Do you wish God was real?

[ignoramus]

Definitely not the Abrahamic God. I would be in horror if I thought that monster was real.

Another God who really does love us? Maybe. The only real advantage of one would be for an afterlife but that doesn't require a supernatural being. Aliens of sufficient technological development could do that for us if they were so inclined. Eventually, our species will have the power of life and death ourselves so again, no God is needed. It would be nice to have someone there for me, personally when I die but as noted, it wouldn't have to be God.

What about Susan Boyle, naked! just for you!

[Catholic_Lady]

Thanks for all the interesting answers, everyone. :-)

[downbeatplumb]

The idea of "god" or "gods" seems to be a hang over from the infancy of our species.
It is a poorly defined idea that seems to be where people lump abstract concepts and things we don't yet fully understand yet.
To be honest I am unsure of what an existing god would do.

[Mister Agenda]

Other.

Without knowing the precise nature of the God in question, I'd rather take my chances with none. I sometimes imagine a creator deity, very powerful and aware and wise who got the universe going; but whose only omni-attribute is benevolence, and it's doing the best it can in a vast universe with lots of fires to put out. I could respect that being because it's not totally responsible for how things are (universe initiation being tricky, it was supposed to be much nicer) but it's trying hard to make things right. It just can't be everywhere at once. And it doesn't expect worship, it's above desiring adulation.

I could vote for a God like that.

[Whateverist]

When I was a youngster I did believe, but in something pretty unorthodox. I liked the idea that there was this something more whose judgement regarding what is best was more completely evolved who I would be able to hang with after death. It gives one a greater arc of concern knowing one would be witness to how all things play out. When I first realized that there was no such being as God and no afterlife either, I was disappointed. But the sense of egalitarian mutual interdependence I feel with everyone else is a pretty good thing too.

Do I wish there was a god now? No more than I still wish there was a real Santa Clause. Benevolent, magical beings would be fun. There are also any number of fictitious characters from novels I wouldn't mind getting to know better. So any desire that the biblical God be real would be this sort of thing. But I have to say, I would have much more ambivalence toward the biblical god existing since it seems to wish to maintain a non-peer relationship with us. God of the bible infantilizes human beings.

[Pyrrho]

- Can you quickly tell what you mean by God? (and don't say "the Christian God", because that's way too vague).

- Do you mean whether we wish God were real and the world would be as it is now, or do you tacitly admit that a world with a benevolent creator would indeed look very differently from our current one? Because it "sure as heck" doesn't look like a world which has a benevolent God.

In general, I hate the thought of having to die and being completely gone, so I would very much look forward to some form of afterlife if it is set up in any way that isn't mind-numbing.

There is a downside though - the universe is a very wondrous and awe-inspiring place. Having it reduced to the playground of some petty cosmic tyrant would really taint its perceived glory.

Yes, it really does depend on what is meant.  If there really were a good god who made everything right, that would be a good thing.  But that is not the way the universe is.  People and other animals suffer greatly, and this world just isn't compatible with an omnipotent, omniscient, perfectly benevolent being.  But it would be nice to live in world that would be compatible with such a being rather than this one.

Any god that would want the suffering that we have would be evil, and it would be better for there to be no such god.

So, it really depends on what is meant; the question is not clear enough to enable a proper answer.

[The Inquisition]

Probably no god is best, but a god that has a lot of power, yet is willing to demonstrate his reality in tangible ways for the betterment of mankind could be cool. This god would be a lot like Superman, though in the real world, having a lot of power would inevitably corrupt the wielder of such power.

[TubbyTubby]

Thanks for all the interesting answers, everyone. :-)

So if you had the choice would you wish for one of the loving gods being proposed by members here or stick with your genocidal uncaring unpresent god of the bible?

Seems a sensible swap.

[Tonus]

To be honest I am unsure of what an existing god would do.

Making a young Lola Falana my girlfriend would be an appropriate start.

[Catholic_Lady]

Thanks for all the interesting answers, everyone. :-)

So if you had the choice would you wish for one of the loving gods being proposed by members here or stick with your genocidal uncaring unpresent god of the bible?

Seems a sensible swap.

After some drama a few days ago, I've decided not to answer questions asked to me in the form of condescending remarks. :-)

If you have genuine interest in knowing my views, I will discuss it with you, otherwise it's just a waste of both our times.