Another Interesting Conversation Between A Student and A Professor!

There was a professor of philosophy who was a deeply committed atheist. His primary goal for one required class was to spend the entire semester attempting 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.


Not trying to steal any thunder from your thread ModernAcademia, when I read yours I thought of this story I had heard similiar to yours. Nothing but love, and it's a great spirtual story as well.

Note:

This has been one of the most commonly circulated inspirational stories on the Internet and one of the most commonly asked-about at TruthOrFiction.com.

We've never found any evidence that an incident of this nature has taken place involving a piece of chalk, but there is a first-hand source of a similar, older story, which the chalk tale may be based upon.

First, the University of Southern California has officially denied that this ever happened there. Dr. Dallas Willard, a philosophy professor at USC, has told TruthOrFiction.com that he's never heard of it happening in his more than 30 years at the school.

There is a related story, however, told by author Richard H. Harvey in his book 70 YEARS OF MIRACLES. It's a first-hand account of his experience in a Chemistry class at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania in the 1920's. Harvey says the professor, a Dr. Lee, was a deist who annually lectured against prayer. In one of the class sessions, Dr. Lee said he was going to drop a glass flask on the floor and asked if anyone would like to pray first that the flask would not break, therefore demonstrating the reality of prayer. Richard Harvey volunteered and prayed. The professor dropped the flask and it rolled off his shoe to the floor without damage. The class cheered and the professor stopped his annual lectures against prayer. TruthOrFiction.com has confirmed with Allegheny college that Richard Harvey was a student there and that Dr. Lee was a professor. Richard Harvey's son, Rev. John Harvey, a minister in Toccoa, Georgia, says this all happened before he was born, but confirms that the story was told by his father.

Nice thanx for sharing that story

So...... there's no evidence for this 'story' other then testimony from someone who heard about it....

Even it was something I saw with my own eyes..... wouldn't mean anything.

I dropped my pen once, and it ended up somewhere way far away...... divine powers at work? No, bounceability.

I mean it's a nice typical story, plays off the stereotype that atheist hate god (not that they don't believe in it, but that they hate him) and will ridicule everyone who doesn't (beats the hell out of stoning people I suppose), then a "David" like figure comes along and beats the goliath (fictitious of course).

We've NEVER found any EVIDENCE that an incident of this nature has taken place involving a piece of chalk,

Bolded stuff the spiritual among us probably ignored or skimmed through.

It's a nice story, but Aesops Fables are nice too, doesn't mean there actual accounts, just hearsay among a very 'loose' group of people.

Plus...... I can't see a professor doing this for 20 years, without having some sort of account for it!!!!

reply to post by Republican08


You know what gets me the most about your typical atheist, if they don't believe in a God, than why do they spend so much energy trying to knock it down. Why do they just go after christians and other religions so hard. I know Donald duck and Mickey mouse aren't real, but my kids don't believe that, and when I took them to Disney world, I didn't spend any energy on trying to convince my children that they weren't real, because it didn't bother me. Why does it bother so many atheist that people believe, I have met people who believe Elvis Presley was some sort of God or alien, I didn't waste my time trying to argue them down or tell them their crazy, I just smiled and moved on. I think people should believe what ever the hell they want to believe. Just like the alien and ufo believers, I don't want to knock their believe, but rather I want proof, because if their right, I don't want to be wrong lol!

Originally posted by Mr_skepticc
You know what gets me the most about your typical atheist, if they don't believe in a God, than why do they spend so much energy trying to knock it down.

Your typical atheist doesn't spend that much time attacking, but spends most of their time defending. I am constantly having to defend myself to shocked Christians who can't believe I don't believe in Jebus and his demon infested pigs.

Why do they just go after christians and other religions so hard. I know Donald duck and Mickey mouse aren't real, but my kids don't believe that, and when I took them to Disney world, I didn't spend any energy on trying to convince my children that they weren't real, because it didn't bother me.

Mickey Mouse doesn't spend time trying to think of new and innovative ways to blow up Bugs Bunny or scam more money out of goofy. They also don't claim to know something that is unknowable.

Long story short, they don't do children wrong. Can the same be said of religion taught to kids?

Why does it bother so many atheist that people believe, I have met people who believe Elvis Presley was some sort of God or alien, I didn't waste my time trying to argue them down or tell them their crazy, I just smiled and moved on. I think people should believe what ever the hell they want to believe. Just like the alien and ufo believers, I don't want to knock their believe, but rather I want proof, because if their right, I don't want to be wrong lol!

