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'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? 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 squirms
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 smelt 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
believe 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.'
The student stands
quietly for a moment, before asking a question of His own. 'Professor, is
there such thing as heat?'
'Yes. ’
'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 down 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 smelt 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.
PS:
the student is rumored to be Albert Einstein. My
research says it was not, although he was a Christian.
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I'll never forget something a preacher once told us. What if I'm wrong and you are right (about the existence of God)? Then I will have lived a good life and when I die, that's it. But, what if I'm right and you are wrong? I will have lived a good life, then spend eternity in heaven. Where will you be?
