An Existential Question
 

What if the world and the human experience was exactly the same if God existed or never existed at all? That either way - everything and everyone would be the same.

And; What would that mean to you?

It'd be funny, frankly. It'd mean that I'm right and theists are right, and that there's no real way to distinguish between a deistic reality and atheistic reality.

Still, considering that "god" is supposed to be an intelligent designer, it may be reasonable to believe that he knew how things would have turned out without him/her/it and tailored things in that way intentionally. Why? Because he/she/it is fucking hilarious.

Quote:

Originally Posted by willravel Because he/she/it is fucking hilarious.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jesus Christ SuperCop The fuck I can't. I'm God. Yapple dapple!

It would just mean that either way, I don't have to worry if God exists or not, because It doesn't directly work to or influence my behavior. If It is the creator of all that is, was, and will be, plus all the physical laws of the universe, do you really think we have a fraction of a scotch of the capacity to really get Its motives, understandings, and reasons? Like It really gives a damn that you had sex before marriage, or that you lay in bed with your kind, or that you ... [insert something else the WBC or Christian fundamentalists would object to]?

Personally, if there was a Creator, and he thought like me [hahaha], the rule would go, "Be excellent to each other." And why the hell not, "Party on, dudes."

If god were like me, I wouldn't exist.

If you were god, all you'd have to do is ask yourself, "Where did I come from?" and //POOF// no more.

Nothing would change.

Believing in a higher power does not confirm nor negate its existence. Similarly, whether I believe I have the power to make street lamps burn out by walking under them, the lamps will continue to burn out at random intervals.

:devious:

You can do that too?

If I was god or if god wasn't something to be pondered, my answer would be the same:

"Now, this is the plan. Get your ass to Mars."

We already know you want to find that QuasiKuato.

My flight from nonsense only leads to more.

God doesn't care what you believe.

:)

I'm not sure I understand this question. The world is exactly like it is whether there is a god or not. We exist like we do. Everything and everyone is exactly like they are. Are you wondering if behavior would be different if there were a god that we were aware of or was in our midst? It would. How would I feel if there was/wasn't a god? I would feel just like I do now.

this is way to deep for me. i can't work my head around the non-logic.

It would mean God doesn't exist and never did.

You presented a two part probability: "If" God exists or "if" God never existed at all.

When you look at probability in this way, it tells me this: If the world and human experience would be exactly the same if God never existed, it implies that God is unnecessary to existence. On the other hand, it tells me if he does exist, nothing would be different. Either way, this statement says we don't need God to exist. If both "ifs" are implied to be true, then God doesn't exist.

This is based on the belief that God is the First Mover, and the source of all things. If it is possible that we exist without this, then there is no God.

Baraka_Guru - I think you are focusing too much on the semantics of the question instead of the implications.

Honestly though, I have pondered this question for weeks and still find myself at cognitive inertia.

I fail to see how I focused on semantics at the cost of implications. I will attempt to clarify.

It all comes down to probability: If our world as we know it could possibly exist as it is without a God, then it should follow that there is no God because God is ideally all-knowing and all-being.

God cannot be all-being if it is possible to have being in his absence.

If we can have being without an all-being god, then it is impossible for such a god to exist.

But, if there exists such a god (implying that there must be an all-being god) and nothing differs, then so be it.

We cannot have both as two possibilities; there is either an all-being god or there is not. But if both happen to be possibilities, then there can be no God. (i.e. Being can exist with or without an all-being god, but an all-being god cannot exist if being can exist on its own.)

Yes, this is a difficult concept. But I gave it a try.

I personally do not think that this world would be the same "without god". the whole reason we are how we are today, is because of being exposed to "god".

with what I believe "god" was intended for anyways.

so what it would mean to me?

that we would have alot more crazyness (sp?) going on around here.

Trying to think as a polytheist
 

This is a very good question and I've asked myself this question in similar ways. I don't think it would make much difference to me if we knew for certain there was or was not a God. But that's not exactly the question that's been asked.

Rogue - There is something strange in the way that you chose to word the question and it seems to confuse me and some of the others who have replied. Do you mean to imply in your scenario that there are 2 "parallel" worlds (one with God and one without) and that those 2 worlds end up being the same???
If so, then it eliminates God as the creator. Because if God is the creator, then a world without God would not exist.

So that scenario would make me either a polytheist or an atheist. I don't see how monotheism could rationally survive in that scenario.

Just a reminder that it's good for the OP to answer their own questions to spur the discussion.