What if God didn't exist?

[2445]

Simple question. If you became convinced that God didn't exist, would you continue to practice (going to Church, praying, etc.)?

 

[Orion]

If I became absolutely convinced, without a doubt, . . . absolutely not.

However, at this point in time, we are unable to do that (prove God as non-existant), at our present technology.

 

[handy]

Hi 2445, welcome to the forum.

I selected 'yes' but I will amend the answer: For the most part I would continue to practice my faith, because the day to day "workings" of Christianity brings a superior life-style, to my way of thinking. After being at this for 30+ years, I find that living according to God's commandments is a very logical way of living that brings the maximum amount of peace, happiness and well being to my life.

However, there are some things that would be meaningless if God truly didn't exist. Prayer comes immediately to mind. I've heard that some who don't believe in God nonetheless send 'positive thoughts' in an intercessory way. But, I figure, if there is no conscious 'positive force' that is collecting the thoughts and directing them in any intelligent way, it does no good, and if there is a 'positive intelligent force', I would call that God.

 

[stranger]

If I were convinced that God didn't exist or the other way it would affect me but not God's profered none existence or existence.

 

[Imagican]

I was forced to vote no on this question. For IF God didn't exist, I wouldn't BE here.

Oh, and I don't mean HERE as on the internet, I mean HERE as in 'existence'.

MEC

 

[Rick W]

I had to abstain.
I'm not convinced that I could be convinced God doesn't exist.
That's like asking if I became a millionaire would I quit surfing the net?
:smt017
I don't know. How am I going to become a millionaire? lol

 

[mondar]

I did not vote, but if God never existed, then it would be foolishness and vanity to attend Church or practice my faith.

If I might add the apostle Pauls vote, in 1 Cor 15 I believe he voted the same as I just did.

14 and if Christ hath not been raised, then is our preaching vain, your faith also is vain.
19 If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable.

 

[Catholic Crusader]

Why would you go to a church that prays to God if you didn't believe in God?

 

[handy]

I did not vote, but if God never existed, then it would be foolishness and vanity to attend Church or practice my faith.

If I might add the apostle Pauls vote, in 1 Cor 15 I believe he voted the same as I just did.

14 and if Christ hath not been raised, then is our preaching vain, your faith also is vain.
19 If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable.

I guess when I answered I was thinking in terms of 21st century Americans. Paul was writing to people that faced beatings, torture, imprisonment, even death for their faith. I don't. It would be pitiable indeed to be beaten and tortured to death for no purpose.

But, I live in a time and place of blessing for Christians. It might and can change, but as it is, I'm free to practise the practical aspects of the Christian religion. And, of those practical aspects, other than the sacraments, (baptism and communion) and prayer, I really can't think of any others that I would give up, even if it was proven beyond any shadow of doubt that God is. To me, the practical aspects of Christianity include: love for one's fellow man, faithfulness in marriage, raising children according to a moral ethical code, following that same ethical code, and fellowship with like minded individuals.

CC asked what would be the purpose of going to church that prays to God if you didn't believe in God. Although that isn't quite the same question, there are still reasons why to go to church, even if one doesn't believe in God, or if in fact, God didn't exist. After all, most folks are pretty nice, the philosophical discussions would be enlightening (for I would assume that Christianity would then be considered a philosophy rather than a religion) and hey, let's not forget about sing-alongs and pot lucks.

Now I know that corporate worship is far, far above the type of fellowship that I descibe above, but nonetheless, there is a certain amount of value in fellowship in of itself.

So, looking at Christianity as a life's philosophy as well as a eternal truth, no, I can't see myself abandoning much else besides prayer and the sacraments if it were proven there is no God.

'Course, this is all easy for me to say, 'cause God is and it won't be 'proven' otherwise.

 

[2445]

The question is not, "If God didn't exist, would you continue to practice?" The question is, "If you stopped believing in God, would you continue to practice?" So unless you believe the world would come to an end the second you stopped believing in him, the answer "I wouldn't exist" is just dodging the question.

 

[biblecatholic]

The question is not, "If God didn't exist, would you continue to practice?" The question is, "If you stopped believing in God, would you continue to practice?" So unless you believe the world would come to an end the second you stopped believing in him, the answer "I wouldn't exist" is just dodging the question.

It might be the title question that confused someone, since it says "what if God didn't exist".


In my own personal mind I think it would be impossible to think God didn't exist.

 

[Free]

I answered no simply for the fact that if I was convinced that God didn't exist, it would be silly to continue following the practices of something I didn't believe in.

 

[cyberjosh]

However, at this point in time, we are unable to do that (prove God as non-existant), at our present technology.

The best "technology" this world can present to get to God was already represented at the Tower of Babel, the "tower of the heavens", and look how that turned out. We will never be able to prove God with our intellect (as what you said actually suggested) nor reach Him through human effort.

As for the OP, no I would find such externals as worship, prayer, and other rites and rituals meaningless if they were deviod of the vivant (living, envigorating) force, and object of such expressions of devotion, behind it.

