Desperation as proof of God?

Question

An earlier poster asked a question which elicited responses that went along the lines of "Well, when you and many others are near death, you'll turn to God then!" Yes, people do a great many things in a life-or-death situation, including taking another human life. (Think of paniced reactions of people in stampede conditions or in a battle or genocide situation.)

My question is - since people do desperate things in desperate situations - how does this "legitimize" the decision they might make under such duress? Why would this "prove" a god?

Answer 1

Desperation is no proof of God. But desperation is not what you are meaning when men feel the need of a help from an unknown source as the last resort when all their known channels have failed to deliver any aid. It is a state of total surrender to the knowable unknown. This is the shortest path to realize God. it is not called desperation.

Answer 2

It doesn't "prove" anything theological, but it does prove that many people instinctively care about what happens after death and even if they live their lives as an agnostic or atheist, when the time comes of their death sometimes they'll realize there if the religion is right, then they'll go to paradise, and if all religions are wrong then they just see blackness. Simply put, people find more security at the time of their death if they believe that they will be reconciled with a Supreme Being rather than just being alone.

Answer 3

A book you might want to read is "The Tragic Sense of Life" by Miguel de Unamuno, a Spanish philosopher. Unamuno justfies religious faith on the human need to surmount the overwhelming angst of human existence. He was like a religious inversion of Albert Camus. He uses desparation as a reason for faith, not just in terms of immediate situations, but in terms of the whole human predicament.

Answer 4

i'm an atheist and characteristic been in desperate situations, and characteristic not prayed to any god. yet while i grow to be going to prefer to a god, it may be Tiamat. She could not pay attention me, needless to say, because of the fact one, she would not exist, and a pair of, whether she did, in accordance to the mythology she's already ineffective, yet she's nevertheless mind-blowing finding in accordance to the sought after interpretation.

Answer 5

I agree with the first person a little.

When Jesus was be crucified, even the thief on the cross(I think he might of been on Jesus left side) repented and asked Jesus that when He came into His kingdom, that He would remember him(the thief).Jesus response was "this day you will be with Me in paradise"

So if the persons heart is true and honest, it is possible to get saved at the last minute.

Answer 6

It doesn't. It's a silly argument.

Ditto for Near Death Experiences. The brain lacks oxygen, imulses are misfiring, recording functions are haywire, and some people talk of seeing god. Duh. Why would anyone think a malfunctioning brain is a source of truth?

Oh wait. I just answered my own question. Never mind!

Answer 7

Yeah, I never understood how the claim "here are no atheists in foxholes" proves anything. Of course it is very hard to think/act rationally in crisis situation.

Answer 8

It doesn't. It's just a mindless assertion with no basis.

Not to mention that as an argument for the existence of deities, its a non-sequitur.

Answer 9

i would Not take another human life out of desperation if i was about to die, sorry? we're still the same people when we're about to die, we don't turn into animals. and maybe some or most non-believers Really do believe in God and you can see that when they pray for help when their on the verge of dying?

Answer 10

Desperation does not create God, it takes you nearer God.