What if after death you find God exists? Would you believe in him?
As an atheist and humanist these are questions I often get from friends and always I answer them and it often gets boring, I wrote this post so I can direct them here next time. For the people who ask this question I will make a few statements that can in its totality give you the answer for this and other questions.
First to believe in god I do not need to die. You give me a proof that he exists now while I am living and I will not just believe; I will accept it as a fact. The timeline in your question “after death” just shows that you are sure that chances of getting such a proof in your lifetime or mine is quite bleak. Yet yes if you or anyone gives a proof, yes I will accept the fact.
Secondly, accepting the existence of God does not mean I will follow him. I think it is not morally correct to follow someone who punishes people because they do not follow a ritual or prayer or praise him. If the God who you say exists is the same megalomaniac, vindictive bully who creates all these havoc in our world, I think we should not follow him. So your proof will get my acceptance, but not my servitude.
Thirdly, If I am sent to hell (as you say it is) for being an atheist then I will feel I am morally superior than God…. The point is immaterial of whether God exists or not, being an atheist and a humanist is the right thing to do while you are alive. For me there is no other better correct way to live than that. You can differ in opinion, but since you asked the question, here is my answer.
Now for arguments sake think that God exists but not the way you think. Meaning this whole life is a game for him (God) to find people who will not believe in him unless there is a proof and want people to be a humanist and atheist and secularist and not religious, then you are going to be out there for a big surprise… Since you don’t have a proof of God’s existence or of his nature in clear terms, I guess this hypothesis should be equally valid even within the “God exists” realm. So it could happen that I am his favorite and not you. Heaven for me and hell to you…
But don’t worry, even if that happens as a humanist I will fight God to get you the same equal right as me, because I don’t think you should be punished for eternity for praying and believing in something that you don’t have proof for. I will not stand on the side and ridicule you for figuring godliness wrong…
And lastly if God is the all merciful, then you should be happy and not worry at all… just take care of the planet, the people, love others, be rational, not superstitious, not religious… You have just as much chance of heaven as any one who spends his entire life chanting or praying….
Now I am sure you won’t have the question if I will believe once I figure out that God exists?
2 Comments