This is a true story of something that happened just
a few years ago at USC. There was a professor of philosophy there
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 had 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.
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.
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