A science professor    begins his school year with a lecture to    the
        students, 'Let me explain    the problem science has with
           religion.' The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before    his
        class and then asks one of    his new students to stand.      
          
        'You're a Christian, aren't    you, son?'
        'Yes sir,' the    student says.
        'So you    believe in God?'
        'Absolutely.'   
        'Is God    good?'
        'Sure! God's good.'   
        'Is God all-powerful? Can    God do anything?'
        'Yes.'   
        'Are you good or    evil?'
        'The Bible says I'm    evil.'
        The professor grins    knowingly. 'Aha! The Bible!' He    considers
        for a moment. 'Here's    one for you. Let's say there's a    sick
        person over here and you    can cure him. You can do it Would    you
        help him? Would you try?'   
        'Yes sir, I would.'   
        'So you're good...!'   
        'I wouldn't say that.'   
        'But why not say that?    You'd help a sick and maimed person    if
        you could. Most of us would    if we could. But God doesn't.'   
        The student does not    answer, so the professor continues.    'He
        doesn't, does he? My brother    was a Christian who died of    cancer,
        even though he prayed to    Jesus to heal him. How is this    Jesus
        good? Hmmm? Can you answer    that one?'
        The student    remains silent.
        'No, you    can't, can you?' the professor says. He takes a sip    of
        water from a glass on his    desk to give the student time to relax.    
        'Let's start again, young    fella. Is God good?'
           'Er...yes,' the student says.   
        'Is Satan good?'   
        The student doesn't hesitate on    this one. 'No.'
        'Then where    does Satan come from?'
        The    student falters. 'From God'
           'That's right. God made Satan, didn't he? Tell me, son. Is    there
        evil in this world?'   
        'Yes, sir.'   
        'Evil's everywhere, isn't    it? And God did make everything, correct?'
        'Yes.'   
        'So who created evil?' The    professor continued, 'If God    created
        everything, then God    created evil, since evil exists,    and
        according to the principle    that our works define who we    are,
        then God is evil.'   
        Again, the student has no    answer. 'Is there sickness?
           Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do    they
        exist in this world?'   
        The student squir ms on his    feet. 'Yes.'
        'So who    created them?'
        The student    does not answer again, so the professor repeats    his
        question.. 'Who created    them?' There is still no answer.
           Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace in front of    the
        classroom. The class is    mesmerized. 'Tell me,' he continues    onto
        another student. 'Do you    believe in Jesus Christ,    son?'
        The student's voice    betrays him and cracks. 'Yes, professor, I    do.'
        The old man stops    pacing. 'Science says you have five senses    you
        use to identify and observe    the world around you. Have you    ever
        seen    Jesus?'
        'No sir. I've never    seen Him.' 
        'Then tell    us if you've ever heard your Jesus?'    
        'No, sir, I have not.'    
        'Have you ever felt your    Jesus, tasted your Jesus or    smelled
        your Jesus? Have you    ever had any sensory perception of    Jesus
        Christ, or God for that    matter?' 
        'No, sir,    I'm afraid I haven't.' 
           'Yet you still bel ieve in him?'    
           'Yes.'
        'According to the    rules of empirical, testable,    demonstrable
        protocol, science    says your God doesn't exist. What do you    say
        to that,    son?'
        'Nothing,' the student    replies. 'I only have my faith.'    
        'Yes, faith,' the professor    repeats. 'And that is the    problem
        science has with God.    There is no evidence, only faith.'    
        At the back of the room    another student stands quietly for    a
        moment before asking a    question of His own. 'Professor, is    there
        such thing as heat?'    
        'Yes,' the professor    replies. 'There's heat.'    
        'And is there such a thing    as cold?' 
        'Yes, son,    there's cold too..' 
        'No    sir, there isn't.' 
           The professor turns to face the student, obviously    interested.
        The room suddenly    becomes very quiet. The student begins    to
        explain. 'You can have lots    of heat, even more heat,    super-heat,
        mega-heat, unlimited    heat, white heat, a little heat or no    heat,
        but we don't have anything    called 'cold'. We can hit up to    458
        degrees below zero, which is    no heat, but we can't go any
           further after that. There is no such thing as cold; otherwise    we
        would be able to go colder    than the lowest -458    degrees'
        'Every body or    object is susceptible to study when it has    or
        transmits energy, and heat is    what makes a body or matter have
           or transmit energy Absolute zero (-458 F) is the total    absence
