How would you regard good evidence for a God you don't now believe in?
January 8, 2015 at 9:18 pm
This is meant to be a question answerable by theists and atheists alike. Please choose all the descriptors which describe how you would feel upon learning there was now good, objective evidence for a creator god - but not one you already believe in. Your choices will be made public.
Given the dominant cultural presence of Christianity for most of us here, I'd like to ask the question in reference to the god of the bible - if you are an atheist or follow any religion other than Christianity.
If you already identify as Christian (of whatever stripe), it would probably be best to imagine the god revealed to be other than Allah or the god of the jews. Lets just agree that the god that is revealed can produce convincing documentation that she is indeed the creator of the cosmos but is not the one described in the Torah, Bible or Koran.
The choices:
1) I would ignore it, assume the evidence was mistaken and reject it out of hand.
2) If convinced of the evidence, I would be curious to learn as much about it as possible.
3) If convinced of the evidence, I would be disinterested to learn more about it.
4) Regardless of its intentions, I would be grateful to the god that created everything.
5) Depending on its intentions, I might very well not be at all grateful.
6) If I liked what I learned about this god, I'd would seek a relationship with it if that were possible.
7) Even if I liked what I learned about this god, I might nonetheless choose not to engage with it.
8) If the new god was interested in knowing me as an individual I would hope that it would approve of my life choices and conduct. If not, I'd be curious to understand why not.
9) If the new god was interested in knowing me as an individual I would not put much if any stock in its approval.
10) Assuming I liked this god and it was interested in me individually, I'd be interested to receive its guidance.
11) Assuming I liked this god and it was interested in me individually, I'd still prefer to make my own way without its guidance.
12) I would flat out worship everything about such a god, whether or not it was required and whether or not there was anything in it for me.
13) Worship has no place in my life, or even if it does, I would not look to apply it to this god.
14) Knowing there was a god interested in me personally would make a huge difference in or at least add real value to my life.
15) Knowing there was a god interested in me personally would not greatly impact my life.
16) If this revealed god could not or chose not to provide me with a life everlasting, I would be less favorably inclined toward it.
17) If this revealed god could not or chose not to provide me with a life everlasting, would not much change how I felt about it.
18) I identify as an atheist.
19) I identify as a theist.
20) I identify in a different manner. Please explain.
Given the dominant cultural presence of Christianity for most of us here, I'd like to ask the question in reference to the god of the bible - if you are an atheist or follow any religion other than Christianity.
If you already identify as Christian (of whatever stripe), it would probably be best to imagine the god revealed to be other than Allah or the god of the jews. Lets just agree that the god that is revealed can produce convincing documentation that she is indeed the creator of the cosmos but is not the one described in the Torah, Bible or Koran.
The choices:
1) I would ignore it, assume the evidence was mistaken and reject it out of hand.
2) If convinced of the evidence, I would be curious to learn as much about it as possible.
3) If convinced of the evidence, I would be disinterested to learn more about it.
4) Regardless of its intentions, I would be grateful to the god that created everything.
5) Depending on its intentions, I might very well not be at all grateful.
6) If I liked what I learned about this god, I'd would seek a relationship with it if that were possible.
7) Even if I liked what I learned about this god, I might nonetheless choose not to engage with it.
8) If the new god was interested in knowing me as an individual I would hope that it would approve of my life choices and conduct. If not, I'd be curious to understand why not.
9) If the new god was interested in knowing me as an individual I would not put much if any stock in its approval.
10) Assuming I liked this god and it was interested in me individually, I'd be interested to receive its guidance.
11) Assuming I liked this god and it was interested in me individually, I'd still prefer to make my own way without its guidance.
12) I would flat out worship everything about such a god, whether or not it was required and whether or not there was anything in it for me.
13) Worship has no place in my life, or even if it does, I would not look to apply it to this god.
14) Knowing there was a god interested in me personally would make a huge difference in or at least add real value to my life.
15) Knowing there was a god interested in me personally would not greatly impact my life.
16) If this revealed god could not or chose not to provide me with a life everlasting, I would be less favorably inclined toward it.
17) If this revealed god could not or chose not to provide me with a life everlasting, would not much change how I felt about it.
18) I identify as an atheist.
19) I identify as a theist.
20) I identify in a different manner. Please explain.
