Source: adapted from an anonymous forwarded e-mail (chain letter) 10/20/2003 which purports to be a true story that "happened just a few years ago at USC."
You are taking a class from a professor of philosophy who is a deeply committed atheist. For one particular required class His primary goal is to spend the entire semester attempting to prove that God could not exist.
His students are always afraid to argue with him because of his impeccable logic. For twenty years, he has taught this class and no one has ever had the courage to go against him. Sure, some have argued in class at times, but no one had ver 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 has ever stood up. They know what he would 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 cannot do it." 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 concluded by the demonstration that God could not exist. It is likely that a number of Christians have slipped through the class, but for 20 years, all had been too afraid to stand up.
Imagine yourself as a Christian in that class. It is the last day.
A few years ago, a freshman enrolled in the class. He was a Christian, and had heard the stories about his professor. He was required to take the class for his major. He was afraid. But for three months that semester, he met that fear with prayer every morning. He prayed for courage to stand up no matter what the professor said, or what the class thought. He prayed nothing they would say would shatter his faith like that piece of chalk.
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, the chalk 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 classroom and share 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 working through Jesus.
Last revised November 14, 2003