Would you really want absolute proof in the existence of God?
By ParaTed2k
@ParaTed2k (22940)
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
March 18, 2009 4:41am CST
Many people say that they won't beleive in God until God appears before them, or some other absolute proof God exists.
I think that might fall under the category, "be careful what you wish for, you just might get it".
Think about it. Like everything else, with knowledge comes responsibility. With absolute proof, there would be no denying either him or his law. There would be no excuse to not follow every commandment and point of doctrine. Why would you stray since you know the truth absolutely?
You would also be one of the very few (if anyone living at the same time as you) who had such absolute proof. You think God is a touchy subject now? Try telling people what you know, how you know it, and where they have it wrong. Try discussing with people who are sure they are right, when you know they aren't.
The roughest part of having an absolute knowledge of God would be fighting human nature. For us humans, power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. How much self control would it take to see yourself as the equal of everyone else. God appeared to you, not them. You would know what is best for everyone, but everyone who had the same attitude towards faith, prophets, or even believers would now have that attitude towards you.
The only people who have any reason to believe you would be those who have faith in God. Would they listen to you? Would you have the patients and humility necessary to convince them that God appeared to you? If they couldn't accept that you saw God, what does that tell you about their faith in God? Could you continue to respect them as people? How can you respect someone if they continue to claim they have faith in God, but deny God would appear to you?
So far in this article I have gone on the concept that the Judeo-Christian God or Allah appeared to either an atheist, agnostic or someone who believes in any other deity. So let's turn the tables just to keep it fun.
What if you believe in a specific deity and you received absolute proof in another form of spirituality? What if that absolule proof was that life ends at death? Change all the above consequences to fit your new absolute knowledge.
Are you sure you would even want absolute knowledge in this life?
5 people like this
18 responses
@tjdas83 (178)
• Malaysia
18 Mar 09
Don't you think the creation of life is proof itself? They way every living thing around you work its pretty marvelous isn't it? Mother nature, the sun, even the way our organ functions is a wonder and only something that is more wonderful and amazing than that could have created it, right? The proof that he exist is already everywhere and in everything. Can you only belief in God when he appears before as a human form and come up to you and says "I am God"? I guess most people need to see much more than what is already in front of their eyes to belief he exist.
1 person likes this
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
18 Mar 09
This discussion isn't about the proof that God exists, it is about the specific question. If you would like to respond on topic, I'm interested to read your thoughts.
@flowerchilde (12529)
• United States
26 Mar 09
I have proof. (For me, anyway!) I know him. 
1 person likes this
@Ravenladyj (22902)
• United States
18 Mar 09
to answer the title question...I dont want nor need proof in the existance of god, any deity or even my own path..AND if I were to get absolute proof it WOULD NOT cause me to change my beliefs and ways...What matters to me and ALL THAT MATTERS to me is what my personal path has done for me and my life...
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
18 Mar 09
So you would willingly live a delusion, knowing it was a delusion, simply to satisfy your own ego?
Interesting.
@Ravenladyj (22902)
• United States
18 Mar 09
IMO its nothing to do with ego..I just KNOW what has worked, helped and put a positive flow in my life and I would choose to stick with that..KEEP IN MIND THOUGH..I'm not a believer of deities..I live a very natural spiritual path to begin (there is not gods/goddess' etc) with so there isnt and wouldnt be any delusion at all ya know.
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
18 Mar 09
Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against your answer, and unlike a lot of others, yours was on topic. I just find it interesting.
@Harisankar (59)
• India
18 Mar 09
http://tgwbmyfavoritequotes.blogspot.com/
plz see the first story in it "the man whispered god speak to me"
there is proof shateered all over his creations around us about his exsistence but our eyes only see wht we only want to see,
1 person likes this
@1hopefulman (45120)
• Canada
19 Mar 09
I think if one wants to believe and do God's will then very little proof is necessary and if someone doesn't want to believe then no amount of proof will suffice.
If one believes the Bible:
Satan still rebelled against God
Adam and Eve chose independence
Most of the Israelites, after leaving Egypt, rebelled
Judas betrayed Jesus
While others who saw the same proof or even less stayed faithful. We each need to prove to ourselves God's existence. Nobody else can do it for us.
Romans 12:2 (Young's Literal Translation)
2and be not conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, for your proving what [is] the will of God -- the good, and acceptable, and perfect.
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
19 Mar 09
Thanks, but that doesn't answer the questions posed here.
1 person likes this
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
19 Mar 09
Did you only read the title? Read the article then get back with me.
@1hopefulman (45120)
• Canada
19 Mar 09
Sorry!
My answer would be yes! Of course I want absolute proof. To me questionable proof would be no proof at all. So yes, I'm all for it.
