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AN INTERESTING AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION CONVERSATION

AN AN ATHEISTATHEIST PROFESSOR PROFESSOR OF PHILOSOPHY SPEAKS OF PHILOSOPHY SPEAKS

TO HIS CLASS ON THE TO HIS CLASS ON THE PROBLEM SCIENCE HAS PROBLEM SCIENCE HAS

WITH GOD, THE WITH GOD, THE ALMIGHTY. HE ASKS ONE ALMIGHTY. HE ASKS ONE OF HIS NEW STUDENTS OF HIS NEW STUDENTS

TO STAND AND..... TO STAND AND.....

PROFPROF: : SO YOU BELIEVE IN SO YOU BELIEVE IN

GOD?GOD?

STUDENT:STUDENT: ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY,

SIR.SIR.

PROF:PROF: IS GOD GOOD?IS GOD GOOD?

STUDENT:STUDENT: SURE. SURE.

PROF:PROF: IS GOD ALL-IS GOD ALL-

POWERFUL?POWERFUL?

STUDENT:STUDENT: YES.YES.

PROF:PROF: MY BROTHER DIED OF MY BROTHER DIED OF CANCER EVEN THOUGH HE CANCER EVEN THOUGH HE PRAYED TO GOD TO HEAL PRAYED TO GOD TO HEAL HIM. MOST OF US WOULD HIM. MOST OF US WOULD ATTEMPT TO HELP OTHERS ATTEMPT TO HELP OTHERS

WHO ARE ILL. BUT GOD WHO ARE ILL. BUT GOD DIDN'T. HOW IS THIS GOD DIDN'T. HOW IS THIS GOD

GOOD THEN? HMM?GOOD THEN? HMM?

STUDENT IS SILENT.STUDENT IS SILENT.

PROF:PROF: YOU CAN'T YOU CAN'T ANSWER, CAN YOU?ANSWER, CAN YOU?LET'S START AGAIN, LET'S START AGAIN,

YOUNG FELLOW. IS GOD YOUNG FELLOW. IS GOD GOOD?GOOD?

STUDENT:STUDENT: YES.YES.

PROF:PROF: IS SATAN IS SATAN

GOOD?GOOD?

STUDENT:STUDENT: NO. NO.

PROF:PROF: WHERE DOES WHERE DOES

SATAN COME FROM? SATAN COME FROM?

STUDENT:STUDENT:

FROM...GOD...FROM...GOD...

PROF:PROF: THAT'S RIGHT. THAT'S RIGHT. TELL ME SON, IS THERE TELL ME SON, IS THERE EVIL IN THIS WORLD? EVIL IN THIS WORLD?

STUDENT:STUDENT: YES.YES.

PROF:PROF: EVIL IS EVIL IS EVERYWHERE, ISN'T IT? EVERYWHERE, ISN'T IT?

AND GOD DID MAKE AND GOD DID MAKE EVERYTHING. CORRECT? EVERYTHING. CORRECT?

STUDENT:STUDENT: YES.YES.

PROF:PROF: SO WHO CREATED SO WHO CREATED EVIL?EVIL?

STUDENT DOES NOT STUDENT DOES NOT ANSWER.ANSWER.

PROF:PROF: SO, WHO CREATED SO, WHO CREATED

THEM?THEM?

STUDENT HAS NO STUDENT HAS NO

ANSWER.ANSWER.

PROF:PROF: SCIENCE SAYS YOU SCIENCE SAYS YOU HAVEHAVE 5 5 SENSES YOU USE SENSES YOU USE

TO IDENTIFY AND TO IDENTIFY AND OBSERVE THE WORLD OBSERVE THE WORLD

AROUND YOU. TELL ME, AROUND YOU. TELL ME, SON...HAVE YOU EVER SON...HAVE YOU EVER

SEEN GOD? SEEN GOD?

STUDENT:STUDENT: NO, SIR.NO, SIR.

PROF:PROF: TELL US IF YOU TELL US IF YOU HAVE EVER HEARD HAVE EVER HEARD

YOUR GOD?YOUR GOD?

STUDENT:STUDENT: NO, SIR. NO, SIR.

