If you met God... What would you do next?

[Derideo_Te]

So from an "understanding of god" POV mankind would still be very much in it's infancy compared to our lessons of natural law, compassion, etc.

Actually, I would agree that we are still young...but we seem to be far enough along that he doesn't have to keep intervening as directly as he used to...although I think he still does...

-the death of Stone Wall Jackson
-D-Day...

I think his hand can be seen in certain events...or not...

• 
  
• 
  
• 

Your images are not displaying.

As an atheist I don't expect God to intervene therefore I am never disappointed when he doesn't. Furthermore I have never encountered any situation that can't be explained by logic, reason and natural events on this planet.

We evolved to the point where we can not only question our existence but find the answers. 25 years ago we wondered if there were planets orbiting other stars. Now we know they exist.

Yet you can't explain where your loved ones spirit has went to when they die, nor do you care that they ever existed at all upon their death ? God is the hope for all things eternal, and in this hope we shall be reunited with those whom have gone on before us, and also with God himself. So you are never disappointed at the passing of a loved one in life, and it is that you figure that your life is worthless in this respect ? So you block these kinds of thinking's ? Just as you boast about the planets in which we now know exist in which we knew not before, so can't you have the same attitude about the after life in which you claim you know not of now ? When you pass are you prepared to still be naive about these things or are you truly an explorer like you should be when speaking about those planets and stars ? The after life is no different, so if you are going to keep an open mind, then be true to yourself and do so.. Maybe God is releasing only the info in which we can now understand, and this because he has given us the tools and technology in order to translate it all finally. To everything turns, turns, turns, there is a season turns, turns, turns, and a time for every purpose under Heaven. I think you just need to educate yourself better is all, instead of shutting a huge section of knowledge to be learned completely out, but then looking at the stars and planets with imagination and awe ?

What "knowledge"? You just admitted that your God hasn't "revealed" this imaginary "knowledge" about an "afterlife". All you do have is bronze age superstitions from a time when there were more gods than you could name.

We obtained the knowledge about other planets through our own efforts, no one entity provided us the knowledge to make glass, grind lenses, make telescopes, etc, etc. None of that is in your "infallible word of god".

As far as this fallacious allegation of yours goes;

Yet you can't explain where your loved ones spirit has went to when they die, nor do you care that they ever existed at all upon their death ?

I am a spiritual atheist and I know that my "spirit" is simply a state of mind. This mental state can be measured and it exists in other mammals. Your baseless allegation about not caring is ridiculous. Dying doesn't mean that you don't miss those that you cared about. There is evidence of elephants remembering their lost loved ones but there is zero evidence of elephants believing in your imaginary God.

No, I don't expect to be "reunited" because that is purely wishful thinking. Instead I understand that the love that I give will in turn be passed on down the generations to those who may never even see a photograph of me but who will be the beneficiaries of having loving parents, grandparents and great grandparents. That is the only legacy that matters to me and I have no ego in this regard that they should ever give a thought of me because I am not what is important to them. The love they feel is all that matters.

So you can keep your empty promises of an "afterlife" because I don't need an "afterlife". I have this life filled with very real and tangible love. Everything else is irrelevant. That you need an imaginary father figure in order to feel loved is sad but that is not my concern. I am not going to tell you how to live your life and I would appreciate you not trying to tell me how to live mine.

 

[JoeB131]

I'd ask him, "Why are so many of your followers nuts?"

 

[Derideo_Te]

I'd ask him, "Why are so many of your followers nuts?"

Because religion selects for gullible nuts. Just look at the criteria.

You must debase yourself before an imaginary entity, serve it without being paid and give it some of your earnings. You must never question the existence of this imaginary being under fear of eternal punishment. You must defend your imaginary being against all reason, logic and evidence that you are being duped. For all of this your "reward" is something that you can only "collect" once you are dead. No one is known to have ever collected this "reward".

If you were offered a job like that would any sane person take it?

