What if it's all a myth, and God isn't real after all? Then what?

Question

chanteygrrrl: You've stated it so, so well.

Answer 1

It's handy for religion to be able to define itself as belief in "something better" than any alternative. People often talk of atheism as a taste for the "cold, hard truth" of a universe without a god. Would a world with a god have been better? What can that question possibly mean? As I have no reason to suspect the existence of a god, and yet so many people insist this world is "the reason," I must believe that a world with a god would be very much like this world without one. A theist might think I am reasoning backwards, but that is only because I refuse to premise my argument on a fantasy.

Of course, an awful lot of people live very difficult lives, but I can't rationalize the false comforts of "faith" as really providing any improvement. Their lives are quite cold and hard, but we don't need a god in order to see that and want to help them. Rather than the Band-Aid of the faith meme, we need changes in political and economic policies that view people as the means to others' ends. People do not need Biblical authority to prop up their declaration of self-worth; it is a weak crutch indeed for such a weighty notion.

Humans have a natural desire to seek the truth, but there needn't be anything "cold" or "hard" about a world without god. It's just the world. Anything can be diminished by comparison to a complete fantasy. For example, you might think you have the most wonderful job in the world, and be quite happy, until someone comes along and says, "Ah, but think how wonderful life would have been if you were born a spiny ant-eater. That would have been perfection. Your job, in comparison, is a cold, hard truth."

Atheists cannot use false hopes to win people's minds. We can only point to the tragedy of so many lives being cold, hard, nasty, brutish, and short, and fight for a better world here and now.

Answer 2

Then - nothing.
It's still more fulfilling, satisfying and easier to live life to the most and do good things.
You're not going to know if there is or isn't a God until you get there. So it's best to be on his good side anyway.
Most of our laws are founded around doing things morally and ethically, regardless of the God concept. You generally feel better, live longer and prosper when you lead a moral life. If God's not there to meet you when you die, maybe you just get to have some well earned sleep?
I never understood why people think you get to meet him when you die, that always sounded kooky to me. I figure he's either with you when you live or he's not there. I'm not lost, dissatisfied or a rebel heathen because I don't believe in your God.
If it feels right to believe, then believe. If you doubt, then don't believe. It shouldn't change the way you live your life.
If you're not an axe-wielding serial killer who tells lies and doesn't go to church just because you want to meet some entity you only believe in because you have Faith, then something is wrong.

You shouldn't be a good person just to satisfy God, you should be a good person because it satisfies you and the world around you.

Answer 3

I don't know how to answer your question, because I know that God is alive and not a myth.

I guess the best way to approach it is just to imagine the unimaginable.

If it's all a myth, and God isn't real, then the story of my life with God is wilder and more radical than the story of my life before I knew him. So if it's all a myth and God isn't real, then shocking and incomprehensibly astounding, great things have happened in and around my life as a result of my being tuned in to this great myth. I have been able to see outside of time and space; have been touched by an invisible hand, and have been given access to a realm of knowledge and experience previously unknown to and unimaginable by me, as a direct result of coming into acquaintance with this story that breathed life into my previously withered soul...and the life I have received as a result of this bizarrely-appearing-real myth was worth every second I courted it, as opposed to the life I had before knowing the bizarrely-appearing-real myth, which was worth absolutely nothing.

Answer 4

If God isn't real, that would mean that all the 'morals' that the Christians have are not from God. Which would mean they would start to doubt their own morals.

This is actually the biggest fear that I have. Christians believe that morals come from God. If God was proven to be false, then they will question all their morals.

Will they still think murder is wrong? Or will they just start shooting people?

Will they still tolerate their neighbour as they tolerate themselves? Or will they just burn their house, because it's too close.

These are, and let's remind this, the same Christians that always say that we, atheists, can't have true morals. We can't feel true love. We can't truly see what matters in this world. Simply because we don't have Jesus in our hearts.

If their God is proven to be false, I'm actually afraid that hell will start on earth.

Answer 5

I would live a life for Christ if it was a myth,which it's not.My life has been so much improved since I started living for God.I no longer have to face this beautiful world alone.Me,and my very beautiful wife,greet each day with a pray,and a praise to God.The joy Jesus has put into our life's could never exist or come from a myth.He is real,very real.Won't you please seek Him,ask Him to search your heart and show you the life your living.And then allow Him to show you the life He can give you.You would do better to ask yourself,what if God is real?Would you be ready to meet Him?

Answer 6

If it is all a myth and God isn't real, then when I am dead it all ends there, and I would've lived my life to the best of my abilities. But if it is not a myth, and God is real, then life awaits me after death, and it is better for me.

Answer 7

Then the believer will die happy.

What if the idea that God is a myth is a modern day myth in itself? Then the unbeliever rises to judgment after they die!

Who has more to lose?

Answer 8

yeah what if it is just a myth, just a story that fools everyone into believing it, so they spend their whole lives working towards something that isnt even there, but what if its true?? i would much rather spend my life looking forward to something that might be real, then not looking for it, and in the end finding out its real and spending eternity in hell...thats just how i feel...

Answer 9

Then at least I lived my life in a way that people won't say horrible things about me when I am dead. My children will still have a good example of morals and being kind and respectful.

Answer 10

well if you don't belive in something you might as well give up if more people believed the world would be a better place so many things have changed in my life the things i taught my children people need to have morels and someone to belive it have faith and and god or you will prevail i belive ! don't you ?