WOULD YOU STAND UP?

This isn't just a story about God, but all things believed in.

"Men are never so likely to settle a question rightly as when theydiscuss it freely." --- Macaulay

This is a true story of something that happened just a few years ago atthe University of South Carolina. There was a professor of philosophythere who was a deeply committed atheist. His primary goal for onerequired class was to spend the entire semester attempting to provethat God couldn't exist. His students were always afraid to argue withhim because of his impeccable logic.

For twenty years, he had taught this class and no one had ever had thecourage to go against him.

Sure, some had argued in class at times, but no one had ever 'reallygone against him' (you'll see what I mean later). Nobody would goagainst him because he had a reputation. At the end of every semester,on the last day, he would say to his class of 300 students, "If thereanyone here who still believes in Jesus, stand up!"

In twenty years, no onehad ever stood up. They knew what he was going to do next. He wouldsay, "because anyone who does believe in Godis a fool. If God existed, he could stop this piece of chalk fromhitting the ground and breaking. Such a simple task to prove that heis God, and yet he can't do it." And every year, he would drop thechalk onto the tile floor of the classroom and it would shatter into ahundred pieces.

All of the students could do nothing but stop and stare. Most of thestudents were convinced that God couldn't exist. Certainly, a number ofChristians had slipped through, but for 20 years, they had been tooafraid to stand up.

Well, a few years ago, there was a freshman who happened to getenrolled in the class. He was a Christian, and had heard the storiesabout this professor. He had to take the class because it was one ofthe required classes for his major. and he was afraid. But for 3 monthsthatsemester, he prayed every morning that he would have the courage tostand up no matter what the professor said or what the class thought.Nothing they said or did could ever shatter his faith, he hoped.

Finally the day came. The professor said, "If there is anyone here whostill believes in God, stand up!" The professor and the class of 300people looked at him, shocked, as he stood up at the back of theclassroom. The professor shouted, "You FOOL!! If God existed, hecould keep this piece of chalk from breaking when it hit the ground!"

Heproceeded to drop the chalk, but as he did, it slipped out of hisfingers, off his shirt cuff, onto the pleats 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. Helooked up at the young man and then ran out of the lecture hall. Theyoung man who had stood up proceeded to walk to the front of the roomand share his faith in Jesus for the next half hour. 300students stayed and listened as he told of God's love for them and ofhis power through Jesus.

"Yet to all who received HIM, to those who believed in HIS name, HEgave the right to become children of God-children born not of naturaldescent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God!"

"But HE knows the way that I take. When HE has tested me, I will comeforth as gold." Job 23:10