Will God severly punish those believers who do so without ample evidence of his or her existence?

Question

This is the third best question of the year...


Yes I am the person to determine which questions are the best.....

Answer 1

Possibly if God is an idiot this could happen.

Love and blessings

Don

Answer 2

Believers will argue that God wants faith (synonymous with irrational belief).
Of course, God also gave us, separate from all the animals in the world, a rational intellect.
God gave us a universe with clear and simply rules that we could understand. (Look at gravity. Why is it so simple? You could easily imagine a universe where gravity works in much stranger ways, like it attracts if you're an odd number of feet away and repels if you're an even number of feet away).
God gave us a reality that responds, and yields to scientific experimentation and analysis.

So it's clear that God wants us to use these powers he gave us to explore this universe he gave us.
Now, why would a benevolent, omnipotent God, then require us to throw away all these gifts and have "faith" that he exists?
It seems far more plausible that a benevolent God would rather we work hard and prove he exists. And failing to do that, an benevolent God would rather us believe he doesn't exist, rather than forsaking the rational mind he gave us.

Of course, the alternative is that God, and Christianity is in ardent opposition with knowledge. Think back to what got Adam and Eve thrown out of the Garden of Eden, what was the one thing that God forbade them to partake in? The Tree of Knowledge. Christianity was founded on the idea that knowledge does not belong to mere mortals. So I suppose if I really were a Christian, I would argue that God severely punishes those who use their brain to engage in any sort of higher function thinking.

Answer 3

Before I answer this question let me tell you that I am NOT religious & basically believe that every religion in the world is a fanciful fable. A detailed mythology. At the SAME time the concept of a universal origin or source of creation DOES ring true with me. (everything came from something somehow & all the mechanisms & workings of the universe had to be purposely designed) Many English speakers call this "God". I don't believe in "God" the way OTHERS believe in God, however. God to me is neither he nor she because a male needs a female to exist and vice versa. So just say "It". I do NOT believe in the benevolence of "God" either. I simply refer to this incomprehensible figure as "The Creator". We were just made, that's all. By Evolution? Sure. How exactly? Don't know & neither do the scientists.
Can I explain this world? Not completely & I'm still learning about it myself.

So I don't believe in that great-grandpa figure who comes down & personally soothes every little man-monkey's aches & pains nor do I believe in this afterlife business. Nor do I believe in heaven and hell or nirvana or any of that. Of course I don't believe in any religious text explaining "God's words" naturally.
I just know this universe & all within it had an origin & didn't come out of nowhere.

I sort of answered the question with that intro.
I don't believe The Source of Creation has anything to do with us other than us being a mere product off the "divine assembly line". No benevolence and no wrath as well. Neutral. We were given tools to succeed and fail & it's up to us to use whatever we have properly —which we don't do obviously.
The Creator designed these "machines" WITH this flaw of paradox. We were created, we were designed but it seems we were never meant to be able to rise to best of our ability. Was this on purpose?

No matter what your religious affiliation God, The Creator knew full well what it designed. If God is supposed to be omnipotent & omniscient it saw the possibility of us acknowledging or not acknowledging its existence & worth. So God shouldn't be surprised. Therefore God has no right to punish. NOR reward.
If this God was NOT omnisicent or omnipotent then this is not God.

This whole thing about God needing humans is very egocentric on behalf of humans (one of our most natural traits: ego). Omnipotence needs nothing else but itself. The more powerful you are the more singular you are.
Humans are weak. That's why we have to group up.
That's why we're social.
Tigers are strong and only weaken themselves when they need to mate. Most times they're solitary.

The All-Powerful has no weakness and therefore has absolutely no need for anything else to justify itself. Thoughts like these is what allowed me to leave behind religion. When you think about things long enough you start to shed unusable beliefs.
However I have respect for religion because sometimes it brings out the humane side of people. We are all here alone by ourselves and our fate good or bad always depends on nothing but US. So we need humaneness in the societies we create.

'Life is hell' & as long as 'life is hell' people will cling to religions for security blankets so they can go on another day. Most people are not able to deal with harsh reality & it's understandable. So long as these religions don't cause more problems in the world & allows these people to feel good I have no problem with it.

God? No punishment. That's an illogical premise from the start if you understand what God is supposed to be.

Answer 4

I believe that with the world as it is, we are meant to learn. Should someone choose not to, I do not believe God would punish someone, but rather delay any rewards until the learning has been done.

After all, in a world with great joy to be found, even in the most miserable of situations, I would think that God is benevolent and patient. Of course, this doesn't mean that God may not have a sense of humor, and see to it that an unthinking believer who persecutes others without cause ends up as one of the persecuted. There's learning to be had from there, I think.

Answer 5

Father, why have you forsaken me.......It is finished.
We all have doubts at some time in our life. In addition, just our existence alone proves there is a God. It is He gave us ALL a Free Will. There was a great fall in the Heavens with Angels that refused to serve. We also will be punished if we fail to serve, and love and obey our Lord. He sent His only Son, Jesus, to help pave the way to ever lasting life.

Sorry you feel too much Pride, it could be your down fall, you are not greater than me, or any other poor soul searching the right path. Your arrogance is a bit overwhelming.

Answer 6

I am curious as to why you would be so concerned about what I base my beliefs on and how it should concern you what happens to me when I am judged. Everyone is an individual and his existence will be judged solely by rules and standards set by God himself, No mortal has the right to decide the outcome of God's judgement, and certainly doesn't have any authority to declare that an individual is going to heaven or hell based on HIS beliefs, In so doing he becomes a self appointed "False God" which is clearly in contradiction of the ten commandments.

Answer 7

Will God severly punish those believers who do what? and if this is the third best question of the year I'd hate to see the others.

Answer 8

I don't know how to put it but, it seems you have an obsession with God and his creatures!

The three best questions of the year deserve the three best answers of the year so me (and God) will be watching how these answers proceed!!

Interesting! I am waiting for the fourth best question of the year.

Answer 9

It depends on what religion or faith the person is of. In most cases blind faith is encouraged, but not required. Many people look for validation of their deity's existence, though still hold belief. Those who blindly believe often search for evidence, not to prove to themselves, but to others, that they are correct.

Answer 10

Only if you believe in a God who punishes and isn't forgiving.

Answer 11

If you don't deny you believe in Jesus Christ to others and lead as good a life as you possibly can--no one is perfect and all will sin--He will not deny you as His own before God when you are to be judged.