The Faithful Student Challenges the Atheist Professor
This is a true story of something that happened just a few years ago at a college in California, U.S.A. called U.S.C.
There was a professor of philosophy there who was a deeply committed
atheist.
His primary goal for one required class he taught was to spend the entire semester proving that God didn’t exist.
His students were always afraid to argue with him because of his
impeccable logic.
Sure, some had debated with him in class at times, but no one had ever really gone against him and challenged 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 God,
stand up!"
In twenty years, no one had ever stood up, for they knew what he was going
to do next.
He would then say, "Anyone who believes in God is a fool".
Then he would say “If God exists, then he will be able to stop this piece of chalk from hitting the ground and breaking.”
Then he would say, “wouldn’t you think He could perform such a simple task to prove that He is God?”
“However, He can't do it can he."?
Then every year he would drop the chalk onto the tile floor of the classroom, breaking it and shattering it into a hundred pieces.
All of the students in this professor’s class would do nothing but stop and stare at the chalk.
In time, most of them began to think that God didn’t exist.
Even though a certain number of Christians had slipped through this professor’s class in the last 20 years, none of them stood up when the time came for their rebuttal of his words.
However, a few years ago there was a certain freshman who happened to enroll in this class.
He was a Christian man, and he had heard the stories about this professor.
He was required to take this class for his major, and he was afraid.
However, for three months that semester, he prayed every morning.
He asked God through His Son, Jesus, to give him the courage to stand up to this atheist professor, no matter what he said, and no matter what the other students in the class thought.
He asked God to help him to strengthen his faith.
He asked God to prove the professor was wrong.
Finally, the big day came.
The professor said, "If there is anyone here who still believes in God, let him or her, stand up now!"
Then the professor and the class of 300 people looked at this Christian man, shocked, as he stood up in the back of the classroom.
The professor shouted, "You are a FOOL!!!
If God exists, he will keep this piece of chalk from breaking when it hits the ground!"
He then proceeded to drop the chalk.
However, as he did, it slipped out of his fingers.
It rolled off his shirt cuff, onto the pleat of his pants, down his leg, and off of his shoe.
When it hit the ground, it simply rolled away unbroken.
The professor's jaw dropped down as he stared at the unbroken chalk.
He looked up in amazement at the young Christian man in the back of the class, and then he ran out of the lecture hall.
The young Christian man, who was still standing, proceeded to walk to the front of the room.
He then shared his faith in God and His Son 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 His Son.
Therefore, pass this story on to your Christian, and non-Christian friends, alike.
This story might help to give them some encouragement each day.
For this story is not intended to be a joke, it's not intended to be funny.
Instead, its main purpose is to get you thinking.
Isn't it funny how many people today think they will not go to hell if they try to trash God and His Son, Jesus?
Do they ever wonder in their minds why the world is full of chaos, violence, and insecurity?
Isn't it funny that many people today believe what the newspapers say, but they always question what the Bible says?
Isn't it funny how everyone wants to go to heaven, provided they do not
have to believe, think about, honor, or obey anything the Bible says?
Are they afraid of the consequences they will face in the future?
Isn't it funny how many people will say "I believe in God" but they still think they can follow Satan, (who, by the way, also "believes" in God)?
Isn't it funny how many people like to send a thousand jokes through their e-mails, but they do not want to send messages regarding the Lord God and His Son, Jesus?
Isn’t it funny how they think twice about sharing their messages about God and His Son?
Isn't it funny how the lewd, crude, vulgar, and obscene things of this world pass freely through cyberspace, but when people want to talk about God and His Son, Jesus, they cannot do these things in their schools, or in their workplace?
Isn't it funny how some people can be so fired up for Christ on Sunday, but when the rest of the week comes along they become invisible Christians?
Therefore, will you pass this message on?
Will you send it to the people on your address list?
Or will you keep it to yourself because you're not sure what they might believe, or what they might think of you for sending it to them?
Will you be more worried about what other people think of you than what God thinks of you?
Will YOU pass this story on to the other people you know, whether they are Christians, or non believers?
Ephesians 2:8
"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of your own doing, it is the gift of God"
Remember, the love of Jesus will abide in you if you are faithful to Him and His Father.
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