Atheists! What if you are wrong?

Question

What if you were to suddenly find yourself in front of the Most High God on the Day of Judgment? What explanation would you give for your sins?On what basis could you ask for Him to overlook your sins? Please, I am asking respectfully as I ask other groups questions. I hope we can talk to each other and ask questions without getting ugly. Please, no hateful remarks! Thank you! Peace!

Answer 1

Don't worry. They will one day see.
But we can't stop them for believing there is no God Almighty.
Just like their rude comments won't change our minds or disprove our belief in God.

I'd also like to add, if you don't believe in a God, or anything after death, then why are we here?

Answer 2

This is a good example of the fear factor in religion.
Please understand that there are hundreds of gods to choose from so how do you know you have chosen the right one.
Most atheists have the intellectual courage to reject gods and live a decent life that is not based on the primitive ethics of an ancient and cruel desert tribe.
Your question is based on fantasy. You might just as well ask what would you do if Harry Potter was real.

Answer 3

What if the god that really exists sends all good people to heaven and all bad people to hell except people who pretended to know for a fact another god existed? then all good atheists are going to heaven but YOU ARE GOING STRAIGHT TO HELL. Why not repend when you still have time? Why risk eternity in hell?

And how can you worship a sadistic god that tortures good people - most of the people who ever lived - for all eternity?

Pascal's wager:

"If god exists, it's infinitely better to believe, since you get heaven instead of hell for eternity. If he doesn't, it doesn't matter since you're dead anyway. So overall it's better to believe"

This is, of course, false.

Some of the problems with the argument:

* The implied assumption that god may exist (with a 50% probability, no less!)

* The assumption that there is an afterlife with a heaven and hell

* The assumption that the god cares about belief in him/her above all else

* The assumption that if you believe in a god, it will definitely be the same god that actually exists.

* The assumption that you lose nothing if it's false. You have lost a great deal, from time praying to a nonexistent entity (some people pray several hours a day!!!) to morality (your god may ask you to hurt other people) and much more besides.

* The assumption that people can believe in something simply because it benefits them. Would you believe goblins exist for twenty bucks? Why not?

* The assumption that any god won't see through the "believing just to get into heaven" ploy.

For more:
http://www.abarnett.demon.co.uk/atheism/wager.html
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pascal-wager/
http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/theism/wager.html

Answer 4

That would depend on what God it is and what exactly this God considered sins. I would not ask forgiveness for accidentally stealing a pen from the local bank to go to a heaven with child molesters and murderers who just happened to repent. Nor do I want to be a part of anything with a God who requires belief without proof but is willing to forgive these people.

Answer 5

I would look him in the eye and say something like "I'm sorry, god, but I really didn't believe you existed. I didn't see any reason to so therefore I didn't. If this means that I am to burn in hell for the rest of eternity, then so be it. But you gave us (humans) the ability to think for ourselves and to make this decision for ourselves. Instead of just following what others told me to do, I made my own path and followed my own beliefs. If this makes me wrong, then so be it. I truly am sorry for not believing in you sooner and I hope that you accept my apology. If not, then so be it."

I'm not saying that there absolutely, without a doubt is no chance that god exists. I'm just saying that I don't believe that. If I saw or heard something to show me otherwise, then I would immediately become a theist. But until that happens, I am proud to be an atheist and I'm sorry that is upsetting to you. All I ask is that other people respect my beliefs as I respect theirs.

Answer 6

I've made mistakes, but nothing so grievous that I feel I need to run myself through with a sword to atone for. Hey, if I'm wrong, I'm wrong, but at least I'll know that I did my utmost to live a moral, useful, and fulfilling life. A truly just and compassionate god would certainly be able to understand that and forgive that I felt unable to believe and base my life upon contradictory and unbelievable things.

And what will you do when you die and find yourself in a great hall standing before the gods of ancient Egypt? When jackal-headed Anubis snatches your heart from your chest and tosses it, steaming and sizzling, upon a pair of scales balanced against a white feather, and then demands to know why you never ONCE sacrificed to the TRUE gods, what will you say?

Answer 7

if your god exists as you say he does, he will forgive me. After all, he made me, and knows all. So how can he punish me, something he made, for a mistake he knew I would make?

Now, just as respectfully, will you be upset that you wasted a lot of time on your knees if you die and find out that christianity wasn't the true explanation of what was on the "other side"?

Answer 8

"There was a time that I needed you intervention. I honestly, earnestly prayed for help and guidence. None came.

"I turned to those that ministered your faith and your word. They chose not to get involved, for it was a 'private matter.'

"You turned your back on me. I just returned the favor. There were countless times that you could have made a positive, demonstable action that would reaffirm your presence in my life. Nothing was forthcoming.

"I lead a decent life. I treated people with dignity and respect and tried very hard not to lie. If that is not good enough, let me point this out: those of your flock who strayed, especially the shepherds, with adultery and pornography and embezzlement, you forgave them. Why am I not deserving of that same consideration?"

(Keep in mind that atheists have a very good reason for feeling the way that they do)

Answer 9

I was raised under the belief that if you were to ask god for forgiveness it was given no questions asked, that saying they wouldn't have to explain themselves..For the most part I think people want to see proof..It's like not beliveing in ghosts or aliens because you have never seen one.. some people don't belive in god simply because they have seen no prof faith is not always enough. For others it could just be that they have lost there faith.

Answer 10

I think there is a very good possibility that both Christians and Atheists are wrong. I am neither, and I am very aware that my beliefs may be wrong also.

What you find yourself unconsciously doing by asking the question "Atheists! What if you are wrong?" is admitting that your own beliefs may be wrong. Why not ask also "Atheists! What if you are right?". Its no big deal, just the opposite of what you asked, right?

Admitting that your beliefs may be wrong is unfortunately a rarity for Christians and I felt compelled to comment on it.

Answer 11

Christians! What if you are wrong?
What if you were to suddenly find yourself in front of Odhinn on the Day of Ragnarok? What explanation would you give for your sins? On what basis could you ask for Him to overlook your sins? Please, I am asking respectfully as I ask other groups questions. I hope we can talk to each other and ask questions without getting ugly. Please, no hateful remarks! Thank you! Peace!


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Do you see how easy, with just a few word's difference, it is to apply such a claim to any religion at all?

Your religion is not the only choice. As such, Pascal's Wager (which your question is a variant of) is completely meaningless.