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 one 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 ever 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 task to prove that He is God, and yet He can't do it." And every
year, he would drop the chalk onto the tile floor 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. Surf on and never look at this webpage again.
2. Pass the URL to this webpage along to your Christian and
non-Christian friends, giving them encouragement we all need every day.
The "BabelFish" translates the webpage into 8 other languages. (Click on a Flag and see)
