Do you think that there would be fewer atheist if a comet was secheduled to collied with earth & destroy life?

Question

Would people begin to be nicer,more honest,less crime?There is a chance this can happen.

Answer 1

Some people would seek religion if this were going to happen. Others would go wild knowing that there would be no punishment.

To see how people seek God in the face of tragedy you only need to look at the churches after 9/11. They were full to capacity. I wonder how many atheists here went to church after it.

Answer 2

I don't think it would change many minds...those who are so convinced there is no God would just figure the scientists will get them out of trouble...

People would not be nicer, or more honest,,,less crime? Did you see what happened in New Orleans after the flood,,,they were stealing everything they could get their hands on...new cars, electronics,,etc...I have heard many say they had to steal to feed their family..well no,,,you can't eat the things they were stealing,,how much more desperate does it have to be..their very lives were at risk and they were stealing..and harming each other. That is probably in all likely hood what would happen if a comet was coming...some would take to looting while others were in church.....

Answer 3

I think a lot of cheating little church boys would run for confession in a hurry! So it would make the pious much more pious at least. Less crime? Only because there would be no point, right? Nicer? No - again, no point. Fewer Atheists, why? wouldn't those upset with God for making this happen make this a wash in terms of who gains faith and who loses it? Ah - didn't think about that did you? For some it would be seen as a proof of God's non-existence - both the Atheist and the Devout alike.

Answer 4

I dont know but at least if a comet collided with Earth there would be fewer peole who forget to use spell check!

Collied? Secheduled?

Since a comet striking earth is a random astronomical event that would hardly reduce the number of atheists?

However the comet defying the laws of gravity and swerving at the last minute ...?

Answer 5

I think you made my point for me, that didn't take long at all
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Aod_l5keEzULMKM_tXAN2Znsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20071126143254AAhtDcg

Although this actually isn't an absurd hypothetical since this could happen. For the most part, no. It's a common argument that atheists will become religious when they know they are going to die, but most death bed conversions tend to be hoaxes. Any serious atheist is going to stick by his belief even when he knows the end is near, I certainly wouldn't go against my intellectual integrity by sucking up to something I don't believe exists in the first place.

I'm not even too sure people would be nicer either, you'd probably see alot of repressed rage being let out and looting going on.

Answer 6

To answer your first question, no. Atheists are well aware that they are going to die. Whether it's tomorrow or 50 years from now does not change that fact, nor does it change the fact that there's no afterlife.
As for the second question, there would absolutely be more crime and complete anarchy if people thought life on earth was going to end in a short time. Think about it: you wouldn't care about going to jail, or gaining weight, or causing any kind of long-term consequences. And, I'm telling you, the worst ones would be the believers, not the atheists.

Answer 7

A comet or meteor heading towards earth would have just the opposite effect. Religious people would probably pray to their god to save them (to no avail of course). Beyond that there would be a major breakdown of society... riots, crime, destruction, panic... even suicide. Such an event would wipe out every living organism on the planet. Those that didn't die on impact would freeze to death in nuclear winter. In fact I think as the comet or meteor drew closer to the earth and the religious realized their prayers were going unanswered they'd probably abandon their beliefs in the 11th hour.

Answer 8

Not to be morbid or anything, but have you checked on the status of our world lately? There is a war going on in some country. Pick one.
Have you noticed how many people are murdered, worldwide everyday. Can you see the high crime rate in this country alone? Have you noticed how many prisons we have, and the fact that they are overfilled, because we need > MORE.?
So, where is YOUR GOD, in all of that???

Atheist>>>> one who has no belief in any deity!!!!!

Comet>>>>> GOD believer++++++++winner? Comet
Comet>>>>>non believer=========winner? Comet

DRINK
Next dumb question.

Answer 9

Not sure how that would affect atheist. They might think that if it does happen, its just a random chance why would it have to involve a god anyways. But, it might make people as a whole spend the time they have better rather than picking on each other for differences in beliefs.

Answer 10

Times of disaster actually tend to bring out the worst in people. A lot of people figure if you have 48 hours to live, you might as well make them the most self-gratifying 48 hours of your life.

It has been said, on the other hand by a World War I soldier, that there are no atheists in a trench. I don't know if that's true.

Answer 11

there would be more crime because people then have nothing to lose, an I think it would create more atheists, sadly, because they'd be saying "What kind of God would destroy all life on earth with a stupid comet?!?!" but it would be nice if there were fewer or no atheists around...