I do not believe in God

[monkeyeyes]

I do not believe in God. You believe in God. Eventually one of us will be proven correct. As it is not possible to confirm the existence of God, before death, I see no reason why my life should be constrained by your belief that He exists. Prior to this eventuality I am forced to live in a world that, in the main, assumes that there is a single higher authority to which/whom we must all ultimately answer.

How would, do you consider, you live your life differently should there not be a God ?

Come with me to a parallel reality where the non-existence of God/s has been irrefutably established.
Here, however, we live with a moral code and standards, albeit that they have had their religious imperatives removed.
These codes, morals and mores have been decided upon on the basis that following these rules would lead to a harmonious existence for all.

Now that you are established in this world, would your kindly acts, your consideration and your day to day interaction with your fellow man be substantially altered ?

Having removed the hope of eternal salvation together with the threat of eternal damnation, how would you behave ?

Would you ;
� Stop giving to charitable causes ?
� Cease helping the homeless and the vulnerable ?
� Stop protecting the friendless ?
� Accept your fellow man purely for how he conducts himself ?

Please tell me how you believe you would conduct yourself and fit in in my Parallel world.

[WaldoMcFroog]

Do I have to pretend to believe in a God so that I can then hypothesize what life could conceivably be like as an atheist from the perspective of someone who is actually religiously inclined as per your above scenario..?

[Octavius]

If you have created this world, does that mean you are asserting yourself as a God, or just a supreme commander? Also, all this harmonious equality sounds a bit like primitive communism.

I don�t think my personal philosophy would alter much, but I doubt I would, or want to fit in.

[monkeyeyes]

Give me a break guys..........
I was only trying to posit a world without any sort of historical reliance on having been created by God.
If you do not believe in God in this world then you are already conducting yourself in a particular manner without it being religion-based.

I was asking the self-avowed Christians to imagine what their lives would be like on a day to day basis without having to give God the credit for their actions.....

[WaldoMcFroog]

Well, as an atheist, I don't think such a world is very likely. I think God(s) (thereafter codified into religion) are an inevitable stage in trying to understand the world and how you fit into it. As you develop and understand more and gain insights into the way the physical universe is constructed, a belief in God(s) becomes less and less likely, because the evidence for it simply doesn't stack up.

[Praline25]

Thats a complicated one.
I do believe in god so thats a start.
This is a hard question with a million sides to it. Religion and god shapes our world, so removing it would be unrecognisable. I really cant say cause i believe human morals and conduct was given to us from god. I cant believe that we just made them up ourselves. I cant answer this really, too complicated.

[Theland]

In your world, there would be no ultimate authority for your moral code. Simply a consensus I guess. I wouldn't want to live there.
But ..... would the beer be any cheaper?

[naomi24]

I don't believe my moral code is dictated by the god of the bible simply because I don't believe he is truly god. Therefore, the removal of the hope of eternal salvation or the threat of eternal damnation would make no difference to the way in which I live my life because I see both as complete nonsense.

[jake-the-peg]

Lets make it easier then

If you believe in God - Would you still go to church and worship if you didn't believe in an eternal soul.

Deep down is it love of God or cupboard love?

PS. sorry for hijacking monkeyeyes

[naomi24]

Jake, I've asked a similar question before. If the threat of eternal damnation didn't exist, would the devout be quite so devout - or is fear keeping them on the straight and narrow?

[Praline25]

I think id be that depressed knowing i was dying alone and forever that i just have sex with everyone, drink large amounts of vodka and smoke weed. I cant see the point in life without hope. What is the point.

[Praline25]

The devout wouldnt have anything to be devout about in the first place anyway. there would be no believers or unbelievers, so the question seems empty. Noami fear doesnt keep believers on the path, love does.

[jake-the-peg]

Well that's an honest answer.

I think a lot of athiests go through that phase of despair and address it in different ways.

Personally I've come to think that humanity is an amazing thing, we may even be unique in coming into existance in a form that has the capability to comprehend really incredible amounts of the universe around us. Keeping that society going to keep alive that flame of civilisation that keeps such learning going is point enough for me.

Which is probably why I get slightly irked when people dismiss learning as cr@p on other threads ;c)

[naomi24]

Praline, I am not an atheist, and I do believe that the soul survives death. However, since the biblical god, according to the book, rarely shows the love and compassion his followers are so fond of telling us he possesses, and often displays so many 'human' failings, ie jealousy, hatred, vindictiveness, anger, and dire threats if we don't do as he says, I fail to see where love comes into his agenda. I simply don't believe that he was god. My god is much bigger than that - he is love - and the laws of the universe, including evolution and spirituality, are more complex than we mere mortals can ever truly comprehend.

[nuoyg]

No - I do not think you have to believe in any god to be a good and kind person. It's in your making. And whether there is one god, no god(s) or a million gods, it wouldn't alter because it's the way a person is.

Per the start of the thread - 'I do not believe in God. You believe in God'...How do you know I believe in God?!

[monkeyeyes]

I would like to thank most of you for missing the point.

Only a couple of responders actually seemed to grasp what I was trying to say.

I do not believe in God. My statement 'You believe in God' was quelle suprise, aimed at those who believe in God .

My universe has already done away with notions of Creationism/Gods guiding hand.

We exist solely because our parents love each other and have special hugs............
..............we the have to share this planet with billions of other humans and our interaction with them is based entirely on our responses to them as individuals .........
Our morals are devolved from the ideas that there are some moral absolutes - such as, we don't have the right to kill each other .............and others bearing some resemblance to the 10 comandments.
If you claim to be a good God-fearing and obeying person, would you be the same without the words 'God-fearing and obeying' in the title ?

[Llamatron]

'I think id be that depressed knowing i was dying alone and forever that i just have sex with everyone, drink large amounts of vodka and smoke weed. I cant see the point in life without hope. What is the point.'

Praline what an odd point of view. So your life is totally about where you'll end up when you die?

Life isn't about the destination it's about the journey.

And if you weren't going to heaven you'd sleep around and get wasted alot? So it is fear that keeps you in line and not any kind of morality.

[naomi24]

My apologies, monkey. I didn't realise your question was aimed only at those who believe in the biblical god.

So to go along with Llamatron's line, if you believe that god keeps his followers on the straight and narrow, and you don't believe in him, what keeps you from falling off the path? Or have you long since fallen?

[monkeyeyes]

I am the sort of person you would wish to have as your friend;
I am loyal and supportive; I would help you wherever it is practicable; I would lend you things/money if I had them and you needed them; I would not murder you nor attempt to sleep with your spouse; any donkeys you have will be safe in my company; I respect older people and would try my best to assist them without it hurting their feelings; I try not to lie, and if I do, it's usually to save someone's feelings rather than my own neck; I believe small kindnesses may have a big impact; I always give the other fellow a fair hearing, and my respect, right up to (and quite often beyond) the point at which they prove to be an unutterable b@stard; and more...............
But I do it without fear or favour projected onto any 'God'.

[naomi24]

Monkey, I couldn't agree more. You have it spot on.

[Praline25]

Llamatran Theres no point in a journey if you dont get to enjoy your hard work. Theres the journey then the reward. Thats like climbing to the top of everest and then disappearing just as you reach the top. Then satisfaction comes after you've finished the jouney. So i believe its a combination of the two not just the one.