~Josh

 

[Orion]

However, at this point in time, we are unable to do that (prove God as non-existant), at our present technology.

The best "technology" this world can present to get to God was already represented at the Tower of Babel, the "tower of the heavens", and look how that turned out. We will never be able to prove God with our intellect (as what you said actually suggested) nor reach Him through human effort.

~Josh

:-? . . . . The "Tower of Babel"????. . . . . :-?

IF (and that's a BIG "IF") that story actually happened, they were not using any technology at all, but simply were building a "tall tower" in the hopes of "reaching Heaven", . . . . .the idea of "heaven being above the clouds, up there". No, this had nothing to do with technology at all, but the completely ignorant mindset of a very primative people.

Our current technology can't test for the spiritual, BUT it COULD happen at some point in the future. I hope it does.

 

[cyberjosh]

IF (and that's a BIG "IF") that story actually happened, they were not using any technology at all, but simply were building a "tall tower" in the hopes of "reaching Heaven", . . . . .the idea of "heaven being above the clouds, up there". No, this had nothing to do with technology at all, but the completely ignorant mindset of a very primative people.

Come on. The whole event and story became an enormous moral lesson to humanity: that human effort cannot achieve the goal of reaching God. And what are you thinking of? Of course the tower was technology, even if its purpose was mislead for building it. The Pyramids were (and are) great technological marvels, and we know from archaeology (in the Middle East, and South America) that Pyramids, and such Towers and Temples found in Babylon and among the Aztecs, that they are all classes of Ziggurats, which were religious structures built to symbolize (or even attempt) to reach closer to God (thus the "steeped" tiers) - also suggesting that the Tower of Babel's motivation/attempt recurred elsewhere in the world (since all Ziggurats appear to have been for similar purpose). The idea that God is attainable by human effort is encapsulated and refuted in the "moral of the story" of the Tower of Babel, no matter how "primitive" it may have seemed (it's a lesson for the ages). We only find more suave, sophisticated, and complicated ways to disguise (even if we don't recognize it) our own current pursuit to attain to a knowledge of God (or a higher being or realm), using it as a mask for higher intelligence to achieve the same basic human pride of superior knowledge and attainment as the people all the way back at the Tower of Babel did. That was my original intended point. That's how I understand the moral lesson of the story anyway. I think their primitive technology and pointless attempt speaks to us today with our "less primitive" and more "purposeful" attempts to understand the concept of "God" naturalistically with our own "technological" machinations.

Our current technology can't test for the spiritual, BUT it COULD happen at some point in the future.

I must say, that I don't think so. Even if we can detect its effects (the people of earth have been doing that for millenia up till today, and yet the modern world passes it off as mere superstition!) we will never be able to define or quantify it (which is what science, the basis of our "technology", is meant to do). It would be more puzzling to us than the quantum uncertainty principle.

~Josh

 

[Orion]

I was refering to the technology to "test for the spiritual". A tower may be a form of technology, but it is obviously ineffecient in any sort of information gathering.

The story is just a metaphorical illustration of "men's desire to be god and reach the heavens". I see no reason to believe it to be literal. It's just a story to tell Hebrew children when they ask "why there are so many different languages if we all came from the same people group."

 

[Rick W]

Trusting in science has it's limits.
The human heart is not predictable like chemical reactions or the paths of planets due to gravity. It defies cause and effect and the results of certain stimuli yield a range of reactions with no limit on either end or extreme. You can't quantify faith by weight, volume or dimension.
It's like trying to figure out the basis of nuclear physics by the feelings you get when you think about it. Your blend of science, those things which you hold onto as scientific truth, will never satisfy the questions you ask. Not even close.
"Luke, use the force."
:-D

Faith is not logical. Neither is hope.

 

[Orion]

But "faith" is fickle, and is determined upon by culture and geographical location. What one "feels in their heart to be true, . . . their faith", is no real evidence of anything supernatural.

 

[Rick W]

It's your belief that "faith is fickle, and is determined upon by culture and geographical location. What one "feels in their heart to be true, . . . their faith", is no real evidence of anything supernatural."

But it's not mine.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
Hebrews 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
Hebrews 11:5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.


"for he that cometh to God must believe that he is"

There's no other way. Not by science, not by debate nor by man's logic.
If you don't believe He exists then what is your goal in debating that He doesn't? And if your intent is to learn as you've said in the past then I'd say in light of how long you've been here there's nobody or anything standing in your way except yourself.

John 18:38 Pilate saith unto him [Jesus Christ], What is truth?
Pilate was looking right at truth and didn't even know it. Yet, he didn't condemn Christ.
You remind me a lot of Pilate.

"Let go Luke."
:-D

 

[Free]

But "faith" is fickle, and is determined upon by culture and geographical location. What one "feels in their heart to be true, . . . their faith", is no real evidence of anything supernatural.

The fact that virtually every society in history has believed in something supernatural is worth noting, regardless of those beliefs were specifically.