 

[Anathema]

I only fear death for certain moments when I think about them but in general...it may not be such a bad thing...I had that embarrassing medical procedure this year...they put me on the knock out drugs (I don't want to try to spell the actual word), and I thought...I am going to see how long I can stay awake with those drugs in my system...

I don't fear death at all. With the exception of my wife, I have nothing here that's worth worrying about losing.

So, I stared at the vitals monitor...and then the next thing I know I was staring at the intersection of the ceiling and wall in the recovery room...in between...total oblivion...and you know what...I thought to myself later...If the atheists are right...and there is nothing at all on the other side...that won't be so bad...Why? Because you won't realize that there is anything else because you just won't exist...

I've been there, and I hate it. I hate being out of control of my body/mind for even a moment. IF that's all there is at the end, then this life has no meaning to begin with.

Aspects of this world are truly a cesspool...but there are other parts that are truly wonderous...and you have to be alive to see them...or to do anything about the truly bad parts.

The entire world is a cesspool. I look around on a daily basis and just hope I don't lose my lunch as I see what's around me, no matter who I'm with or where I'm standing.

What you make of life is entirely up to each individual. If your life is a cesspool then you will find out why by looking in the mirror.

Nope. If you believe that, then I have to guess you don't believe in any form of higher power, at which point there's not going to be any basis for a comparison of our viewpoints. Not only is there a higher power, but in many cases we dom't have an choice in what happens, just how we deal with it.

 

[Anathema]

You must debase yourself before an imaginary entity, serve it without being paid and give it some of your earnings. You must never question the existence of this imaginary being under fear of eternal punishment. You must defend your imaginary being against all reason, logic and evidence that you are being duped. For all of this your "reward" is something that you can only "collect" once you are dead. No one is known to have ever collected this "reward".

If you were offered a job like that would any sane person take it?

Ask any member of the United States Military. They defend an idea of a nation. They serve with low pay and the potential to lose their lives. They defend this nation, often with their blood and lives regardless of whether they like the situation they're put in or not. Their reward is often a pine box on a plot of ground most of the people they fought for will never visit.

 

[Derideo_Te]

I only fear death for certain moments when I think about them but in general...it may not be such a bad thing...I had that embarrassing medical procedure this year...they put me on the knock out drugs (I don't want to try to spell the actual word), and I thought...I am going to see how long I can stay awake with those drugs in my system...

I don't fear death at all. With the exception of my wife, I have nothing here that's worth worrying about losing.

So, I stared at the vitals monitor...and then the next thing I know I was staring at the intersection of the ceiling and wall in the recovery room...in between...total oblivion...and you know what...I thought to myself later...If the atheists are right...and there is nothing at all on the other side...that won't be so bad...Why? Because you won't realize that there is anything else because you just won't exist...

I've been there, and I hate it. I hate being out of control of my body/mind for even a moment. IF that's all there is at the end, then this life has no meaning to begin with.

Aspects of this world are truly a cesspool...but there are other parts that are truly wonderous...and you have to be alive to see them...or to do anything about the truly bad parts.

The entire world is a cesspool. I look around on a daily basis and just hope I don't lose my lunch as I see what's around me, no matter who I'm with or where I'm standing.

What you make of life is entirely up to each individual. If your life is a cesspool then you will find out why by looking in the mirror.

Nope. If you believe that, then I have to guess you don't believe in any form of higher power, at which point there's not going to be any basis for a comparison of our viewpoints. Not only is there a higher power, but in many cases we dom't have an choice in what happens, just how we deal with it.

Your failure to take charge of your own life is your problem and no one else's. Those of us who have taken charge of our own lives know that we can't blame some imaginary deity when things go wrong and equally so when things go well we know that we have accomplished something good through our own efforts. It is called self reliance and self confidence.

 

[Derideo_Te]

You must debase yourself before an imaginary entity, serve it without being paid and give it some of your earnings. You must never question the existence of this imaginary being under fear of eternal punishment. You must defend your imaginary being against all reason, logic and evidence that you are being duped. For all of this your "reward" is something that you can only "collect" once you are dead. No one is known to have ever collected this "reward".

