What If?

Tell people you don't care to discuss it?

Dawnald is right about not discussing it. No matter how someone believes, you won't change their mind on such an important belief. I just accept what someone believes and leave it alone. I figure whichever way you believe is harmless unless you try to force others to believe as you do. If you don't believe and find out there is a God, you're fine. If you do believe and there is a God, you're fine. If you do believe and there's not, you probably won't be aware of the discovery and you're fine. There it is. I'm sure someone will tell me I'm going to hell.

Hi Pike I have faith in God, but am fully aware that you cannot prove or disprove the existence of God. Hence I use the word 'faith'. You will see all sorts of people say that they 'know' there is a God, equally you will find Atheists who 'know' that there isn't. Seeing as both views cannot be right, we must conclude that either it cannot be proven, or one side of the argument is held solely by idiots. People making these arguments should really acknowledge this, and it annoys me when either side asserts their 'knowledge' wrongly. I have a particular dislike of people like Richard Dawkins who seeks to belittle faith in God whilst assuming his own 'faith' in 'no-God' is somehow the superior view. I think the pragmatic approach would be to say there could be a God, but I just haven't yet been convinced...

There are different opinions and beliefs. It is best not to look for arguments. If somebody is agreeable to discussing a matter, then fine. If however we see tensions building, it is better to drop the discussion. What is the point of arguing if it cannot be done amicably. We believe what we want and we have to allow others to believe as they wish. We shouldn't be overly concerned as to what others think or believe. We each have to render an account for ourselves and others have to do the same. God will do what He has to do. Peace!

For me if someone says they do or don't not believe I"m okay with that. All that matters is what myself believe in and not one else. There is no solution to the dilemma at all it's what ever you feel the answer is for yourself.

Tell people you are Agnostic - That is the best card to play. I gladly tell the Mormons that I am an Atheist when they stop me in the street - They soon bugger off. It is your choice whether or not you chose to discuss religion and reveal which side of the fence you sit on. Most people tend to be Ok with whatever you believe - I have friends that believe in God - We don't argue over the issue and it never really becomes a problem. I have Christian, Muslim and Hindu friends - Respect their beliefs and they will respect your beliefs or lack of belief

There is a logical answer. The existence of a God can neither be proved or disproved. Much 'evidence' can (and has been) offered on both sides but all of it is empirical and not reproducible (and cannot therefore be accepted as scientific evidence) and much of it - especially evidence for the existence - is based on circular logic: ("The Bible is the Word of God because it says so in the Bible"). The position of those who say there is no God usually hinges on the fact that the existence of an independent super-human intelligence cannot be proved and is usually, at least originally, a reaction against the (rather prevalent) political, economic and social power which religion holds over its adherents. Even believers have to admit that more than half of what constitutes "religion" consists of the accumulation of wealth and political and social power over its adherents. Most of the rest consists of laws and constraints (some of which are actually socially reasonable) enforced by thinly disguised threats and emotional blackmail. Only a very tiny part, in fact, consists of genuine support for the worship (and love for) a putative deity. The position of those who say that there is a God - especially when they are attempting to convince others of the veracity of their belief - is actually the one which is the most logically untenable and the arguments put forward are usually facile and merely evidence that their thinking is childish, illogical and nearly always brain-washed by the dogma presented by their chosen religion. My own position is that I cannot subscribe to any 'religion' (and am therefore 'damned' automatically by most) but that I have to believe in my own experience which I cannot describe adequately, let alone hope to convince anyone of its reality. It has, indeed, a great deal in common with what many would class as a 'mental disorder'.

What if I say there is no such thing as consciousness? all the best, urban

Simple! Don't mention G-d, period. There are many religions and many Atheists out there . Whatever you say can get you in trouble so let it go.

NO matter what people say- most see God as magnificent father-figure with miraculous powers, who sits in Heaven surrounded with gold and angels. Suppose God was a spiritual force, and heaven and Hell were just figments of the imagination. Would it make any difference to those who need God to be their Heavenly Father?

Dismantle the fence?

God is certainly a "if". It is foolishness to run after any uncertainty. If god is anywhere let him/her stay there.

The solution is to stay away from discussing religion altogether as the topic is always full of nutters both online and offline. You just cannot win when discussing religion. Too many crazies are interested in it!

This is also the same in asking "Does God exist?" If you believe then you have faith, and you believe that you were created by God. If you don't believe then you must agree in the scientific theory of evolution, and the theory that the first living cell (from where all living things came from) was formed in the sea. One good explanation is here: http://www.gotquestions.org/Does-God-exist.html I hope you'll read all of it.

What if no one cared? There's certainly religion, which is a construct of man.

Tell them to mind their own bloody business. Really it isn't anyone's business but yours, so that way you don't have to justify yourself. Unless of course, you want some argument just for something to amuse yourself with. My hubs does that, and it drives me nuts!

Jesus said, "Those who are not for us are against us." Thus, you can't sit on the fence.

I'm a polytheist - believing in the existence of many gods - which throws out most people's arguments. It tends to especially upset atheists because most of them don't believe in _one_ god and it doesn't occur to them that there might be a bunch of them they should be denying the existence of!

If someone tells you that there is no God show him this quote : "It is true, that a little philosophy inclineth man’s mind to atheism; but depth in philosophy bringeth men’s minds about to religion. "

The only way to make "good" out of a zero (0) is by adding God. Think on that one.