PROF:PROF: HAVE YOU EVER FELT HAVE YOU EVER FELT YOUR GOD, TASTED YOUR YOUR GOD, TASTED YOUR GOD, SMELT YOUR GOD? GOD, SMELT YOUR GOD?

HAVE YOU EVER HAD ANY HAVE YOU EVER HAD ANY SENSORY PERCEPTION OF SENSORY PERCEPTION OF GOD FOR THAT MATTER?GOD FOR THAT MATTER?

STUDENT:STUDENT: NO, SIR. I'M NO, SIR. I'M AFRAID I HAVEN'T.AFRAID I HAVEN'T.

PROF:PROF: YET YOU STILL YET YOU STILL

BELIEVE IN HIM? BELIEVE IN HIM?

STUDENT:STUDENT: YES. YES.

PROF:PROF: ACCORDING TO ACCORDING TO EMPIRICAL, TESTABLE, EMPIRICAL, TESTABLE,

DEMONSTRABLE PROTOCOL, DEMONSTRABLE PROTOCOL, SCIENCE SAYS YOUR GOD SCIENCE SAYS YOUR GOD

DOESN'T EXIST. WHAT DO YOU DOESN'T EXIST. WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THAT, SON?SAY TO THAT, SON?

STUDENT:STUDENT: NOTHING. I NOTHING. I ONLY HAVE MY FAITH.ONLY HAVE MY FAITH.

PROF:PROF: YES FAITH. AND YES FAITH. AND

THAT IS THE PROBLEM THAT IS THE PROBLEM

SCIENCE HAS.SCIENCE HAS.

NOW THE STUDENT NOW THE STUDENT SAID SAID CAN I ASK CAN I ASK

SOMETHING TO YOU SOMETHING TO YOU PROFESSOR.PROFESSOR.

STUDENT:STUDENT: PROFESSOR, PROFESSOR, IS THERE SUCH A IS THERE SUCH A THING AS HEAT?THING AS HEAT?

PROF:PROF: YES.YES.

STUDENT STUDENT : : AND IS AND IS THERE SUCH A THING THERE SUCH A THING

AS COLD?AS COLD?

PROF:PROF: YESYES..

STUDENT:STUDENT: NO SIR. NO SIR. THERE ISN'T.THERE ISN'T.

THE LECTURE THEATRE THE LECTURE THEATRE BECOMES VERY QUIET BECOMES VERY QUIET WITH THIS TURN OF WITH THIS TURN OF

EVENTS.EVENTS.

STUDENT:STUDENT: SIR, YOU CAN HAVE SIR, YOU CAN HAVE LOTS OF HEAT, EVEN MORE LOTS OF HEAT, EVEN MORE

HEAT, SUPERHEAT, MEGA HEAT, HEAT, SUPERHEAT, MEGA HEAT, WHITE HEAT, A LITTLE HEAT OR WHITE HEAT, A LITTLE HEAT OR NO HEAT. BUT WE DON'T HAVE NO HEAT. BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING CALLED COLD. WE ANYTHING CALLED COLD. WE CAN HIT 458 DEGREES BELOW CAN HIT 458 DEGREES BELOW

ZERO WHICH IS NO HEAT, ZERO WHICH IS NO HEAT,

BUT WE CAN'T GO ANY BUT WE CAN'T GO ANY FURTHER AFTER THAT. THERE FURTHER AFTER THAT. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS COLD. IS NO SUCH THING AS COLD.

COLD IS ONLY A WORD WE USE COLD IS ONLY A WORD WE USE TO DESCRIBE THE ABSENCE OF TO DESCRIBE THE ABSENCE OF HEAT. WE CANNOT MEASURE HEAT. WE CANNOT MEASURE COLD. HEAT IS ENERGY. COLD COLD. HEAT IS ENERGY. COLD

IS NOT THE OPPOSITE OF HEAT, IS NOT THE OPPOSITE OF HEAT, SIR, JUST THE ABSENCE OF IT.SIR, JUST THE ABSENCE OF IT.

THERE IS PIN-DROP THERE IS PIN-DROP SILENCE IN THE SILENCE IN THE

LECTURE THEATRELECTURE THEATRE

STUDENT:STUDENT: WHAT ABOUT WHAT ABOUT DARKNESS, PROFESSOR? DARKNESS, PROFESSOR?

