He would say, "Because anyone who believes in
God is a fool. If God
existed, he could stop this piece of chalk from
hitting the ground and
breaking. Such a simple thing to prove that He is
God, and yet He can't do
it." And every year, he would drop the chalk onto
the tile of the classroom
and it would shatter into a hundred pieces.
All of the students would do nothing but stop and
stare. Most of the
students thought that God couldn't exist. Certainly,
a number of Christians
had slipped through, but for 20 years, they had been
too afraid
to stand up.
Well, a few years ago there was a freshman who
happened to enroll.
He was a Christian, and had heard the stories about
his professor.
He was required to take the class for his major, and
he was afraid.
But for three months that semester, he prayed every
morning that he would
have the courage to stand up no matter what the
professor said, or what the
class thought. Nothing they said could ever shatter
his faith....he
hoped.
Finally, the day came. The professor said, "If there
is anyone here who
still believes in God, stand up!" The professor and
the class of 300 people
looked at him, shocked, as he stood up at the back
of the classroom.
The professor shouted, "You FOOL!!! If God existed
he would keep this piece
of chalk from breaking when it hit the ground!"
He proceeded to drop the chalk, but as he did, it
slipped out of his
fingers, off his shirt cuff, onto the pleat of his
pants, down his leg, and
off his shoe. As it hit the ground, it simply rolled
away unbroken.
The professor's jaw dropped as he stared at the
chalk. He looked up at the
young man, and then ran out of the lecture hall.
The young man who had stood, proceeded to walk to
the front of the room and
shared his faith in Jesus for the next half hour.
300 students stayed and
listened as he told of God's love for them and of
His power through Jesus.
Now you have 2 choices:
1. Hit back and never look at it again.
2. Pass this along to your Christian and
non-Christian friends, giving them
encouragement we need every day.
If you chose option 2, you STOOD UP.
happened just a few
years ago at USC.
There was a professor of philosophy who was a deeply
committed atheist.
His primary goal for the required class was to spend
the entire semester
attempting to prove that God couldn't exist.
His students were always afraid to argue with him
because of his impeccable
logic.
For twenty years, he had taught this class and no
one had the courage to go
against him. Sure, some had argued in class at
times, but no one had ever
really gone against him because of his reputation.
At the end of every semester on the last day, he
would say to his class of
300 students, "If there is anyone here who still
believes in Jesus, stand
up."
In twenty years, no one had ever stood up. They knew
what he was going to do
next. He would say, "Because anyone who believes in
God is a fool. If God
existed, he could stop this piece of chalk from
hitting the ground and
breaking. Such a simple thing to prove that He is
God, and yet He can't do
it." And every year, he would drop the chalk onto
the tile of the classroom
and it would shatter into a hundred pieces.
All of the students would do nothing but stop and
stare. Most of the
students thought that God couldn't exist. Certainly,
a number of Christians
had slipped through, but for 20 years, they had been
too afraid
to stand up.
Well, a few years ago there was a freshman who
happened to enroll.
He was a Christian, and had heard the stories about
his professor.
He was required to take the class for his major, and
he was afraid.
But for three months that semester, he prayed every
morning that he would
have the courage to stand up no matter what the
professor said, or what the
class thought. Nothing they said could ever shatter
his faith....he
hoped.
Finally, the day came. The professor said, "If there
is anyone here who
still believes in God, stand up!" The professor and
the class of 300 people
looked at him, shocked, as he stood up at the back
of the classroom.
The professor shouted, "You FOOL!!! If God existed
he would keep this piece
of chalk from breaking when it hit the ground!"
He proceeded to drop the chalk, but as he did, it
slipped out of his
fingers, off his shirt cuff, onto the pleat of his
pants, down his leg, and
off his shoe. As it hit the ground, it simply rolled
away unbroken.
The professor's jaw dropped as he stared at the
chalk. He looked up at the
young man, and then ran out of the lecture hall.
The young man who had stood, proceeded to walk to
the front of the room and
shared his faith in Jesus for the next half hour.
300 students stayed and
listened as he told of God's love for them and of
His power through Jesus.
Now you have 2 choices:
1. Hit back and never look at it again.
2. Pass this along to your Christian and
non-Christian friends, giving them
encouragement we need every day.
If you chose option 2, you STOOD UP.