If you were given six months to live, would you be brave enough to still question the existence of God?

Question

Of course, the majority who read this question have already subscribed. So for you, I guess you're safe from eternal suffering.

But why is it that people believe in a God that would punish your eternal soul for questioning the unknown, or being human that is?

Would it not be better to believe in a loving and understanding being? One that might understand how complex the concepts of heaven, hell, the universe, life and the afterlife really are?

I think we deserve this much.

To blindly follow the crowd is one thing, but when the crowd turns and throws stones and epic warnings at non-believers as is the state of things, the milk turns sour.

"Pray or Die" as I believe Bill Hick's once put it.

Will future generations see these times and religious delusions as primitive? To think we are still at this place in our time is unsettling to me.

Why not just believe and cover all of the bases? I ask you would you want to believe in a God that punished your soul for thinking?

Answer 1

I wouldn't change if I had one day to live or 100 years!
I do think there is a higher power. I don't fit into any religion. I tend to go with my heart and my heart tells me that what I do with this life is far more important than what will happen to me when this body dies. If a person turns to God out of fear of what will happen to them when they die, rather than out of love for the life he has given you, have they really turned to him at all?

I am not in-charge of what other people think nor would I want to be. Any one who truly lives what they say they believe or don't believe has my respect. The people who want to bring people over to their way of thinking in order to validate their own beliefs have my pity.

Answer 2

I absolutely would still question the existence of God
To change a lifelong belief because the going got a tough in the end would mean that my belief wasn't very strong to start with .
If as an atheist I'm wrong and God does in fact exist then at least i can meet the man with my personal integrity intact which is more than can be said for those whose belief in God is nothing more than a CYA tactic.

Answer 3

Firstly I don't believe that God punishes anyone for questioning, he punishes people for denying WITHOUT questioning; for how can you legitimately deny something you have never questioned and most people who have the guts to question will see the truth. True Christians don't follow the crowd, they follow Christ. However, sadly, many of those who profess to believe in God actually believe in and follow the word of man, not God. These are the ones who throw stones and epic warnings. Christ said 'let he who is without sin cast the first stone' (paraphrased). None of us is without sin, therefore none of us should 'throw stones'. I have questioned, over and over and still find I believe, so, in answer to your question, if I had six months to live I would spend it in a far more productive way than questioning something I have already made my decision about.

Answer 4

I do not question the existence of any god. I question the existence of *GOD*. I am a pagan. I believe in the Goddess, Mother earth, Gaia, which ever name you choose to use for Her.

If you believe in something, just to "cover all the bases" so you wont get punished, it is not true belief. A god would know if you truly believe, or are pretending to stay safe in the afterlife.

Answer 5

excellent question! well put, why indeed.
I personally would absolutely question the existence of god at all times on my deathbed I would do so because to follow blindly is to be just plain stupid and if there is a god and he is all knowing then he would understand. and it's not about who you follow it's about the actions that you take in your life and how you treat others and the environment and so many other things. Notice I said things not the words you say (prayer) who you pray to is unimportant, the one who prays and commits sinful acts is stll guilty of those same acts, and some sinful acts can have no forgivness.

Answer 6

Eternal suffering is on Earth not somewhere else....If I was going to die I will enjoy my life to the maximum and I won't care about God because I know that he doesn't exist he was created by powerfull people to control the others less fortunated and educated.

Answer 7

don't all people question the existence of god at some point in their lives, both believers and non? God IS loving and understanding, and just like you would punish a child for doing wrong god will punish you for not believing. i don't think that he'll punish your soul for questioning it as long as you come to realize he is there and repent later on. why shouldn't he punish the people that question his existence up until their death? if they didn't believe in him, why let them enter heaven? and he doesn't punish your soul for just thinking and wondering, he punishes for thinking against him. God gave us a choice to believe in him or not, it's just how we choose to think that will get you to heaven.

Answer 8

Your question is as long as it is convoluted. If I knew I had 6 months to live, the last thing I would be doing is worrying. Worrying about, is there a God, who will win the election, what color socks to wear, why the sky is blue and why do men has nipples....

Answer 9

If your child came up and hit you in the face with a baseball bat, would you punish him? If he took a knife and cut you with it, would you punish him? If he beat-up on his little sister would you punish him? If he took the dog and sat it on fire, would you punish him? If he called your wife ugly names, would you punish him? If so, then why would you punish him?

To teach him right from wrong? It is the same with God, we are his children, and when we mess up he shows us that we were wrong by correcting us, just as any father would do with his child.

Answer 10

Ya gotta be kidding! Should I believe in the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, and the Tooth Fairy as well? NO WAY!!! There is no god, get used to it!