Religion, to us, seems exactly like those who believe Elvis is still alive or think Pokemon is real.

Most of us would love to just roll our eyes and chuckle, but when believing Elvis is real is respected and pretty much a requirement to be elected to Federal Office you might know how we feel.

what is profoundly shocking about believers means, is their pursuits to proove that existing fact is by itself a value and not the quality of being well is the real fact of existing
they dare mean that only who can kill or realize objectively something exist, and any human is simple vulgar thing to witness and applause another powerful existance creations

it says all about their goals roots being their love to the confusion of being powerful creator, surely of what they love the chance of existing as living profits because of existance creations

existing is a simple fact of positive conscious freedom life, that matter of fact apply on gods as on any human being

Originally posted by imans
what is profoundly shocking about believers means, is their pursuits to proove that existing fact is by itself a value and not the quality of being well is the real fact of existing
they dare mean that only who can kill or realize objectively something exist, and any human is simple vulgar thing to witness and applause another powerful existance creations

it says all about their goals roots being their love to the confusion of being powerful creator, surely of what they love the chance of existing as living profits because of existance creations

existing is a simple fact of positive conscious freedom life, that matter of fact apply on gods as on any human being

I'm not sure your post makes sense. Can you try to explain what you mean again?

Or can someone translate?

Well,my argument against the professor's "logic" would be rather simple. Perhaps it was God's will that the chalk break. Perhaps that is the only reason the professor would even think of dropping the chalk on the floor. God's will be done.

As one that thinks everything happens for a reason, I could blow holes in the Professor's "logic" all day. It's a nice story, but it doesn't really resonate, at last to me, as an example of something that a Professor would do.

If he wanted to get real philosophical, he and I could discuss whether or not all of this that we call "reality" is nothing more than God's dream and he wills this professor to challenge the beliefs of others.

reply to post by Mr_skepticc

I do believe in a Godhead (perhaps in a polytheistic, agnostic way).
But boy, God sure took his time with those Professors and students. what about the thousands of previous students who got no such materialistic example - I guess they're probably burning in hell now.
There is a powerful message of "manifest destiny", or "predestination" in that tale, which is peculiar to Baptists and other related sects.
Well, at university I heard all about the Krishna devotees, and how they miraculously came to live in the Temple. I also heard about Cat Stevens (Yussuf Islam) and how he followed Islam after being miraculously saved from drowning.
I doubt very much that any faithful "missionary" would survive a lengthy religious speech at a university in a public lecture (unless you are going pre-Voltaire, pre-Diderot and pre-Marx into religious fascism).
In all honesty, nice story - but common, even the Jehova's witnessess can do better!

reply to post by Mr_skepticc

Uhh, Professor, before you start, I just wanted to let you know about the chalk...it's a new batch from China...

Originally posted by SpeakerofTruth
If he wanted to get real philosophical, he and I could discuss whether or not all of this that we call "reality" is nothing more than God's dream and he wills this professor to challenge the beliefs of others.

If he wanted to get real philosophical, he would possibly reply to you that such a sceptical hypothesis is unknowable, unfalsifiable, untenable and pragmatically insignificant. There is no logical reply to absolute skepticism, but as there is no reason to accept absolute skepticism we should treat it as an interesting idea with no bearing on real life and carry on as anyways. Likewise the idea that the world sprang into existence 5 minutes ago.

The philosophy professors in these stories are either entertainingly fictional or horrifyingly awful teachers. Philosophy should teach the ability to think logically and creatively, not teach what to think - most bachelors level teaching involves presenting philosophical arguments and hoping the students will find logical flaws or hidden presumptions in them. It's difficult to get ahead in philosophy just reciting other peoples' arguments uncritically. It is an area of debate rather than dogma.

Besides which, no good philosopher would ever present the lack of a miracle as an argument against the existence of a God.

Originally posted by Mr_skepticc
I know Donald duck and Mickey mouse aren't real...

*Ahem*

I hate to disillusion you as to the integrity of your knowledge here but I posted a tale over here which states otherwise.

You can have God, and chalk, and the author of a book who eventually fathered a son who became a minister as a witness to this magical event all you want.

I'll have Mickey Mouse, God and Wolverine having a drink with me on Mars.

Philosophically, psychologically and metaphysically we are each correct.

-m0r