# Atheist- would you take god away? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 26, 2010, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-would-you-take-god-away/565417 "2010-12-26T11:43:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2010, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-would-you-take-god-away/565417/1 "2010-12-26T11:43:54Z")
If you could convince some one through prue logic and reasoning that god did not exist, would you do it? Also, if you knew that said person’s faith was very important to them; would you take it away? ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2010, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-would-you-take-god-away/565417/2 "2010-12-26T12:05:52Z")
It would depend on how that person expressed his/her faith. Someone leaves me alone to enjoy my godless heathenism? I leave him/her alone. The people who go door to door, trying to bring me The Word? The people who take advantage of the loophole in the Do Not Call list to call my phone and play an automated message, advising me that I need to Come To Jesus (and their church)? THOSE suckers get their faith taken away, becaus they are pestering me. I’m not answering the poll, because it will really depend on whether or not a given believer is willing to let me alone. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2010, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-would-you-take-god-away/565417/3 "2010-12-26T12:57:45Z")
History has shown us that believing in things because of empirical evidence is far better than believing in it through blind faith and wishful thinking, often tinged with a dash of masochism. ---
**Author:** ![SecondJudith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@SecondJudith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SecondJudith)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2010, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-would-you-take-god-away/565417/4 "2010-12-26T13:29:31Z")
Most religious people I know in my community don’t believe in the supernatural/a transcendent god. I find my religious practice to be more fulfilling when I’m doing it with full acknowledgement and knowledge of the fact that a transcendent god is extremely unlikely. I know it’s only my own experience, but as a highly observant religious practitioner, I am happier not believing in a god than I was when I was younger and believed vaguely in one. If every religious person in the world suddenly lost their _belief_, I figure they will either stop participating in religion altogether, or start thinking about it differently. If belief in the supernatural is the only thing causing people to participate in religion, then it’s probably a good thing that they stop. If they have to explicitly think to themselves, “right, the reason I am doing this is because community is important to me, I like this group of people, I think the art is beautiful and we have a good organisation for doing charitable works”, they can focus more on those things and (again, in my experience only) ultimately be happier. Because those are pretty good things to focus on. ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2010, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-would-you-take-god-away/565417/5 "2010-12-26T14:04:20Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > If you could convince some one through prue logic and reasoning that god did not exist, would you do it? Depends on the god. I also very strongly suspect that if I succeeded in removing that god by logic and reasoning alone, it would just be replaced by some less counter-factual definition of a god. > [@](#): > > Also, if you knew that said person’s faith was very important to them; would you take it away? Important in what way? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2010, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-would-you-take-god-away/565417/6 "2010-12-26T15:39:58Z")
Is godaway anything like Amway? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2010, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-would-you-take-god-away/565417/7 "2010-12-26T16:24:33Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > If you could convince some one through prue logic and reasoning that god did not exist, would you do it? > > Also, if you knew that said person’s faith was very important to them; would you take it away? Yes, and yes. Religion is foolish and destructive. And if it if _important_ to them, that just makes them _more_ of a danger to themselves and others. It’s generally the people for whom their religion is important who do things like fly planes into buildings because of it. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2010, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-would-you-take-god-away/565417/8 "2010-12-26T17:01:14Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Yes, and yes. Religion is foolish and destructive. And if it if _important_ to them, that just makes them _more_ of a danger to themselves and others. It’s generally the people for whom their religion is important who do things like fly planes into buildings because of it. Or, you know, feed and wash diseased beggars and stuff. ---
**Author:** ![bookaholic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dec6dc/32.png) [@bookaholic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bookaholic)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2010, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-would-you-take-god-away/565417/9 "2010-12-26T17:57:19Z")
I would rether know reality, no matter how disapointing, than to fool myself into living in relation to lies. Or, more well put by Mr Sagan: “It is far better to grasp the universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring”. - Carl Sagan ---