@ulalume (713)
• United States
18 Mar 09
I do not think knowledge is in any way absolute if only a select few people can attain it. Knowledge should be something that is available and attainable by all people. If God is going to expose himself, he should do it to all people. The question of whether a god exists or not should not even exist after thousands of years. We are right where we were in the ancient times. People are still bickering about the same gods or lack of gods.
To answer your question, yes I would desire absolute knowledge. Is that not really what enlightenment is? If god is real, he can get off his butt and expose himself. Faith is in no way proof of anything. I like having proof that I have a girlfriend (by being able to see her). Take another guy who insists to his friends "I have a girlfriend" yet they have not seen her. Suppose this guy is also generally a loner. They might assume he is crazy and has a made-up girlfriend in his mind. This is what religion feels like to me. Everyone is insisting that "god is real", yet they have no proof of it beyond their holy book and personal experiences. Those are not sources of proof. A personal experience is great, but it is also very unreliable (especially regarding the spiritual realm).
A lot of people (especially religious people) tend to make fun of science, but I do not understand why. Science is so based on evidence that can be tested. You can't test a deity in a scientific way. Absolute proof by this god or these gods would be the perfect solution to everything.
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
19 Mar 09
Like most people, apparently you were more interested in trashing religion than taking part in the topic. Sorry I wasted your time.
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
26 Mar 09
So, what you are saying is, if God doesn't do things the way you think God should, there can't possibly be a God at all?
@ulalume (713)
• United States
20 Mar 09
Um, for the record I have not trashe religion. The things I have said are only the truth. In reality, religion has trashed itself by being nothing more than a faith based concept. Your entire discussion is about attaining knowledge, yet what is knowledge if it is only in the hands of a select few. That is not knowledge, by any means. Everything I have said is true and completely relevent. In fact, you are inevitably more off topic than I am within the confines of your own discussion by not actually replying to my response but finding a way around it by just writing it off as "trashing religion" when that is not the case. I have said nothing more than the sensible, logical truth.
@wsamboer (186)
• South Africa
5 Apr 09
Many, who never believed, but now believe in God, never saw Him. But they experienced a witnessing which, they can only explain as a spiritual experience in every sense of the word. No agnostic or unbeliever can and will understand that.
No human being has ever seen God. And, no human will be able to set eyes on a holy God, without being utterly destroyed at the sight of an all holy God.
Sin is God's enemy; and therefore, no unholy or sinful entity will be able to stand in the presence of an all holy God. He is the destroyer of sin. And therefore at the judgment all sinful mankind will be destroyed. Only they that have truly repented of their sin, and are pure in heart will see God--not now, only at judgment day.
The bible is very clear on this, "only they that are pure of heart will one day see the Lord." Not now, one day.
@thorgrym (675)
• United States
19 Mar 09
Wow, you touch on some interesting thoughts in this.
I agree that people would take issue with what you had to say even if you did have absolute proof. Look at the life of Jesus, for instance. According to the Bible, Jesus is the son of God. None had better proof of God's existence than Him. Yet he was certainly not taken seriously by everyone that he talked to. He was not believed by all.
Faith is an amazing thing. I wonder how many people have 'faith' that $1,000,000 dollars exists but have never actually seen $1,000,000. Yet we do not believe that God exists because we have never seen Him.
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
19 Mar 09
Exactly! If fact, no one who God appeared to has had a great life after the vision.
@Jezebella (1446)
• United States
19 Mar 09
I don't think I want absolute proof of God's existence. I like having my belief that gives me something to hold on too. It gives me something to believe in, I don't say I am completely true, but I leave the opening that there could be other truths out there, but right now Christianity makes sense to me.
@Arkie69 (2156)
• United States
18 Mar 09
God wants us to know beyond any doubt he is real. If we will get all our little ducks in a row and listen to God he will prove it to us. God wants us to base our faith in Him on true fact. This faith that is based on what man teaches will not get you where you need to go. Right when you need it most blind faith will fail you. A true faith you base on facts will not fail you.
We first come to God on blind faith but as God starts to work with us He starts establishing facts. This is something a lot of people don't understand and mistake it for something else. The Holy Spirit of God can reach us any time any where but the Holy Spirit of Jesus can't. God will not allow Jesus to meet us until we have worked through Him and gotten our lives straight.
Once we have truly been forgiven for our past sins and been born again God will not Anoint us with the Holy Spirit. Up to this point God can work with us to help us reach this point. Many people mistake this for the Anointing of the Holy Spirit. They know it is God teaching and helping them but it is not the Anointing. If these people are not taught the truth about this then they have no reason to ask God for something they believe they already have. They are caught in a situation where they can't go any farther. They can't receive God's true wisdom or his power so they must depend on man for his teaching.
