Posted by ryan on March 23, 1999 at 19:11:43:
this was an email that i recieved i thought it be approperiate to post
***************************************************
"Let me explain the problem science has with Jesus Christ." 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."
>>> >
>>> > "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. "Ahh! THE BIBLE!" He considersfor 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 them? "Would you
>>> > try?"
>>> >
>>> > "Yes sir, I would."
>>> >
>>> > "So you're good...!"
>>> >
>>> > "I wouldn't say that."
>>> >
>>> > "Why not say that? You would help a sick and maimed person if you
>>> > could... in fact most of us would if we could... God doesn't.
>>> >
>>> > [No answer.]
>>> >
>>> > "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?"
>>> >
>>> > [No answer]
>>> >
>>> > The elderly man is sympathetic. "No, you can't, can you?" He takes
>>> > a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to
>>> > relax. In philosophy, you have to go easy with the new ones." Let's
>>> start
>>> > again, young fella.Is God good?"
>>> >
>>> > "Er... Yes."
>>> >
>>> > "Is Satan good?"
>>> >
>>> > "No."
>>> >
>>> > "Where does Satan come from?" The student falters.
>>> >
>>> > "From... God..."
>>> >
>>> > "That's right. God made Satan, didn't he?" The elderly man runs his
>>> > bony fingers through his thinning hair and turns to the smirking,
>>> > student audience. "I think we're going to have a lot of fun this
>>> > semester, ladies and gentlemen." He turns back to the Christian.
>>> >
>>> > "Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?"
>>> >
>>> > "Yes, sir."
>>> >
>>> > "Evil's everywhere, isn't it? Did God make everything?"
>>> >
>>> > "Yes."
>>> >
>>> > "Who created evil?
>>> >
>>> > [No answer]
>>> >
>>> > "Is there sickness in this world? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness.
>>> > All the terrible things - do they exist in this world? "
>>> >
>>> > The student squirms on his feet. "Yes."
>>> >
>>> > "Who created them? "
>>> >
>>> > [No answer]
>>> >
>>> > The professor suddenly shouts at his student. "WHO CREATED THEM?
>>> > TELL ME, PLEASE!" The professor closes in for the kill and climbs into
>>> > the Christian's face. In a still small voice: "God created all evil,
>>> > didn't He, son?"
>>> >
>>> > [No answer]
>>> >
>>> > The student tries to hold the steady, experienced gaze and fails.
>>> >
>>> > Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace the front of the classroom
>>> > like an aging panther. The class is mesmerized. "Tell me," he
>continues,
>>> > "How is it that this God is good if He created all evil throughout all
>>> > time?" The professor swishes his arms around to encompass the
>>> > wickedness of the world." All the hatred, the brutality, all the
pain,
>>> > all the torture, all the death and ugliness and all the suffering
>>> created
>>> by
>>> > this good God is all over the world, isn't it, young man?"
>>> >
>>> > [No answer]
>>> >
>>> > "Don't you see it all over the place? Huh?"
>>> >
>>> > Pause.
>>> >
>>> > "Don't you?" The professor leans into the student's face again and
>>> > whispers, "Is God good?"
>>> >
>>> > [No answer]
>>> >
>>> > "Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?"
>>> >
>>> > The student's voice betrays him and cracks. "Yes, professor. I do."
>>> >
>>> > The old man shakes his head sadly. "Science says you have five
>>> > senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you?
>"
>>> >
>>> > "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 smelt your
>>> > Jesus... in fact, do you have any sensory perception of your God
>>> > whatsoever?"
>>> >
>>> > [No answer]
>>> >
>>> > "Answer me, please."
>>> >
>>> > "No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't."
>>> >
>>> > "You're AFRAID... you haven't?"
>>> >
>>> > "No, sir."
>>> >
>>> > "Yet you still believe in him?"
>>> >
>>> > "...yes..."
>>> >
>>> > "That takes FAITH!" The professor smiles sagely at the underling.
>>> > "According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable
protocol,
>>> > science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?
>>> > Where is your God now?"
>>> >
>>> > [The student doesn't answer]
>>> >
>>> > "Sit down, please."
>>> >
>>> > The Christian sits...Defeated.
>>> >
>>> > Another Christian raises his hand. "Professor, may I address the
>class?"
>>> >
>>> > The professor turns and smiles. "Ah, another Christian in the
vanguard!
>>> > Come, come, young man. Speak some proper wisdom to the gathering."
>>> >
>>> > The Christian looks around the room. "Some interesting points you are
>>> > making, sir. Now I've got a question for you. Is there such thing as
>>> > heat?"
>>> >
>>> > "Yes," the professor replies. "There's heat."
>>> >
>>> > "Is there such a thing as cold?"
>>> >
>>> > "Yes, son, there's cold too."
>>> >
>>> > "No, sir, there isn't."
>>> >
>>> > The professor's grin freezes. The room suddenly goes very cold.
