A massive comet on a colision course with Earth has been discovered. It's impact 20 months from now is sure to be an extinction-level event, possibly ending all life on the planet. The leaders of your religion state in no uncertain terms that they believe the comet is a divine measure of God's judgment and that the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.
Shortly thereafter, a well-known scientist (an atheist, for argument's sake) reveals a plan that has a very good chance to alter the comet's course. Work on the project begins at a frantic pace.
Would you choose to have the comet hit the Earth and usher in the kingdom of Heaven as your religious leaders have predicted or would you hope that the scientist's project succeeds even if it contradicts what your religion is professing?
2007-12-15 13:25:40 · 30 answers · asked by ? 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The problem is that the religious leaders were full of crap. They can't claim the meteor is God's judgment -- how would they know? Below, I'll attempt to explain why it would be foolish to believe anybody who claims any knowledge of God or his plans.
The supernatural – including God, heaven, hell, Satan and tooth fairies – is an invention of the human imagination. The following is for those who believe in the supernatural or indulge other fantasies in preference to reality.
Faith and logic are antithetical. If religious adherents would admit that they believe for PERSONAL, rather than logical, reasons, THEN they would be honest about their "faith". But it’s dishonest to claim one's faith is logical – faith is a personal position, not a logical conclusion.
Faith and doubt always go hand in hand. Faith without doubt is BLIND faith. It takes a closed mind to sublimate doubt to the point of blind faith. Normal people leaven their faith with a little common sense. Doubt always nibbles at the edges of their faith. After all, without doubt, faith would have no context, no purpose, no meaning, no point. Would it?
Because there is no evidence for anything supernatural (including God), NOBODY can claim ANY knowledge of it. Anybody who does is lying or delusional. It takes suspension of disbelief to believe in the supernatural: one must convince oneself that the impossible is possible. This is the opposite of curiosity. You have one life, one quest: yet you choose to surrender it to something you can’t possibly know anything about.
When people talk about faith, they're usually talking about the supernatural: God, angels, miracles, etc. There is, of course, lots of doubt involved because the supernatural is entirely outside the human (natural) realm. It's not so much that God or angels can't exist . . . the real point is that NOBODY has access to the supernatural and thus NOBODY knows ANYTHING about it. Anybody who claims to have faith in something he knows absolutely nothing about is actually confessing to placing his imagination before, and above, his intellect.
Imagination has its place . . . but not where life decisions are involved. Placing imagination above intellect is surrendering your quest for meaning. You are surrendering the meaning of your life to your religion; to your version of God.
And that's fine. Just be honest about it. You made a leap of faith. Your faith is a personal position – not a valid logical conclusion.
2007-12-17 16:51:08 · answer #1 · answered by Seeker 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
>>"The leaders of your religion state in no uncertain terms that they believe the comet is a divine measure of God's judgment and that the kingdom of Heaven is at hand."<<
this assertion is utterly contradictory to Judaism in every conceivable way, so such an assertion could not be made by Jews.
but even if somehow it was, then ... well I wouldn't really care. though it'd likely make me chose to no longer associate with the group in the same way.
and my Beliefs are based on God and my personal experiences of the metaphysical. I would be all for the science-based attempt at preventing the event, to be sucessful.
2007-12-15 13:37:25 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would absolutely help the scientist. Why would anyone let a religious leader usher in the end of the world by telling us not to do anything about the "comet"? If it is God's will no action of man will hinder it. I don't like religion for that same reason... the lack of reason in following others that we voluntarily put over us as wiser, more spiritual people.
2007-12-15 13:36:15 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Even if I was religious, for the sake of the other life on this planet, I would avert the comet.
Besides, if the comet was truly divine retribution, the plan to deflect it would be doomed to failure from the start.
However, I do believe that God stated he wouldn't kill off all life ever again. O_o or maybe I am mis-remembering.
2007-12-15 13:34:38 · answer #4 · answered by shiariryu 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wicked question! Unfortunately there is a loop hole. If the scientist does save the Earth then all the religions will simply claim that it was "God's Will" and that they have been granted mercy. Even if an Atheist saves them they still believe that he is a tool of God (as we are all God's kids to them, right?). So, basically they win either way. I do realize I am missing the point that a choice must be made, but as an atheist I am not really answering the question just commenting on it.
2007-12-15 13:42:10 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
If God wills the comet to usher in the Day of Judgment I will find out if it happens then, but if He doesn't want the comet to be the start then it won't be. God's will shall be known when it happens, so who knows, we're only human, and all we can do is prepare and say ready, set, and go!
2007-12-15 13:41:45 · answer #6 · answered by animegirl 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
There's a question and a half! The survival drive is strong enough that although we want to see heaven, let's not jump off a bridge to get there. If God wills the comet to strike, nothing we mortals can do will stop it. If we have erred in changing the comet's course, God will let us know that, too.
2007-12-15 13:34:11 · answer #7 · answered by Thomas E 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is no comet which in the near future has any kind of likeliness short of winning the lottery to hit the earth. And by the way that's one's scheduled for 2019 and only has a 1/100000 chance.
2007-12-15 14:35:29 · answer #8 · answered by Steve Amato 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The leaders of my religion would never make that statement because we don't believe God works that way. So I would hope for the the successful altering of the comets path.
2007-12-15 13:33:42 · answer #9 · answered by John r 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
If God meant for the comet to hit the earth ,then
science could do nothing about it.
2007-12-15 13:39:43 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