What If There Was Proof?

[saxyroze]

Ok, this is a big if.....

 

If someone proved, without a doubt, either philosophically or scientifically, that a god (supreme being, ultimate reality, ect.) does indeed exist, how do you think the world would respond?

 

Would it crush or build faith? Would it bring world peace or would it start world war three? Would the world agree on what god was proven and follow that god or would all religions fight over the ownership of the proof? Or would the world just reject it and try in vain to rebut the proof?

 

Personally, I think it would bring on world war three. Especially accounting for the heated situation between the Muslims, Jews and Christians going on these days.

[I Broke Free]

The people who already do believe in a god would still believe that whatever god was proved was the god they already understood.

 

The people who did not believe in god would now be deists. Apparently the god in question is still not communicating with us.

 

I don’t see much of a change.

 

IBF

[MQTA]

You mean like if the Elohim get their embassy in Jerusalem or maybe Geneva and come down to reveal themselves to us?

 

They won't do it unless we become more peaceful and they don't think we'll send all our military after them. They must have seen Independance Day. LOL

 

Other than that happening, there's nothing else I could see happening.

 

If any form of supreme universal being was around, all he'd have to do is take over every tv, radio, and broacast frequency all around the globe all at once and just say a few words.

 

Hi, this is God, love each other NOW, OR ELSE.

 

that'd do it. would be undeniable. Then Jerimiah 31 would apply. No more teaching, we'd all know He was there.

 

But, as believed, nothing could happen to show the Bible as being true, that way, as written and taught. What a misunderstanding!

[greasemonkey]

Ok, this is a big if.....

 

If someone proved, without a doubt, either philosophically or scientifically, that a god (supreme being, ultimate reality, ect.) does indeed exist, how do you think the world would respond?

 

Would it crush or build faith? Would it bring world peace or would it start world war three? Would the world agree on what god was proven and follow that god or would all religions fight over the ownership of the proof? Or would the world just reject it and try in vain to rebut the proof?

 

Personally, I think it would bring on world war three. Especially accounting for the heated situation between the Muslims, Jews and Christians going on these days.

 

Great topic!

 

I read a book quite some time ago called "Revelation" (I believe by Harbinson) that began with a new temple that appeared out of nowhere in Jerusalem; and then a guy walked out, only with complete amnesia. All three of the major religions tried to claim him as thier own, setting off a war. It was a pretty good book.

 

In my own opinion, I guess it would depend on what kind of proof we are talking about. If the intelligent design folks came up with a "proof" no evolutionary scientist could refute, I doubt it would change much of anything for anyone. Since most people are already convinced that thier brand of god exists, I don't see it having much effect; probably just us athiests trying to figure out how they jury-rigged the results. Personally, I wouldn't care much one way or another because I wouldn't "worship" a god if he appeared in my living room.

 

If god suddenly appeared over every major city in the world for about an hour, did a magic & miracle show, then disappeared without a word, then maybe we'd be talking war when everyone claimed him as thier own.

 

If the same situation happenned and that god claimed to be Allah and only the Moslems were right & everyone else needed to convert to Him, then we'd probably have a war once again. All the x-ian Fundy's would claim it had really been the Devil sent to decieve the world, and then things would probably go nuclear pretty quickly. I can't imagine what the jews might think, but the christian fundies don't worship god anymore, they worship the bible. Anything that doesn't fit into thier cookie-cutter interpretation is going to be considered straight from the devil. If the book of revelation turned out to be true, I think the christians would be the largest followers of the antichrist. They have been so conditioned to believe what they are TOLD, they would be the perfect patsies. Hell, look at the jerk in office here in the US and how & why he got there. Can anyone think of a single thing Dubya has done that might be considered "Christlike?" As far as *I* have seen, all he has done is pay lip service. I was on another website a while back and actually read a woman who said something to the effect of "I heard he prays every day, so someone like him is who I want in charge." Christians are really the perfect little sheep; I figure the greater portion wouldn't be convinced no matter what proof or miracles were thrown thier way.

 

amazing. EXTREMELY unlikely, but a fun topic!

[loves_learning]

There is another really interesting book called, "Towing Jehovah" that kind of goes after the same topic. Its by a sci-fi author...can't remember the name at the moment, but it was a fun read for me. God literally falls out of the sky...dead. He lands in the middle of the ocean, this huge behemouth the size of like 3 yachts or something...and they have to decide what to do with the body, and what it means for humanity. They decide to tow the body to the arctic and entomb it in ice...but all sorts of interesting things happen along the way. Governmental stuff, athiests, all sorts of things. Check it out!

[Skankboy]

It would destroy faith. If there was proof that a god existed, it would be known and faith wouldn't be needed.

[Lycorth]

Since I assume you mean a god unlike the gods of any of the revealed religions, especially the Big Three Desertcults, we'd see a lot of religions either crash and burn overnight or end up being reinterpreted somehow to jive with reality.

 

More people would turn to freethought religious philosophies such as Deism. Atheism would cease to exist since a god clearly exists, but Athiests would simply become Deists or Agnostics (as if there's really that much difference). And, since this god won't be making any demands of us lately, people will probably do lots of historical research to the period in time where Deism first began; people love to research the past when it seems particularly applicable to the present.

