What WOULD count as evidence that God exists?

Question

Another question made me wonder what it would take for an Atheist to actually believe God existed. A global announcement heard by all in every language that he does exist? Some big guy with a beard in a robe coming down and making a person out of dirt? What would it take for you? What could you call real evidence?

Oh, I don't believe in God. I actually wondered what other people thought good proof would be.

Thanks.

Answer 1

What would make me believe in god? That depends on what you mean by 'god'. Are you talking about an all powerful, all knowing, and all good being that created the universe? I'll accept that such a being exists when all evil is eliminated and I get a satisfactory explanation for why that evil existed in the first place.

If it was so obvious that god existed there would be no atheists, no agnostics, no debate, and no questions like this.

Answer 2

A "higher power" could very easily prove to the whole world at once that it existed simply by announcing in clear plain language (rather than a collection of 66 different books) that it was going to do something good (cure childhood cancer, perhaps?) and then doing it. Or stopping all weapons from functioning for a week, say. But this would still only prove the existence of that "higher power", not "prove God".

Remember, your cat thinks YOU are god! You feed it, you care for it, you "punish it" if it displeases you, but does that make you a god? I hope you don't think so!

God may or may not exist, but if He does, he does not care very much about individual people. I have seen too many truly faithful Christian parents lose their children to horrible disease and horrific accident to believe he is there, or that if he is, that he cares.

Answer 3

Scientists will soon explain why people are religious and believe in God, and answer that question properly for you, once and for all.

Scientists will soon explain why some people are religious and believe in God, and why there’s so much trouble caused in the world by religion. Scientists have already shown that some people carry a "warrior" gene that makes them more prone to violence and criminal acts.

Some people are genetically predisposed to violence and criminal acts, and I believe scientists have also found that some people are genetically predisposed to religious or spiritual acts, but have yet to publish their full findings to avoid a public uproar.

Scientists may well discover that people who are predisposed to the “religious or spiritual” gene are probably more likely to also be predisposed to the “warrior” gene, which would ultimately cause these people to have religious conflicts like crusades and wars. It is already a well known fact that religion is responsible for the majority of wars, conflict and murder of innocent life since humanity began.

Religious people do not understand the question “why” and so God, Religion, the Bible, or whatever, takes over and controls their mind. The trouble with this solution, unlike science, is that anything can be twisted into whatever you wish to believe and therefore is always right. Sadly to say, that’s irrational thought.

However, there must be a rational explanation why religious people act in such an irrational manner, and I think scientists will prove in the near future that it’s all a function of genetic disposition.

The evidence will with almost 100% certainty be that God does not exist. Sorry if that bursts your bubble, but many religious people today are also coming to that conclusion. The evidence is also pointing towards the fact that the universe was not even created, but that's another long complicated story.

Answer 4

If there were a god as described in the bible, common sense tells you such a deity wouldn't play 'invisible man' mindgames with "his" "children" whom "he" is supposed to love and want what's best for. If there were a biblical god *who could do anything*, "he" would be living like the Pope, and in regular communication with us. No way would "God" be playing guessing games.

I'm not an atheist, but the god I know is real is the god of the Cosmos, which is almost beyond human comprehension. The Cosmos is nonjudgmental, noninterfering and simply "is", in all its elegant perfection, and to communicate with it all we need do is engage in the discovery of truth, through science, astronomy, etc.

Answer 5

On a realistic note: A philosophical proof without any holes that makes belief in god more logical than non-belief.

Other things:
All the Christians disappear one day.
An amputee magically regrowing a limb overnight without aid from some sort of future medical breakthrough.
Direct divine intervention...this could be any number of things.

Answer 6

First to "Phat" and like "thinkers." A little trip to the halls of the National Academy of Science should suffice to squelch that dribble. Trust me: The last thing you'd want is an IQ comparison with atheists.

On proof. Nice try, but you're just avoiding the issue. You KNOW the burden of proof is on you. Your question reveals a frustration that arises from the fact that you YOURSELF cannot conceive of anything that COULD prove it. The fact is we'll take ANY proof. Yes, that's right, ANY proof. AND NO ONE HAS OFFERED ANY!

BY the way, what is it going to take for you to accept the existence of the unicorn that's right behind you and who is silent, invisible, has no physical properties?

UPDATE: My last question to you was meant to dramatize that you are creating a false dilemma. As written, your question contains a logical problem that’s easy to overlook. The theological tenets of God’s existence, as well as the mythical one’s of the unicorn, are precisely constructed to avoid, totally, the possibility of verification. Said another way, there are “propositions” whose very nature excludes them from the logic of “proof.” This is an inherent trait of myths associated with the supernatural. After all, that “super” has to count for something - and one aspect of it is the non-conformance with the lowly natural laws available to me that make up any and all elements of “proof.”

Answer 7

Yeah... you're on the right tract. Direct notification for the deity itself. That's pretty simple.

What's all this nonsense about god(s) letting some people know directly that they exist, and the rest of us are suppose to take their word for it?

Answer 8

If I saw someone turn water into wine, feed 5000 people with 5 loaves of bread and two pieces of fish or walk on water, then yes. I'd be convinced.

Answer 9

Hmm, let's see.. Um duh how about that we exist and that there isn't any other explaination for that other than the evolution theory (which unless you have a thick head and ingnore the facts is totally stupid) and then aliens. That should work for them but usually, sadly, they do have thick heads and refuse to face the facts. Hmm...what else? Well, there is actually evidence that Jesus died on the cross... and rose again. And there are many many things that line up with biblical acounts of various things like the flood for ex. I don't know I think no offense to them but i think they have thick heads and next to nothing can change their minds other than god speaking to them out loud. Which he might just do he's done it b4. Or maybe some are actually smart and read about what they believe and figure it out on their own.

Answer 10

Do a search here in Yahoo of other's answers for this same question. You'll find SOME intelligent answers... few, but they're there.