>>> >
>>> > The second Christian continues. "You can have lots of heat, even more
>>> > heat,super-heat, mega-heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat but
we
>>> don't
>>> > have anything called 'cold'. We can hit 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 458 - 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. A pin drops somewhere in the classroom.
>>> >
>>> > "Is there such a thing as darkness, professor?"
>>> >
>>> > "That's a dumb question, son. What is night if it isn't darkness?
>>> > What are you getting at...?"
>>> >
>>> > "So you say there is such a thing as darkness?"
>>> >
>>> > "Yes..."
>>> >
>>> > "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 and give me a jar of it. Can you...give me a jar of darker
>>> > darkness,professor?"
>>> >
>>> > Despite himself, the professor smiles at the young effrontery before
>>> > him. This will indeed be a good semester. "Would you mind telling us
>>> what
>>> > your point is, young man?"
>>> >
>>> > "Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to
>>> > start with and so your conclusion must be in error...."
>>> >
>>> > The professor goes toxic. "Flawed...?How dare you...!""
>>> >
>>> > "Sir, may I explain what I mean?"
>>> >
>>> > The class is all ears.
>>> >
>>> > "Explain... oh, explain..." The professor makes an admirable effort to
>>> > regain control. Suddenly he is affability itself. He waves his hand
>to
>>> > silence the class, for the student to continue.
>>> >
>>> > "You are working on the premise of duality," the Christian explains.
>>> > "That for example 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 cannot even explain a thought. It uses
>>> > electricity and magnetism but has never seen, much less fully
>understood
>>> >them. 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,
>>> > merely the absence of it."
>>> >
>>> > The young man holds up a newspaper he takes from the desk of a
neighbor
>>> > who has been reading it. "Here is one of the most disgusting tabloids
>>> this
>>> > country hosts, professor. Is there such a thing as immorality?"
>>> >
>>> > "Of course there is, now look..."
>>> >
>>> > "Wrong again, sir. You see, immorality is merely the absence of
>>> > morality.
>>> >
>>> > Is there such thing as injustice? No. Injustice is the absence of
>>> > justice. Is there such a thing as evil?" The Christian pauses.
>>> >
>>> > "Isn't evil the absence of good?"
>>> >
>>> > The professor's face has turned an alarming color. He is so angry he
is
>>> > temporarily speechless.
>>> >
>>> > The Christian continues. "If there is evil in the world, professor,
and
>>> > we all agree there is, then God, if he exists, must be accomplishing a
>>> work
>>> >
>>> > through the agency of evil. What is that work, God is accomplishing?
>The
>>> >
>>> > Bible tells us it is to see if each one of us will, of our own free
>>> > will, choose good over evil."
>>> >
>>> > The professor bridles. "As a philosophical scientist, I don't vie this
>>> > matter as having anything to do with any choice; as a realist, I
>>> > absolutely do not recognize the concept of God or any other
theological
>>> >factor as
>>> > being part of the world equation because God is not observable."
>>> >
>>> > "I would have thought that the absence of God's moral code in this
>world
>>> >
>>> > is probably one of the most observable phenomena going," the Christian
>>> > replies.
>>> >
>>> > "Newspapers make billions of dollars reporting it every week! 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 makes a sucking sound with his teeth and gives his
>student
>>> > a silent, stony stare. "Professor. 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 priest?"
>>> >
>>> > "I'll overlook your impudence in the light of our philosophical
>>> > discussion. Now, have you quite finished?" the professor hisses.
>>> >
>>> > "So you don't accept God's moral code to do what is righteous?"
>>> >
>>> > "I believe in what is - that's science!"
>>> >
>>> > "Ahh! SCIENCE!" the student's face splits into a grin. "Sir, you
>rightly
>>> >
>>> > state that science is the study of observed phenomena. Science too is
a
>>> > premise which is flawed..."
>>> >
>>> > "SCIENCE IS FLAWED..?" the professor splutters.
>>> >
>>> > The class is in uproar.
>>> >
>>> > The Christian remains standing until the commotion has subsided. "To
>>> > continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, may
>>> > I give you an example of what I mean?" The professor wisely keeps
>>> > silent.
>>> >
>>> > The Christian looks around the room. "Is there anyone in the class
who
>>> > has
>>> > ever seen the professor's brain?" The class breaks out in laughter.
>>> >
>>> > The Christian points towards his elderly, crumbling tutor. "Is there
>>> > anyone
>>> > here who has ever heard the professor's brain... felt the professor's
>>> > brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain?" No one appears to
have
>>> > done so. The Christian shakes his head sadly. "It appears no-one here
>>> > has had any sensory perception of the professor's brain whatsoever.
>>> Well,
>>> > according to the rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol,
>>> > science, I DECLARE that the professor has no brain."
>>> >
>>> > The class is in chaos.
>>> >
>>> > The Christian sits... Because that is what a chair is for.
>>> >
>>