If you were offered a job like that would any sane person take it?

Ask any member of the United States Military. They defend an idea of a nation. They serve with low pay and the potential to lose their lives. They defend this nation, often with their blood and lives regardless of whether they like the situation they're put in or not. Their reward is often a pine box on a plot of ground most of the people they fought for will never visit.

The military swear an oath to uphold the Constitution which is a real document that forms the Law of the Land of this nation. They have no fear of "eternal punishment". They are paid for their service and receive certain other additional benefits. They are not duped and are expected to have a good education and a good grasp of reality. The majority retire on good pensions.

Your analogy was a failure.

 

[percysunshine]

I am pretty sure that if someone got into a kick boxing match with God, they would lose.

His bookies in Vegas would see to it.

.

 

[SmedlyButler]

Well, I could have actually experienced that in '69. And I probably would have ran back to the dealer and said "WOW MAN that was far out shit, lay some more of that Owsley on me"........or something like that.

 

[beagle9]

I only fear death for certain moments when I think about them but in general...it may not be such a bad thing...I had that embarrassing medical procedure this year...they put me on the knock out drugs (I don't want to try to spell the actual word), and I thought...I am going to see how long I can stay awake with those drugs in my system...

I don't fear death at all. With the exception of my wife, I have nothing here that's worth worrying about losing.

So, I stared at the vitals monitor...and then the next thing I know I was staring at the intersection of the ceiling and wall in the recovery room...in between...total oblivion...and you know what...I thought to myself later...If the atheists are right...and there is nothing at all on the other side...that won't be so bad...Why? Because you won't realize that there is anything else because you just won't exist...

I've been there, and I hate it. I hate being out of control of my body/mind for even a moment. IF that's all there is at the end, then this life has no meaning to begin with.

Aspects of this world are truly a cesspool...but there are other parts that are truly wonderous...and you have to be alive to see them...or to do anything about the truly bad parts.

The entire world is a cesspool. I look around on a daily basis and just hope I don't lose my lunch as I see what's around me, no matter who I'm with or where I'm standing.

What you make of life is entirely up to each individual. If your life is a cesspool then you will find out why by looking in the mirror.

Nope. If you believe that, then I have to guess you don't believe in any form of higher power, at which point there's not going to be any basis for a comparison of our viewpoints. Not only is there a higher power, but in many cases we dom't have an choice in what happens, just how we deal with it.

Your failure to take charge of your own life is your problem and no one else's. Those of us who have taken charge of our own lives know that we can't blame some imaginary deity when things go wrong and equally so when things go well we know that we have accomplished something good through our own efforts. It is called self reliance and self confidence.

Are you afraid of that which you can't or refuse to understand ? Why not educating yourself completely, instead of keeping your glass half full ?

 

[Andylusion]

I would fall face first to the ground. And be in absolute awe, that he cared enough to let me live to see him.

 

[whitehall]

Pretty broad scenario. The short answer is that you do nothing.

 

[Derideo_Te]

I only fear death for certain moments when I think about them but in general...it may not be such a bad thing...I had that embarrassing medical procedure this year...they put me on the knock out drugs (I don't want to try to spell the actual word), and I thought...I am going to see how long I can stay awake with those drugs in my system...

I don't fear death at all. With the exception of my wife, I have nothing here that's worth worrying about losing.

So, I stared at the vitals monitor...and then the next thing I know I was staring at the intersection of the ceiling and wall in the recovery room...in between...total oblivion...and you know what...I thought to myself later...If the atheists are right...and there is nothing at all on the other side...that won't be so bad...Why? Because you won't realize that there is anything else because you just won't exist...

I've been there, and I hate it. I hate being out of control of my body/mind for even a moment. IF that's all there is at the end, then this life has no meaning to begin with.

Aspects of this world are truly a cesspool...but there are other parts that are truly wonderous...and you have to be alive to see them...or to do anything about the truly bad parts.

The entire world is a cesspool. I look around on a daily basis and just hope I don't lose my lunch as I see what's around me, no matter who I'm with or where I'm standing.