Our Christian teaching system is so screwed up only God can get you straight. This requires us to get our attitude exactly right and very few people can do this. We simply need to back up and start over again. If we could do this right then a lot of people would actually know God is indeed real.
Art
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
18 Mar 09
This discussion isn't questioning faith or God. It's a simple "what if" thing. If you have anything to say about the topic, I'd love to read it.
This is not to say that I don't appreciate you sharing your faith with me, it just isn't what the thread is about.
@Frederick42 (2024)
• Canada
18 Mar 09
Well, I hav got absolute proof that there is no God. But since the proof is beyond words, I cannot explain the proof.
There is no hawk eyed supernatural creature watching our movements. Neither is there any law, nor any commandments.
Even if for the sake of argument we consider God as real, why would knowledge create responsibility? It could be the other way round. With knowledge can come absolute freedom. A person in front of whom God appears would never deny God, but he would not care for his law, because there is free will.
As for me, I would not even bother to share my proof with anybody because I know very well that nobody would understand what I am talking about. Each and every person should strive personally for the proof.
My police is very simple : Eat, drink and make merry. God is a myth. I would not even bother to ask God to appear in front of me, because it is sure that a non-existent creature cannot appear in front of me.
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
26 Mar 09
"Well, I hav got absolute proof that there is no God. But since the proof is beyond words, I cannot explain the proof."
Interesting Frederick. Do you accept the same testimony from people who say they know there is a God, but since proof is beyond words, they can't explain the proof?
@ClassyCat (1214)
• United States
18 Mar 09
CORRECTION:
Sorry I did misspell a word "chose" for choose, and another part that said: thermed over the years - should have read "determined ove the years.
Sorry - vision impairment sure can make for embarrassing errors when writing or typing. 
@bobbyjoe23 (52)
• Philippines
18 Mar 09
It's absurd to look for absolute proof of the existence of God,
He created everything we need to survive in this world,
we can't see the wind but we feel it.
An airplane won't magically appear if someone didn't make it.
To say that you don't believe in God because you don't see him is
an absurd, ridiculous idea.
@ClassyCat (1214)
• United States
18 Mar 09
God did provide absolute proof. The proof was rejected, just like it would be today.
Even if he came again today - he'd be rejected or dismissed, as a myth.
But He "is" coming again, and just possibly in our life time. Very interesting.
Absolute proof "has" been provided.
The 'rejection factor' continues.
@vu3nnn (85)
• India
19 Mar 09
The issue is a matter of faith. If God appears before a person, then there leaves no doubt that God exists and everyone would have to believe in God. That would make the purpose of life in this world meaningless. God has created human beings in this world as a test - those who believe in Him unseen and obey all his commandments would get a good life in the Hereafter, but those who disbelieve in Him and transgress against His commandments go to hell.
The fact that God exists is very evident by the signs of the universe. Think of the sky that does not have even a single trace of imperfection, the sky that is held up without any pillars, the miraculous functioning of the human body, the planets, the solar system... if you think forces of nature, big bang etc. created that, go back and back and think how that occurred in the first place.
@Springlady (3986)
• United States
18 Mar 09
God has proven Himself to me way too many times not to be real! My life is FAR better than it used to be before I really knew Him...I mean REALLY knew Him as my Lord and Savior!
I see Him in many people I encounter everyday. All good things come from Him. My strength comes from Him. My every breath and heartbeat come from Him. Without Him I am nothing...spiritually nothing. I can do all things thru Him Who strengthens me!
Praise God that He is real and that He is a loving, kind, compassionate, merciful, gracious and forgiving God Who sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place!
All praise, honor and glory be to Him!
God bless!
God bless! @Adoniah (7513)
• United States
18 Mar 09
According to the Bible, there were several people who had ablsolute proof that there was a G'd and they still strayed. I do not think that the human being is capable of the perfection it would take to follow every commandment, even if they knew absolutely that there was a G'd, and had seen Him with their own eyes.
There have been folks down through time who have convinced others that they have seen the Face of G'd. Some have told the truth, and others have been quacks. Right now, with the turmoil the world is in, you could probably convince others easier than at other times, if you had some carisma.
Mankind is destined to fail and get up and fail again. That is just the way it is. Only G'd is perfect. We just have to function on our imperfect faith and continue on.
Shalom~Adoniah
@jane9147 (252)
• Philippines
19 Mar 09
i don't know if this will convince anybody who doesn't believe that there is God. (but of course, we are all entitled to our own opinions).
it's the "five Proofs of God's Existence" by St. Thomas Aquinas. try googling it.
it's a very substantial book in matters of proving God's existence.