IS THERE SUCH A IS THERE SUCH A THING AS DARKNESS? THING AS DARKNESS?

PROF:PROF: YES. WHAT IS YES. WHAT IS NIGHT IF THERE ISN'T NIGHT IF THERE ISN'T

DARKNESS?DARKNESS?

STUDENT:STUDENT: YOU'RE WRONG AGAIN, YOU'RE WRONG AGAIN, SIR. DARKNESS IS THE ABSENCE SIR. DARKNESS IS THE ABSENCE OF SOMETHING. YOU CAN HAVE OF SOMETHING. YOU CAN HAVE

LOW LIGHT, NORMAL LIGHT, LOW LIGHT, NORMAL LIGHT, BRIGHT LIGHT, FLASHING LIGHT... BRIGHT LIGHT, FLASHING LIGHT...

BUT IF YOU HAVE NO LIGHT BUT IF YOU HAVE NO LIGHT CONSTANTLY, YOU HAVE NOTHING CONSTANTLY, YOU HAVE NOTHING AND ITS CALLED DARKNESS, ISN'T AND ITS CALLED DARKNESS, ISN'T IT? IN REALITY, DARKNESS ISN'T. IF IT? IN REALITY, DARKNESS ISN'T. IF IT WERE YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO IT WERE YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO

MAKE DARKNESS DARKER, MAKE DARKNESS DARKER, WOULDN'T YOU? WOULDN'T YOU?

PROF:PROF: SO WHAT IS THE POINT YOU SO WHAT IS THE POINT YOU ARE MAKING, YOUNG MAN?ARE MAKING, YOUNG MAN?

STUDENT: STUDENT: SIR, MY SIR, MY POINT IS YOUR POINT IS YOUR PHILOSOPHICAL PHILOSOPHICAL

PREMISE IS FLAWED.PREMISE IS FLAWED.

PROF: PROF: FLAWED? CAN FLAWED? CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW?YOU EXPLAIN HOW?

STUDENT:STUDENT: SIR, YOU ARE SIR, YOU ARE WORKING ON THE PREMISE OF WORKING ON THE PREMISE OF DUALITY. YOU ARGUE THERE IS DUALITY. YOU ARGUE THERE IS

LIFE AND THEN THERE IS DEATH, A LIFE AND THEN THERE IS DEATH, A GOOD GOD AND A BAD GOD. YOU GOOD GOD AND A BAD GOD. YOU ARE VIEWING THE CONCEPT OF ARE VIEWING THE CONCEPT OF

GOD AS SOMETHING FINITE, GOD AS SOMETHING FINITE, SOMETHING WE CAN MEASURE. SOMETHING WE CAN MEASURE.

SIR, SCIENCE CAN'T EVEN EXPLAIN SIR, SCIENCE CAN'T EVEN EXPLAIN A THOUGHT. IT USES ELECTRICITY A THOUGHT. IT USES ELECTRICITY

AND MAGNETISM, AND MAGNETISM,

BUT HAS NEVER SEEN, MUCH BUT HAS NEVER SEEN, MUCH LESS FULLY UNDERSTOOD LESS FULLY UNDERSTOOD

EITHER ONE. TO VIEW DEATH AS EITHER ONE. TO VIEW DEATH AS THE OPPOSITE OF LIFE IS TO BE THE OPPOSITE OF LIFE IS TO BE IGNORANT OF THE FACT THAT IGNORANT OF THE FACT THAT

DEATH CANNOT EXIST AS A DEATH CANNOT EXIST AS A SUBSTANTIVE THING. DEATH IS SUBSTANTIVE THING. DEATH IS

NOT THE OPPOSITE OF LIFE: NOT THE OPPOSITE OF LIFE: JUST THE ABSENCE OF IT. NOW JUST THE ABSENCE OF IT. NOW TELL ME, PROFESSOR. DO YOU TELL ME, PROFESSOR. DO YOU TEACH YOUR STUDENTS THAT TEACH YOUR STUDENTS THAT

THEY EVOLVED FROM A THEY EVOLVED FROM A MONKEY?MONKEY?

PROF:PROF: IF YOU ARE IF YOU ARE REFERRING TO THE REFERRING TO THE

NATURAL NATURAL EVOLUTIONARY EVOLUTIONARY

PROCESS, YES, OF PROCESS, YES, OF COURSE, I DO.COURSE, I DO.

