It's very long-winded, but I sure like what it says. It makes me think of the line from The Santa Clause with Tim Allen. The son says, "Have you ever seen a million dollars?" To which is answered, "No, I haven't". The boy replies, "Just because you haven't seen it, doesn't mean it doesn't exsist."
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A science professor begins his school year with a lecture to thestudents, "Let me explain the problem science has with religion." Theatheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asksone 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 amoment. "Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over hereand you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help him? Would youtry?";
"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 youcould.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 heprayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Hmmm? Can youanswer that one?"
The student remains silent.
"No, you can't, can you?" the professor says. He takes a sip of waterfrom 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 evilin 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 createdeverything, then God created evil, since evil exists, and according tothe 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 hisquestion. "Who created them?" There is still no answer. Suddenly thelecturer breaks away to face in front of the classroom. The class ismesmerized. "Tell me," he continues onto another student. "Do youbelieve 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 useto 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 yourJesus?Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God forthat 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 sciencehas with God. There is no evidence, only faith."
The student stands quietly for a moment, before asking a question ofhis own. "Professor, is there such a 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. Theroom suddenly becomes very quiet. The student begins to explain. "You canhave lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimitedheat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don't have anythingcalled 'cold'. We can hit up to 458 degrees below zero, which is noheat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thingas 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 transmitsenergy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmitenergy.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 cannotmeasure 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 itisn't darkness?"
"You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is the absenceof something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light,flashing light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothingand it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to definethe word."
"In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to makedarkness darker, wouldn't you?"
The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. Thiswill be a good semester. "So what point are you making, young man?"
"Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed tostart with, and so your conclu sion must also be flawed."
The professor's face cannot hide his surprise this time. "Flawed? Canyou 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 badGod. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, somethingwe can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought."
"It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much lessfully 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 evolvedfrom a monkey?"
"If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man,yes, of co urse I do."
"Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?"
The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizeswhere the argument is going. A very good semester, indeed.
"Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work andcannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are younot teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but apreacher?"
The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotionhas 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 whohas ever seen the professor's brain?" The class breaks out into laughter.
"Is there anyone here who has ever heard the pro fessor's brain, feltthe professor's brain, touched or smelled the professor's brain? No oneappears to have done so. So, according to the established rules ofempirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you haveno 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, hisface unreadable.
Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers. "I guessyou'll have to take them on faith."
"Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists withlife," the student continues. "Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?"
Now uncertain, the professor responds, "Of course, there is. We see iteveryday. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It isin the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. Thesemanifestations are nothing else but evil."
To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist sir, or at least itdoes not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It isjust like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describethe absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of whathappens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It'slike the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light."
The professor sat down.
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