 

Houses of worship would be converted, eventually, into Deist/Agnostic "temples" and whether or not worship would go on there or philosophizing or just quiet memorials to different cultural ideas of god would be up to the place and its owners. Religious struggles like those in the middle-east would also end and there would be much sorrow and making-up between all involved. Nations founded on communistic ideologies would perhaps face much civil unrest as the existence of a god would clearly undermine some of their most basic philosophical tenents, and the various brands of communism would go the way of the major revealed religions, into the abyss of discarded human fallacies.

 

In short, the world would improve, but only so long as people kept their heads on straight and didn't start branching off into cults to honor this silent god and start the whole stupid cycle up again.

 

As for me, I wouldn't change - I live now (or try to) as if that scenario already happened, and just live my life happily.

[Taphophilia]

If there was proof that there was a god, to some people it wouldn't matter. They would still believe the way they believe in spite of evidence. Don't they do this anyway?

 

For those who are open to the possibility, I don't think it would change much either except for them to believe there is a god and this is what it is. We'd be the same people we are.

 

Then there would be the people who adopt and adapt the god to their views and twist things around to make it something to fit their own agenda.

 

Taph

[Checkmate]

No one can "prove" "God". It hasn't been done so far, so why believe that it could happen? Any such "proof" would simply be viewed as a trick by the "other" religions, and it would indeed lead to MORE warfare.

 

What we would need is for this "God" to show up AND put a stop to all tomfoolery.

 

I'm reminded of the original Star Trek™ episode with the Organians. They were god-like, super aliens and they intervened to stop the Federation-Klingon war. The Organians appeared on EVERY battleship and EVERY world SIMULTANEOUSLY to issue their cease-fire terms. They also made every weapon, device AND person scalding hot to the touch, thus preventing any future hostilities.

 

Now, of course, THAT was just fiction from the mind of Gene Roddenberry (or whoever wrote that particular episode). But if a HUMAN can conceive of such a flawless plan, then could not an omnipotent "God" accomplish such a thing? Show "himself" AND put an end to war forever?

 

THIS is yet another HUGE reason for my lack of belief. IF there were a "God" then "he/she/it" is a VERY negligent fuckwad. I could do a better job running the universe than this. (Not allowing "Satan" to tempt Adam and Eve for starters.)

 

As comedian George Carlin said in regards to how screwed up the universe is being run, "These credentials belong to an office temp with a bad attitude" rather than a "Supreme Being."

[Gnosis of Disbelief]

I don't think much would change. Suppose, for example, the

Allah appeared to all the world, performing miracles for all

to see; what do you think christians would say? Why, they'd

say he's just the work of the Devil, coming to deceive the

world. You can see the Muslims or Jews saying the same thing

if Jesus were to do the same. The Buddhists would probably

think it was interesting that a god exists, but the existence of

this god would still ultimately be irrelevant to our search for

enlightenment. The Hindus would probably just add this new

god to their pantheon. And so on.

 

Just look at all the reasons not to believe in the christian god,

yet that doesn't stop christians from believing in him. "Proof"

is simply irrelevant to the religious mind.

[Lycorth]

I'm reminded of the original Star Trek™ episode with the Organians. They were god-like, super aliens and they intervened to stop the Federation-Klingon war. The Organians appeared on EVERY battleship and EVERY world SIMULTANEOUSLY to issue their cease-fire terms. They also made every weapon, device AND person scalding hot to the touch, thus preventing any future hostilities.

 

Precisely. Clearly no omnipotent god exists since this would be the obvious and easiest-to-accomplish "plan of salvation". Only a retard for an omnipotent god would choose anything different but to appear to everyone at the same time and lay out the cease-fire - as well as eradicate the devil that causes all the problems in the first place.

 

Star Trek is the best

[Ouroboros]

It would destroy faith. If there was proof that a god existed, it would be known and faith wouldn't be needed.

Exactly. I am of the same position.

 

If proof existed of Gods existence, then faith in him wouldn't be necessary, or even disappear all togheter.

 

This would invalidate many parts of the Bible where it talks about faith, how it is eternal, and that faith saves and restores etc...

 

Right now, it is the hope that keeps the religious person going. Not that he really knows. When he prays, he hopes for an answer. Just like when you play Lotto, you hope you will win, you don't play becuase you know you will win.

 

People hope God exists, they hope they are right, but they don't know. With facts, hope, faith and belief will go, and religion will not be religion anymore, it would become science.

[♦ nivek ♦]

I am in the "duno, don't care" camp.

 

"God" is some kind/form of abstact thing tht has nothing to do with my life.

 

If it/he/she/dog came outa the sky, I'd hope to have a good load of #6 shot in the shotgun handy..

 

Owe that bastard a load or two on its way down..

 

Then on a more serious bent:

 

Clarke's Third Law:

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

 

How do I know what I think I am seing is not a shining example of the Third Law in motion?

 

Not gonna believe shit, save the majik of chemistry and physics mixed..

 

k, playing dishwasher repairman today, L

[All Gods Fail]

It would be cool if it were a completely alien god like Cthulu, or cosmic gas ala Star Trek. Something so completely unlike any concept of god we've come up with on Earth.

 

Maybe the real god is the creator of some distant race of hyper-intelligent sea cucumbers on the other side of the universe and doesn't really give a shit about us monkeys.