        of heat. You see, sir,    cold is only a word we use to    describe
        the absence of heat. We    cannot measure cold. Heat we can    measure
        in thermal units because    heat is energy. Cold is not the
           opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.'    
        Silence across the room. A    pen drops somewhere in the    classroom,
        sounding like a    hammer. 
        'What about    darkness, professor. Is there such a thing    as
           darkness?'
        'Yes,' the    professor replies without hesitation. 'What is    night
        if it isn't    darkness?'
        'You're wrong    again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is    the
        absence of something. You    can have low light, normal    light,
        bright light, flashing    light, but if you have no light
           constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't    it?
        That's the meaning we use to    define the word.' 
        'In    reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able    to
        make darkness darker,    wouldn't you?' 
        The    professor begins to smile at the student in front of    him.
        This will be a good    semester. 'So what point are you    making,
        young    man?'
        'Yes, professor. My    point is, your philosophical premise    is
        flawed to start with, and so    your conclusion must also be
           flawed.' 
        The    professor's face cannot hide his surprise this    time.
        'Flawed? Can you explain    how?' 
        'You are    working on the premise of duality,' the    student
        explains. 'You argue    that there is life and then there's    death;
        a good God and a bad God.    You are viewing the concept of God    as
        something finite, something    we can measure. Sir, science    can't
        even explain a    thought.' 
        'It uses    electricity and magnetism, but has never seen,    much
        less fully understood    either one. To view death as the    opposite
        of life is to be    ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist    as
        a substantive thing. Death is    not the opposite of life, just    the
        absence of it.'    
        'Now tell me, professor. Do    you teach your students that    they
        evolved from a    monkey?' 
        'If you are    referring to the natural evolutionary process,    young
        man, yes, of course I    do.' 
        'Have you ever    observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?'    
        The professor begins to    shake his head, still smiling, as    he
        realizes where the argument    is going. A very good semester,
           indeed. 
        'Since no one    has ever observed the process of evolution at    work
        and cannot even prove that    this process is an on-going    endeavor,
        are you not teaching    your opinion, sir? Are you now not    a
        scientist, but a preacher?    ' 
        The class is in    uproar. The student remains silent until    the
        commotion has    subsided. 
        'To    continue the point you were making earlier to the    other
        student, let me give you    an example of what I mean.'    
        The student looks around    the room. 'Is there anyone in the    class
        who has ever seen the    professor's brain?' The class breaks    out
        into laughter.    
        'Is there anyone here who    has ever heard the professor's    brain,
        felt the professor's    brain, touched or smelled the    professor's
        brain? No one    appears to have done so. So, according to    the
        established rules of    empirical, stable, demonstrable    protocol,
        science says that you    have no brain, with all due respect, sir.'    
        'So if science says you    have no brain, how can we trust    your
        lectures, sir?'    
        Now the room is silent. The    professor just stares at the
           student, his face unreadable.    
        Finally, after what seems    an eternity, the old man answers.    'I
        guess you'll have to take    them on faith.' 
        'Now,    you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith    exists
        with life,' the student    continues. 'Now, sir, is there such    a
        thing as evil?'    
        Now uncertain, the    professor responds, 'Of course, there is.    We
        see it everyday. It is in the    daily example of man's    inhumanity
        to man. It is in the    multitude of crime and violence    everywhere
        in the world. These    manifestations are nothing else but evil.'    
        To this the student    replied, 'Evil does not exist sir, or    at
        least it does not exist unto    itself..  */*/_Evil is simply    the
        absence of God.. _/**/ It is    just like darkness and cold, a    word
        that man has created to    describe the absence of God. God did    not
        create evil. Evil is the    result of what happens when man    does
        not have God's love present    in his heart.. It's like the    cold
        that comes when there is no    heat or the darkness that comes    when
        there is no light.'    
        The professor sat    down.  
Some days are just meant to be spent remembering...
10 years ago
 
 
 

 
 
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