bible_class factory reject "Let me explain the problem science has with Jesus Christ." The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new students to stand. "You're a Christian, aren't you, son?" "Yes, sir." "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. "Ahh! THE BIBLE!" He considers for a moment. "Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help them? Would you try?" "Yes sir, I would." "So you're good...!" "I wouldn't say that." "Why not say that? You would help a sick and maimed person if you could...in fact most of us would if we could....God doesn't." [No answer] "He doesn't, does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Hmmm? Can you answer that one?" [No answer] The elderly man is sympathetic. "No, you can't, can you?" He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax. "In philosophy, you have to go easy with the new ones. Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?" "Er... Yes." "Is Satan good?" "No." "Where does Satan come from?" The student falters. "From... God..." "That's right. God made Satan, didn't he?" The elderly man runs his bony fingers through his thinning hair and turns to the smirking student audience. "I think we're going to have a lot of fun this semester, ladies and gentlemen." He turns back to the Christian. "Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?" "Yes, sir." "Evil's everywhere, isn't it? Did God make everything?" "Yes." "Who created evil?" [No answer] "Is there sickness in this world? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness. All the terrible things - do they exist in this world? " The student squirms on his feet. "Yes." "Who created them?" [No answer] The professor suddenly shouts at his student, "WHO CREATED THEM? TELL ME, PLEASE!" The professor closes in for the kill and climbs into the Christian's face. In a still small voice, he asked, "God created all evil, didn't He, son?" [No answer] The student tries to hold the steady, experienced gaze and fails. Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace the front of the classroom like an aging panther. The class is mesmerized. "Tell me," he continues, "How is it that this God is good if He created all evil throughout all time?" The professor swishes his arms around to encompass the wickedness of the world. "All the hatred, the brutality, all the pain, all the torture, all the death and ugliness and all the suffering created by this good God is all over the world, isn't it, young man?" [No answer] "Don't you see it all over the place? Huh?" Pause. "Don't you?" The professor leans into the student's face again and whispers, "Is God good?" I hate having to write on things like this... honestly, sister. I don't care about your religion. 060928 ... factory reject he'd fail me if i told him i agreed with the professor. tempting. 060928 ... z see: agreeing_with_a_question 060928 ... Christ without the cross HUmans have the capacity for both good and evil since we have knowledge of both. Let us not delude ourselves, it is observable that the 'evil' in this world has been committed by human beings. Because of our fear, our hatred, our anger, vengefulness, our jealousy, our rage, our wrath, our frustration, our judgments we have unleashed peril on this earth. I do not see that as evil. I see it as the actions of the lost. Our lack of WISDOM causes us to do these things. Wisdom is knowledge applied. Now the one thing that allows these things to continue is free choice. This free choice is a blessing. But it is what we have done with our choices that keep us here. The only cure for our ignorance is not more knowledge but love. Love is the key to changing our world. 060928 what's it to you? who go blather from