Hypothetical question for anyone who believes in God?

Question

If there were no God, would you rather have the truth revealed to you or would you rather continue to believe.

And if you are unable to answer the hypothetical, I would prefer you didn't answer at all. Not that this will stop you or anything.

This is not Pascal's wager, this is a question about having undeniable proof revealed to you in this world and in this life. It is purely hypothetical and I am just curious to see what people say.

So far there are many interesting answers and I think everyone who has given an honest answer.

Answer 1

disclaimer: I am an atheist.

what are you trying to accomplish? Let me reverse the question and ask you: "if there were a god, would you persist in denial or would you accept him"?

maybe my phrasing is poor but you hopefully get the drift; the question is a bit, well, out there. "would you accept the obvious truth or choose insanity". Just because I think people who believe in god(s) are mistaken doesn't mean I think they're insane. Well, for the most part anyway. But every group has a couple of loons.

UPDATE: wait, people are actually choosing 'I would rather be ignorant'. Wow. You people should be sterilised. **** me. That is unbelievable.

Answer 2

Yes I do.

Most scientists I know also do.

We live on a planet, that is flying through space around the sun, randomly, and about, what, 15 miles per second or so, about 10 times faster than a bullet. Nobody is driving, nobody is steering.

We have millions of asteroids also flying randomly, around the sun, and several times a year we have a near miss from an asteroid. Nobody is steering them.

I really believe there is a God because otherwise, nobody is steering, nobody is in control.

The fact is, most scientific theories suck. The big bang is a "Theory" made up to explain why entropy has not run down the universe since it has been around for all eternity. Scientist "believe" in the big bang theory, but only because there is a fantastic gap in the laws of conservation of mass and energy and the laws of thermodynamics.

Then again, I really love Christmas time.

Why do you BELIEVE (<-- Notice the emphasis on the believe) that science is correct when the scientific laws of thermodynamics are self-contradictory?

Answer 3

Pascal's Wager: ""God is, or He is not." But to which side shall we incline? Reason can decide nothing here. There is an infinite chaos which separated us. A game is being played at the extremity of this infinite distance where heads or tails will turn up... Which will you choose then? Let us see. Since you must choose, let us see which interests you least. You have two things to lose, the true and the good; and two things to stake, your reason and your will, your knowledge and your happiness; and your nature has two things to shun, error and misery. Your reason is no more shocked in choosing one rather than the other, since you must of necessity choose... But your happiness? Let us weigh the gain and the loss in wagering that God is... If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation that He is."

So, that being said. I would rather belief falsely in something that I trully believe in then have my illusions cracked and my world broken. It's not a matter of weakness or fear, because we are not the only ones who believe in some divine will. It's very close-minded to even THINK that God is the only divine will when there are hundreds of religions out there. God to me is consistency and security. If we didn't have it...this world would be even more ugly.

Answer 4

if believing is comforting or makes somebody feel better then I'd rather be ignorant. People think they "reveal" the truth all the time on yahoo. But thats the good thing about GOD there is no way to prove or disprove. So I am more than happy to remain blind.

Answer 5

The answer is known as Pascal's Gambit.

If I live my life believing in God, I have motive to live the best I can, confidence that "I can do all things", good people around to support me, somewhere to turn in trouble, and assurance of heaven after I am done. If I am right, I have had the best life possible and gained heaven. If I am wrong, I have still had the best life possible and lost nothing.

If I live my life not believeing in God, I have no moral compass, no aid in trouble, no support to turn to, confined to my own strenght, and nothing but death to look forward to. If I am right, I have lived a miserable life and have gained nothing in the end. If I am wrong, I have lived a miserable life, and lost everything in the end.

So if the choose is between a good life with (at worst) nothing to lose and everything to gain and a bad life with (at best) nothing to gain and everything to lose, I will take the good life. Whether God is there or not, a life of Christian morals, love, encouragement and support is better then anything atheist has to offer.

Answer 6

I would rather continue to believe. It gives me hope, makes me a better person and gives me roots. I think I would feel like a person wandering about aimlessly without the belief I have in God.

Answer 7

I think i would prefer to know. But having said that, religion plays such a huge part in all cultures and without it many people would be lost. Many traditions would have to go like christmas, eid ul fitr and hannukah so maybe it would be a bad thing. But for me i'd wanna know.

Answer 8

Given what I already know? I can't imagine such a situation, therefore I doubt there is any 'proof' anywhere that I would believe. Guess I'll just have to go on believing regardless.

Answer 9

I think I am able to answer the hypothetical, but your hypothetical question just doesn't make sense. It is like trying to imagine that one is not a real number.

Answer 10

It does not matter one way or the other, because satan will lie to us, but I would rather live as if there is a God, and there not be one, than live like there is no God and then find out there is.