From: "Esinam Acolatse"
To:
Sent: Wednesday, November 24, 2004 1:50 AM
Subject: Stand up!
>
>
> >>> > Subject: Stand Up!
> >>> > This one should keep us all thinking. I chose #2, now you pick one.
> >>> > This is a true story of something that happened just a few years ago
at
> >>> > USC. There was a professor of philosophy there who was a deeply
committed
> >>> > theist. His primary goal for one required class was to spend the
entire
> >>> > semester to prove that God couldn't exist. His students were always
afraid
> >>> > to argue with him because of his impeccable logic. For twenty years,
he
> >>> > had taught this class and no one had ever had the courage to go
against
> >>> > him.
> >>> > Sure, some had argued in class at times, but no one had ever 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
had
> >>> > ever stood up. They knew what he was going to 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
can't
> >>> > do it." And 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 thought
that God
> >>> > couldn't exist. Certainly, a number of Christians had slipped
through, but
> >>> > for 20 years, they had been too afraid to stand up.
> >>> > Well, a few years ago there was a freshman who happened to enroll.
He was
> >>> > a Christian, and had heard the stories about his professor. He was
> >>> > required to take the class for his major, and he was afraid. But for
three
> >>> > months that semester, he prayed every morning that he would have the
> >>> > courage to stand up no matter what the professor said, or what the
class
> >>> > thought. Nothing they said could ever shatter his faith, he hoped.
> >>> > 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, it 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 room and shared 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 through Jesus.
> >>> > You have 2 choices:
> >>> > 1. Delete this and never look at it again.
> >>> > 2. Pass this along to your Christian and non-Christian friends,
giving
> >>> > them the encouragement we all need every day.
> >>> > When you choose option 2, you have chosen to STAND UP.
> >>> > In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this
is a
> >>> > little different:
> >>> > This is not intended to be a joke, it's not funny, it's intended to
get
> >>> > you thinking.
> >>> > Isn't it funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then
wonder
> >>> > why the world's going to hell.
> >>> > Isn't it funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question
what
> >>> > the Bible says.
> >>> > Isn't it funny how everyone wants to go to heaven provided they do
not
> >>> > have to believe, think, say, or do anything the Bible says. Or is it
> >>> > scary?
> >>> > Isn't it funny how someone can say "I believe in God" but still
follow
> >>> > Satan (who, by the way, also "believes" in God ).
> >>> > Isn't it funny how you can send a thousand jokes through e-mail and
they
> >>> > spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding
the
> >>> > Lord, people think twice about sharing.
> >>> > Isn't it funny how the lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene pass freely
through
> >>> > cyberspace, but the public discussion of Jesus is suppressed in the
school
> >>> > and workplace.
> >>> > Isn't it funny how someone can be so fired up for Christ on Sunday,
but be
> >>> > an invisible
> >>> > Christian the rest of the week.
> >>> > Are you laughing?
> >>> > Isn't it funny how when you go to forward this message, you will not
send
> >>> > it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they
believe,
> >>> > or what they will think of you for sending it to them.
> >>> > Isn't it funny how I can be more worried about what other people
think of
> >>> > me than what God thinks of me.
> >>> > Will YOU pass this on?
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>> > TTFN (Tah Tah For Now)
> >>> >
> >>
> >
>
>