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To all the atheists out there, I have a question

C

Coolone

Senior member
Ok first of all, while I myself am religious, I respect others rights to believe that there is no god, fine with me.

The question is:

Lets say for the sake of argument that there IS a deity of some sort, it doesn't have to be the Christian god or Hindu or anything, just ANY kind of deity. And then lets say that this deity all of a sudden saw fit to appear to you face to face (assuming it has a face 🙂 ). Would you all of a sudden believe in a god? Or would you need further proof? Would you even care that you just met the creator/s of the universe and just continue to live out your lives?

This is something I'm genuinely curious about, so please don't crap on this thread.
 
So...how would you know this was some kind of deity? Is it going to appear as a burning bush that talks? What about some kind of spiritual apparition? Alien lifeform?

I'm not really an athiest, more of an agnostic I guess...I believe there is probably some kind of superior being, (not necessarily a creator of the universe, just superior...maybe more advanced, dunno, but don't understand why, if this being is SOOOO all-powerful, why he/she/it would want us to worship it, any more than we humans would want the worship of an ant...
 
Belief would not be required. If some deity appeared before me and was able to convince me that it was indeed the creator of existence, then I would accept its existence with good grace (and a dose of skepticism), but "belief" would be pointless.
 
I'm not an athiest but also do not have strong religious beliefs. I believe that creation, evolution, the big bang all could have happened and that there certainly could be one or more gods.

If such a diety did appear the hard thing would be convincing me. I wonder how he/she/it would prove that they are what they say they are.
 
Most would probably ignore it as some kind of fueled illusion.

Also, how could you be sure the being you saw is a 'god'? It could be loads of other things....

If an athiest knew he had just seen a 'god', I doubt he would continue to live his life in the same way.
 
Originally posted by: Coolone
Ok first of all, while I myself am religious, I respect others rights to believe that there is no god, fine with me.

The question is:

Lets say for the sake of argument that there IS a deity of some sort, it doesn't have to be the Christian god or Hindu or anything, just ANY kind of deity. And then lets say that this deity all of a sudden saw fit to appear to you face to face (assuming it has a face 🙂 ). Would you all of a sudden believe in a god? Or would you need further proof? Would you even care that you just met the creator/s of the universe and just continue to live out your lives?

This is something I'm genuinely curious about, so please don't crap on this thread.
Click to expand...

An alien for planet krypton is not god.

 
Originally posted by: Molondo
Originally posted by: Coolone
Ok first of all, while I myself am religious, I respect others rights to believe that there is no god, fine with me.

The question is:

Lets say for the sake of argument that there IS a deity of some sort, it doesn't have to be the Christian god or Hindu or anything, just ANY kind of deity. And then lets say that this deity all of a sudden saw fit to appear to you face to face (assuming it has a face 🙂 ). Would you all of a sudden believe in a god? Or would you need further proof? Would you even care that you just met the creator/s of the universe and just continue to live out your lives?

This is something I'm genuinely curious about, so please don't crap on this thread.
Click to expand...

An alien for planet krypton is not god.
Click to expand...

How would you know?
 
Originally posted by: judasmachine
Originally posted by: Molondo
Originally posted by: Coolone
Ok first of all, while I myself am religious, I respect others rights to believe that there is no god, fine with me.

The question is:

Lets say for the sake of argument that there IS a deity of some sort, it doesn't have to be the Christian god or Hindu or anything, just ANY kind of deity. And then lets say that this deity all of a sudden saw fit to appear to you face to face (assuming it has a face 🙂 ). Would you all of a sudden believe in a god? Or would you need further proof? Would you even care that you just met the creator/s of the universe and just continue to live out your lives?

This is something I'm genuinely curious about, so please don't crap on this thread.
Click to expand...

An alien for planet krypton is not god.
Click to expand...

How would you know?
Click to expand...


Because he sold me his flux capacitor for my falcon.
 
if god appeared before me and had convincing evidence he was god and created the heaven and the earth, i would convert. coincidentally i would also get back with my last gf who i broke up with becuause she was christian. damn she was hot.
 
Well, if indeed a deity came to me face-to-face I would believe in its existence, as I'd have some pretty good evidence of it (though I may ask a friend to take a look at said deity to make sure I wasn't seeing things). Of course, if someone just appeared in front of me claiming to be a deity then I would probably be skeptical. Hence, this assumes there is some way for the individual to prove that s/he is in fact a deity (e.g. if it's the Judeo-Christian God, then I ask something that only I and an omnipotent being would know).

As for changing my ways, I probably wouldn't unless the deity could verify the claims established by whatever religious faction worships that deity (e.g. if the Christian God came before me, I wouldn't go to church and pray unless He indicated that was necessary for what we call salvation). Basically, I'd do the obvious thing.
 
I'm actually an agnostic, but to cause any change in my life this being would need to convince me of 3 things:

1. that they were the creator, not just someone with more advanced technology.
2. that they were good and ethical, and so worthy of my respect.
3. that there was something in my own life that I need to do differently to advance the cause of good.

If this being just appeared and said "worship me, I am teh mighty!" then my response would be "no thanks."
 
the question is invalid. as uncertain as the question is, the answer is simple. we'll see when the deity does actually show up. think of something else buddy. trap-door-question doesn't work here.
 
Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
I'm actually an agnostic, but to cause any change in my life this being would need to convince me of 3 things:

1. that they were the creator, not just someone with more advanced technology.
2. that they were good and ethical, and so worthy of my respect.
3. that there was something in my own life that I need to do differently to advance the cause of good.

If this being just appeared and said "worship me, I am teh mighty!" then my response would be "no thanks."
Click to expand...

Exactly.
 
I'd call it a fake unless it reveals its power source. Then when the remote control for the universe or whatever gets shown I'd try to grab it..
 
Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
I'm actually an agnostic, but to cause any change in my life this being would need to convince me of 3 things:

1. that they were the creator, not just someone with more advanced technology.
2. that they were good and ethical, and so worthy of my respect.
3. that there was something in my own life that I need to do differently to advance the cause of good.

If this being just appeared and said "worship me, I am teh mighty!" then my response would be "no thanks."
Click to expand...

FTW.
I don't believe in a god, but that doesn't mean I can't.
 
Originally posted by: Coolone
Ok first of all, while I myself am religious, I respect others rights to believe that there is no god, fine with me.

The question is:

Lets say for the sake of argument that there IS a deity of some sort, it doesn't have to be the Christian god or Hindu or anything, just ANY kind of deity. And then lets say that this deity all of a sudden saw fit to appear to you face to face (assuming it has a face 🙂 ). Would you all of a sudden believe in a god? Or would you need further proof? Would you even care that you just met the creator/s of the universe and just continue to live out your lives?

This is something I'm genuinely curious about, so please don't crap on this thread.
Click to expand...

I think the problem with your question is that the meaning the word "god" is very nebulous and ill-defined, and so it's difficult for us to conceive of your scenario in a way that allows us to gauge our probable reactions accurately or objectively. If you mean simply to ask me if I met god, would I believe in him, then yes, it would seem obvious that I must, since the precondition you've described requires that I believe I met SOMEBODY -- and this "somebody" you have labeled "god." That still doesn't say much to me. You could call him Ralph the Wonder Llama if you wanted to. It doesn't really tell me much about the person I'm supposed to have met.
 
First I'd ask her to take me back to the big bang and show me the before.

Then I would ask her why she's such an asshole.

 
Originally posted by: chambersc
How does one know what they know? I contend that nothing is ever as it is.
Click to expand...

Just as nothing is obvious, yadda yadda yadda.

Are you a philosophy professor? You sure sound like one.
 
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