STUDENT:STUDENT: HAVE YOU HAVE YOU EVER OBSERVED EVER OBSERVED

EVOLUTION WITH YOUR EVOLUTION WITH YOUR OWN EYES, SIR?OWN EYES, SIR?

THE PROFESSOR THE PROFESSOR SHAKES HIS HEAD SHAKES HIS HEAD

WITH A SMILE, WITH A SMILE, BEGINNING TO REALIZE BEGINNING TO REALIZE WHERE THE ARGUMENT WHERE THE ARGUMENT

IS GOINGIS GOING..

STUDENT:STUDENT: SINCE NO ONE SINCE NO ONE HAS EVER OBSERVED THE HAS EVER OBSERVED THE

PROCESS OF EVOLUTION AT PROCESS OF EVOLUTION AT WORK AND CANNOT EVEN WORK AND CANNOT EVEN

PROVE THAT THIS PROCESS PROVE THAT THIS PROCESS IS AN ON-GOING ENDEAVOR, IS AN ON-GOING ENDEAVOR,

ARE YOU NOT TEACHING ARE YOU NOT TEACHING YOUR OPINION, SIR? ARE YOUR OPINION, SIR? ARE

YOU NOT A SCIENTIST BUT A YOU NOT A SCIENTIST BUT A PREACHER? PREACHER?

THE CLASS IS IN THE CLASS IS IN UPROARUPROAR

STUDENT:STUDENT: IS THERE IS THERE ANYONE IN THE CLASS ANYONE IN THE CLASS WHO HAS EVER SEEN WHO HAS EVER SEEN

THE PROFESSOR'S THE PROFESSOR'S BRAIN? BRAIN?

THE CLASS BREAKS THE CLASS BREAKS OUT INTO LAUGHTEROUT INTO LAUGHTER

STUDENT:STUDENT: IS THERE ANYONE IS THERE ANYONE HERE WHO HAS EVER HEARD HERE WHO HAS EVER HEARD

THE PROFESSOR'S BRAIN, FELT THE PROFESSOR'S BRAIN, FELT IT, TOUCHED OR SMELT IT? NO IT, TOUCHED OR SMELT IT? NO ONE APPEARS TO HAVE DONE ONE APPEARS TO HAVE DONE SO. SO, ACCORDING TO THE SO. SO, ACCORDING TO THE

ESTABLISHED RULES OF ESTABLISHED RULES OF EMPIRICAL, STABLE, EMPIRICAL, STABLE,

DEMONSTRABLE PROTOCOL, DEMONSTRABLE PROTOCOL, SCIENCE SAYS THAT YOU HAVE SCIENCE SAYS THAT YOU HAVE NO BRAIN, SIR. WITH ALL DUE NO BRAIN, SIR. WITH ALL DUE

RESPECT, SIR, HOW DO WE THEN RESPECT, SIR, HOW DO WE THEN TRUST YOUR LECTURES, SIR? TRUST YOUR LECTURES, SIR?

THE ROOM IS SILENT. THE THE ROOM IS SILENT. THE PROFESSOR STARES AT PROFESSOR STARES AT THE STUDENT, HIS FACE THE STUDENT, HIS FACE

UNFATHOMABLEUNFATHOMABLE

PROF:PROF: I GUESS YOU'LL I GUESS YOU'LL HAVE TO TAKE THEM ON HAVE TO TAKE THEM ON

FAITH, SON.FAITH, SON.

STUDENT:STUDENT: THAT IS IT SIR... THAT IS IT SIR... THE LINK BETWEEN MAN THE LINK BETWEEN MAN & GOD IS FAITH. THAT IS & GOD IS FAITH. THAT IS ALL THAT KEEPS THINGS ALL THAT KEEPS THINGS

MOVING & ALIVE. . MOVING & ALIVE. .

WANT TO WANT TO KNOW WHO KNOW WHO

THAT THAT STUDENT STUDENT

WAS? WAS?

THIS IS A TRUE THIS IS A TRUE STORY, AND THE STORY, AND THE

STUDENT WAS NONE STUDENT WAS NONE OTHER THAN OTHER THAN

PRESIDENTPRESIDENT OFOF INDIAINDIA