What you make of life is entirely up to each individual. If your life is a cesspool then you will find out why by looking in the mirror.

Nope. If you believe that, then I have to guess you don't believe in any form of higher power, at which point there's not going to be any basis for a comparison of our viewpoints. Not only is there a higher power, but in many cases we dom't have an choice in what happens, just how we deal with it.

Your failure to take charge of your own life is your problem and no one else's. Those of us who have taken charge of our own lives know that we can't blame some imaginary deity when things go wrong and equally so when things go well we know that we have accomplished something good through our own efforts. It is called self reliance and self confidence.

Are you afraid of that which you can't or refuse to understand ? Why not educating yourself completely, instead of keeping your glass half full ?

Ironic given that you are the one who has joined a fear based religion.

Like the majority of atheists I have educated myself about religion and found that it lacks substance when it comes to what it is based upon. Certainly there is all the stuff about what makes someone a good person but for that you don't need to live in fear of eternal punishment if you don't. You can be a good person without the mumbo jumbo. So I stopped wasting my life on an empty promise that will never be come about and instead found my own way to lead a happy, productive and fulfilled life. If anyone has their glass half empty it is you because you are expecting it to be filled by something that doesn't exist.

 

[Politico]

The person then informs you that they are God and have come to you to assure you that they exist, that you are their child and that they're there to answer all of your questions, so that you can from the next moment, spend the rest of your life on this earth, knowing the truth and live your life free of worry and want.

What would I do? I would run far and and fast from the loon.

 

[beagle9]

I only fear death for certain moments when I think about them but in general...it may not be such a bad thing...I had that embarrassing medical procedure this year...they put me on the knock out drugs (I don't want to try to spell the actual word), and I thought...I am going to see how long I can stay awake with those drugs in my system...

I don't fear death at all. With the exception of my wife, I have nothing here that's worth worrying about losing.

So, I stared at the vitals monitor...and then the next thing I know I was staring at the intersection of the ceiling and wall in the recovery room...in between...total oblivion...and you know what...I thought to myself later...If the atheists are right...and there is nothing at all on the other side...that won't be so bad...Why? Because you won't realize that there is anything else because you just won't exist...

I've been there, and I hate it. I hate being out of control of my body/mind for even a moment. IF that's all there is at the end, then this life has no meaning to begin with.

Aspects of this world are truly a cesspool...but there are other parts that are truly wonderous...and you have to be alive to see them...or to do anything about the truly bad parts.

The entire world is a cesspool. I look around on a daily basis and just hope I don't lose my lunch as I see what's around me, no matter who I'm with or where I'm standing.

What you make of life is entirely up to each individual. If your life is a cesspool then you will find out why by looking in the mirror.

Nope. If you believe that, then I have to guess you don't believe in any form of higher power, at which point there's not going to be any basis for a comparison of our viewpoints. Not only is there a higher power, but in many cases we dom't have an choice in what happens, just how we deal with it.

Your failure to take charge of your own life is your problem and no one else's. Those of us who have taken charge of our own lives know that we can't blame some imaginary deity when things go wrong and equally so when things go well we know that we have accomplished something good through our own efforts. It is called self reliance and self confidence.

Are you afraid of that which you can't or refuse to understand ? Why not educating yourself completely, instead of keeping your glass half full ?

Ironic given that you are the one who has joined a fear based religion.

Like the majority of atheists I have educated myself about religion and found that it lacks substance when it comes to what it is based upon. Certainly there is all the stuff about what makes someone a good person but for that you don't need to live in fear of eternal punishment if you don't. You can be a good person without the mumbo jumbo. So I stopped wasting my life on an empty promise that will never be come about and instead found my own way to lead a happy, productive and fulfilled life. If anyone has their glass half empty it is you because you are expecting it to be filled by something that doesn't exist.

But, but, but those planets didn't exist at first neither in your understanding, but there they are. Close your mind if you want to, and you will end up trying to understand why you closed your mind, but you won't have the answer then either now will you ?

 

[Toro]

I'd ask why He hates my football team so much?

