So, I searched and did not see a thread for this. So if it was some how proven that god does not exist would you live differently? How would you see the world and religion after this? Maybe you would feel foolish? Would you keep on believing just to keep your self on the straight and narrow or would you toss away everything you ever thought about god?
Sorry if this is a repost, I searched, honest.
Sorry for the lack of an O in the title, I thought I hit spell check to fix that.
If there was an 100% absolute fact that, in my case, Christian god does not exist, I would continue to live the way I do know. I think I have a good set of morals, and im sure there is a good amount of Christian teachings that influenced how I live. If the religion was false and god didnt exist, the teachings still stand for me. I like the way I live my life, and wouldnt change that.
How would I look at the world? Im not sure, probably just a little bit different, but im having troubles visualizing how I would actually think. Religion? Well, coming from believing that the religion I believe in now is the one and true religion, to having it not be real, then id probably just not worry about religion and all other labels.
Id feel a little bit foolish. But we believe and defend a lot of things that end up becoming pointless. Id be in denial at first, that I know. Im the type who goes out to find as much fact about a subject when im told about it, just to make sure everything is sound. I wouldnt feel horribly foolish though.
Like I said above, if it was 100% certain, no way to argue around it then I would leave it behind. it would be a toss, it would be a “Ready… OK… 1… 2… 3… sure you got this? hey, im just making sure. Ok. Here goes. 1… Wait! Let me go to the bathroom first… K. Back. Catch!!”
Right now, im 100% certain with my belief, and its an easy things for me to live with. If I was 100% the other way, I think it would be the same and be a pretty simple/easy concept.
Interesting response. Nobody else? I suppose the same goes for atheist, the questioner reversed of course.
If god was proven to be real without a doubt I don’t think I would change, depending on how he was, if we even knew that. If we just knew there was one I would still object he’s anything like most seem to think he is. If god was actually like the one you see is a few religions where you must pray and follow him I’d probably just tell everybody to go shove it. If god was that much of a prick, imo, I’d rather go to hell.
OMG!!!
You distinguish christian GOD!!
Meaning for you there are other GODS??!!
When you say you would continue to live the way I do now, do you mean you would continue to pray to GOD? Or do you not pray to GOD now?
Would you continue to express gratitude to the Creator? OR do you not do that now?
Billy
No, and I think neither would most of the rest of the world. They would simply refuse to believe it. People refuse to believe a lot of things. Like the rise in global temperatures. There are still people who will point to an exceptionally cold day (or season) and think that’s an example of climate. Just one example.
Whoever offered the proof of this would be lynched and called into ridicule, regardless of any validity or facts. That’s how humans respond to major change.
I was just pointing out that I was Christian and the Christian God is the God I am talking about in this thread. I dont believe there are other Gods. (No offense to anyone else’s religion and to what they believe.)
I pray to God now, although not as much as I feel I should. If there was no god, I dont think I would pray really. Im sure I would do something like prayer still, almost diary like. Im not sure what to call it right now, but like when you see an accident on the side of the road and just think “Man, I hope they are ok.” It would be like that, with out being directed towards God or having a relationship with God.
With no God, wouldnt my creator mainly just be my mom and dad, and some evolution? Id express gratitude to them.
Speaking from an anthropologic point of view, a big benefit to most major religions, is that they produce a decent sense of morals and society. They teach how to live and work as a good, often productive society. If God was proven to not exist, then I believe that the ideals of the religions would still be passed on and taught, though some of the ritualistic aspects might be dropped for the natural tendency to conserve energy, resources, and time.
From a psychological point of view, religion can help give a good sense of wellbeing and mental stability. For example, if a person has had hard life(parents being murdered, family and friends getting arrested or killed, school teachers and peers hating them, can’t pay bills), then they might take refuge thinking that God or whatever higher power(s) they believe in are shaping them and must have a reason for them to experience that. Therefore, they find reason to not commit suicide to end their suffering. It can be a big benefit for mental health by taking refuge in the belief that God has a purpose for them. If God was proven to not exist, then like was said earlier, some people would go into denial, because that would destroy their mental safeguard against what could be total breakdown. So religion can help as a mental defence, and some people might not like their defenses being broken.
Jerrick,
Wow!
Seems like BIG changes. I mean, your mom and dad gave you your body and life, but certainly not the stars, the whole world, sex partners, unicycles, i don’t think. Seems like a very different level of gratitude.
Thanks for playing!!
Billy
You know Billy, you annoy me even when your comments aren’t directed at me.
Thanks.
For me, religion teaches me how to conduct my life.
I don’t care if God exists or not. It’d be cool if S/he did tho… that’d be fun.
Well, most of us believe the Sun God is the center of the solar system, even though Copernicus didn’t get tenure for publishing that.
Raphael,
I’d love to hear more about that from you. Would you care to say what specifically annoys you about my posts?
Your posts amuse or enlighten me, and I hope mine are taken in good spirit, as they are intended.
Brother, can you say “Burger King of the Universe” in Hebrew? [For others who are not following ALL these threads, that’s a veiled reference to another post Raphael made to me today, and not a slur.]
Billy
Billy,
I hope my annoyance is taken in the loving spirit in which it is meant. I’ll pass on elaborating.
There is almost nothing I can say in hebrew including the phrase above.
I am reluctant to make yet another religion thread, so maybe we can expand this one? …
It would be VERY interesting to turn the question around and direct it at the atheists –
To the atheists: If God were proven to exist, would you live your life differently? What would you think? How would you feel? Would you like it? Would you pray? Go to church? Would you ask God why he can be such a shit at times? Would you demand that he answer to his crimes against humanity or would you try to love this seemingly demonic, egotistical entity (remember all the OT smiting, wrath, and flooding, not to mention homophobia and anger problems quite unbecoming of a supreme being)?
then i would pray every day and visit church every sunday
I’m going to avoid this question Dave. If God were proven to exist, the essence of what God is, an unknowable force whose very existence requires faith, would cease to exist. Not only would atheists need to reevaluate their lives and behavior but so would the faithful.
If God were proven to exist the question of what God expects of us would still persist. Is that answered as well? Are we assuming the Christian God of the old and new testament?
Even if GOD wanted you to go to Temple on Shabbus, or the mosque on Jumah?
Raphael,
You should be a politician, the way you avoid answering questions! Or a librarian!
Faith would no longer be necessary. Faith would no longer be a virtue, although those who were in the past faithful will be smiled upon. He is the God of the Old and New Testaments. He affirms that every word of the Bible is true. God has ended his silence. He had to in order to reveal himself to us. So perhaps he is willing to have two-way conversations instead of those one-way prayers.
Billy, if that is the criterion for being a good politician, then I submit that Raphael has failed. A true politician would have answered a question of his own choosing. And at the end, I wouldn’t have noticed that he didn’t answer my original question.
I guess in that case I’d have to hope that there was still room in His heart for a few prodigal sons.
That is what is really so infuriating about the whole process. We know they don’t answer the question asked. They know they don’t answer the question asked. And they know that we know and we know that they know we know that they haven’t answered the question asked. I might as well go into a diner, order a grilled cheese and fries, get a cheeseburger and onion rings, eat it, pay for it, and thank them for the meal.
Then this applies: