Author Topic: What would their reaction be?  (Read 307 times)

Roses

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What would their reaction be?
« on: August 08, 2024, 12:06:53 PM »
If a deity exists but is nothing like the one described in the Bible or Koran, I wonder how those whose lives have been ruled by a very extreme version of their particular brand of faith would react?
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SteveH

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Re: What would their reaction be?
« Reply #1 on: August 08, 2024, 02:36:29 PM »
If any deity exists, and we meet him/her after death, I wonder how atheists will react.
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Nearly Sane

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Re: What would their reaction be?
« Reply #2 on: August 08, 2024, 02:39:00 PM »
If any deity exists, and we meet him/her after death, I wonder how atheists will react.
Surely that will depend on what any such thing is like, and what the atheist is like. As has been visited before, it could be that the deity says 'Congratulations, you were right to not believe, and that was the test that you've passed'.

« Last Edit: August 08, 2024, 04:24:45 PM by Nearly Sane »

jeremyp

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Re: What would their reaction be?
« Reply #3 on: August 08, 2024, 03:38:52 PM »
If any deity exists, and we meet him/her after death, I wonder how atheists will react.

I don't think I'd be shitting myself as much as all the theists who believed in the wrong god.
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Roses

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Re: What would their reaction be?
« Reply #4 on: August 08, 2024, 03:58:28 PM »
If any deity exists, and we meet him/her after death, I wonder how atheists will react.

Very shocked, I should think. I am an agnostic, I have no idea if a deity does or doesn't exist. Death might be the end of our existence.
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Nearly Sane

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Re: What would their reaction be?
« Reply #5 on: August 08, 2024, 03:59:51 PM »
Very shocked, I should think. I am an agnostic, I have no idea if a deity does or doesn't exist. Death might be the end of our existence.
Do you believe a deity exists? If not, then you are an atheist. Agnostic isn't a half way house.

ProfessorDavey

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Re: What would their reaction be?
« Reply #6 on: August 08, 2024, 04:21:49 PM »
I don't think I'd be shitting myself as much as all the theists who believed in the wrong god.
Indeed - would depend entirely on whether the god is a vengeful god and if so what their criteria for vengefulness is.

So if there is a vengeful god whose vengefulness is mostly on those who had followed a false god as opposed to those who hadn't followed any god then all well and good.

Or perhaps a god who cares not whether they were worshiped but did care how an individual lived their lives - now that would depend on the 'values' of that god but they might be broadly humanist, so would have no issue with an atheist who largely followed the golden rule nor a christian who lived by 'love your neightbour' but might really not like a hateful homophobic evangelical christian.

Point is that it shows what a simplistic and naive notion Pacal's wager is as it presumes a certain type of god, which we (of course) cannot. If there is a god that god may be of any flavour of the thousands purported to exist by humans over the years ... of indeed completely unlike any god purported to exist by humans. So we are all screwed if god exists and considers dolphins to be the chosen ones and all other species to be cast aside.

SteveH

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Re: What would their reaction be?
« Reply #7 on: August 08, 2024, 04:29:52 PM »
Do you believe a deity exists? If not, then you are an atheist. Agnostic isn't a half way house.
When politicians talk about making tough decisions, they mean tough for us, not for them.

Nearly Sane

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Re: What would their reaction be?
« Reply #8 on: August 08, 2024, 04:33:22 PM »

And? Even in the more open versions there, it's not clear that you can separate a belief of a non belief in any sensible fashion. It isn't a halfway house unless you define atheism as a certainty that a god  doesn't exist. It doesn't take into account gnosticism. And it's wiki.


jeremyp

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Re: What would their reaction be?
« Reply #9 on: August 08, 2024, 04:38:30 PM »


So I do not believe a deity exists - I am an atheist.

I do believe that the evidence is not sufficient to rule out the existence of a deity entirely. That makes me agnostic.

I do not see a contradiction in the above two statements.
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Walt Zingmatilder

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Re: What would their reaction be?
« Reply #10 on: August 08, 2024, 05:49:10 PM »
  Surely that will depend on what any such thing is like, and what the atheist is like. As has been visited before, it could be that the deity says 'Congratulations, you were right to not believe, and that was the test that you've passed'.
Yes, you passed the test but obviously talked cobblers for years.

Nearly Sane

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Re: What would their reaction be?
« Reply #11 on: August 08, 2024, 05:53:38 PM »
Yes, you passed the test but obviously talked cobblers for years.
I would only bow to such as you who are magna cum laude in such achievements
« Last Edit: August 08, 2024, 05:56:09 PM by Nearly Sane »

Walt Zingmatilder

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Re: What would their reaction be?
« Reply #12 on: August 08, 2024, 05:56:41 PM »
I would only bow to such as you who are magna cum lauder in such achievements
Laugh? I couldn't start.

Nearly Sane

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Re: What would their reaction be?
« Reply #13 on: August 08, 2024, 05:57:29 PM »
Laugh? I couldn't start.
Well, I felt a bit funny...

Walt Zingmatilder

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Re: What would their reaction be?
« Reply #14 on: August 08, 2024, 06:00:08 PM »
Well, I felt a bit funny...
Get on before it wears off!

SteveH

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Re: What would their reaction be?
« Reply #15 on: August 08, 2024, 09:40:08 PM »
Yes, you passed the test but obviously talked cobblers for years.
When politicians talk about making tough decisions, they mean tough for us, not for them.