 

[Rozman]

I would say....
Wat up Yo?
Then if he seems like he's in a good mood....
I would ask him if he could "splain" me the ending to the ABC TV show Lost....
I have seen it like 3 times now and still don't get it.

 

[Rozman]

I'd ask why He hates my football team so much?

As a Mets fan I would ask that as well.
Maybe it's that suffering thing before going to Heaven.
If that's true then living under Democrat rule these last 6 years has to bring me a bit closer
to a nice room in the best Hotel Heaven has to offer.

 

[Derideo_Te]

I only fear death for certain moments when I think about them but in general...it may not be such a bad thing...I had that embarrassing medical procedure this year...they put me on the knock out drugs (I don't want to try to spell the actual word), and I thought...I am going to see how long I can stay awake with those drugs in my system...

I don't fear death at all. With the exception of my wife, I have nothing here that's worth worrying about losing.

So, I stared at the vitals monitor...and then the next thing I know I was staring at the intersection of the ceiling and wall in the recovery room...in between...total oblivion...and you know what...I thought to myself later...If the atheists are right...and there is nothing at all on the other side...that won't be so bad...Why? Because you won't realize that there is anything else because you just won't exist...

I've been there, and I hate it. I hate being out of control of my body/mind for even a moment. IF that's all there is at the end, then this life has no meaning to begin with.

Aspects of this world are truly a cesspool...but there are other parts that are truly wonderous...and you have to be alive to see them...or to do anything about the truly bad parts.

The entire world is a cesspool. I look around on a daily basis and just hope I don't lose my lunch as I see what's around me, no matter who I'm with or where I'm standing.

What you make of life is entirely up to each individual. If your life is a cesspool then you will find out why by looking in the mirror.

Nope. If you believe that, then I have to guess you don't believe in any form of higher power, at which point there's not going to be any basis for a comparison of our viewpoints. Not only is there a higher power, but in many cases we dom't have an choice in what happens, just how we deal with it.

Your failure to take charge of your own life is your problem and no one else's. Those of us who have taken charge of our own lives know that we can't blame some imaginary deity when things go wrong and equally so when things go well we know that we have accomplished something good through our own efforts. It is called self reliance and self confidence.

Are you afraid of that which you can't or refuse to understand ? Why not educating yourself completely, instead of keeping your glass half full ?

Ironic given that you are the one who has joined a fear based religion.

Like the majority of atheists I have educated myself about religion and found that it lacks substance when it comes to what it is based upon. Certainly there is all the stuff about what makes someone a good person but for that you don't need to live in fear of eternal punishment if you don't. You can be a good person without the mumbo jumbo. So I stopped wasting my life on an empty promise that will never be come about and instead found my own way to lead a happy, productive and fulfilled life. If anyone has their glass half empty it is you because you are expecting it to be filled by something that doesn't exist.

But, but, but those planets didn't exist at first neither in your understanding, but there they are. Close your mind if you want to, and you will end up trying to understand why you closed your mind, but you won't have the answer then either now will you ?

Only one of us has a closed mind and it isn't me! You don't have an answer, you have a belief that has zero substantiation. That is not an answer, it is a fantasy.

 

[Foxfyre]

Okay I almost unsubscribed from this thread because the "I hate anything religious" group almost immediately failed to understand the really interesting concept and, as usual, immediately hijacked the thread to spread their unpleasantries and disrespect of people of faith.

So one thing I would ask God if I had a chance, is why do they do that? What is it about the faith of believers that triggers that kind of hateful and unkind negativity in the anti-religious? Why did they fail to even try to grasp the concept of the OP but rather manifested their more unattractive side? What prompts somebody to be so mean spirited that they would attack the faith of somebody who receives great comfort and benefit from that faith?

The concept of the OP was fascinating. One does not have to be a believer to appreciate it. All you have to do is insert IF....IF God should exist and I happened to have the chance, what unfathomable question would I put to him?

Shame on all of you who didn't get it and chose instead to be disrespectful, hateful, and sometimes even cruel to people of faith.