**Author:** ![Linty\_Fresh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Linty\_Fresh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linty_Fresh)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2010, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-would-you-take-god-away/565417/10 "2010-12-26T18:11:19Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > It would depend on how that person expressed his/her faith. Someone leaves me alone to enjoy my godless heathenism? I leave him/her alone. The people who go door to door, trying to bring me The Word? The people who take advantage of the loophole in the Do Not Call list to call my phone and play an automated message, advising me that I need to Come To Jesus (and their church)? THOSE suckers get their faith taken away, becaus they are pestering me. > > I’m not answering the poll, because it will really depend on whether or not a given believer is willing to let me alone. This is pretty much the way I feel about it. Just about everyone I know, including my wife, is a believer, and pretty much all of them are cool about my atheism. If a person came calling at my apartment, they would be told nicely but firmly to take it somewhere else. If they persisted in trying to shove it down my throat, I would tell them to shove it up their ass. I probably wouldn’t take the time to debate with them, unless I really felt like it. In a theological debate chatroom, sure. That’s what they’re there for. Crazy street preacher? He’s crazy. Don’t involve yourself with crazy. Everyone else, including the guy on the street who asks you if you’ve come to Jesus? Meh, what are you going to do? I treat annoying religious people the same way I treat every other annoying person: As politely as possible, as gently as possible, and as quickly as possible, disassociate from the conversation and send them on their way. If they don’t take the hint, lose the politeness and tell them to fuck off. Debating is for law schools and chatrooms. That said, if the guy just wouldn’t let it go, I’d probably go ahead and fuck with his head, not to win an argument with an idiot (They don’t give out Nobel Prizes for that), but to out-annoy him and get him to _want_ to go away. People believe for all sorts of reasons, and it’s none of my business why or how, nor do I really care one way or the other, as long as it doesn’t interfere with the textbook I’m trying to get through. A person who would try to talk the belief out of a woman who is convinced that her five year old daughter is waiting for her in heaven, or a person who would try to fuck with a recovering alcoholic’s belief in a higher power keeping him sober and sane strikes me as a royal dick, and one Prince Philip in the world is enough. ---
**Author:** ![Walmarticus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Walmarticus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walmarticus)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-would-you-take-god-away/565417/11 "2010-12-26T18:47:09Z")
I voted _no_ because an individuals religious beliefs are usually inconsequential. Most religious people aren’t knocking on my door when I’m trying to masturbate. Some theists fly planes into buildings, but others bake pies for the lord. I like pie. If the option was to remove religion, sure. But, there’s no way I’m going to make an individual stop being religious- what an asshole, I would be. It in no way hurts my elderly neighbor to enjoy the belief that she’s made in God’s image. I understand that schools are pretty shitty when they can’t teach evolution, but how much of that is my neighbors fault? Well, unless I can say with any degree accuracy, I’d rather leave her alone than engage in logic vigilanteism. I’m all for rampant gay marriages and video games on Sunday mornings, but leave my neighbor the fuck alone. She bakes pies. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-would-you-take-god-away/565417/12 "2010-12-26T18:47:13Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Or, you know, feed and wash diseased beggars and stuff. Unlikely. Religion is and always has been a force overwhelmingly for evil in the world. A believer would be more likely to tell himself that the beggar is being punished by God (or whatever) for his sins and deserves further punishment than to help him. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2010, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-would-you-take-god-away/565417/13 "2010-12-26T19:25:03Z")
This is like asking if I would take Santa Claus away from someone, and the answer is, obviously, yes. ---
**Author:** ![Ibanez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a4c791/32.png) [@Ibanez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibanez)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2010, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-would-you-take-god-away/565417/14 "2010-12-26T19:30:58Z")
To be honest. I’m suprised at the results of the poll. Some atheists are a bunch a meanies it would appear. I know alot of people who believe in God, Jesus or whatever. Gives them purpose in their lives or a reason to exist or to be able to cope. Why would anyone want to destroy that in someones life. Is their belief in someone fictional being really bother people that much ? What ever floats your boat is how I go about living my life if people believing in something helps them live a good life they can knock themselves out it isn’t hurting me. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2010, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-would-you-take-god-away/565417/15 "2010-12-26T19:32:15Z")
Yes, unless they say something like, “Only my faith in God prevents me from releasing my anger in a murderous rampage against those who have wronged me.” ---
**Author:** ![Linty\_Fresh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Linty\_Fresh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linty_Fresh)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2010, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-would-you-take-god-away/565417/16 "2010-12-26T19:35:23Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Unlikely. Religion is and always has been a force overwhelmingly for evil in the world. A believer would be more likely to tell himself that the beggar is being punished by God (or whatever) for his sins and deserves further punishment than to help him. Oh yeah, that’s another reason I don’t try to change theists’ beliefs. We atheists believe in a lot of weird stuff without proof, too. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2010, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-would-you-take-god-away/565417/17 "2010-12-26T19:35:59Z")
> [@Ibanez](#): > > To be honest. I’m suprised at the results of the poll. > > Some atheists are a bunch a meanies it would appear. > > I know alot of people who believe in God, Jesus or whatever. Gives them purpose in their lives or a reason to exist or to be able to cope. Why would anyone want to destroy that in someones life. > > Is their belief in someone fictional being really bother people that much ? > > What ever floats your boat is how I go about living my life if people believing in something helps them live a good life they can knock themselves out it isn’t hurting me. What if you knew someone who is happy as a clam in the certainty that his race is superior to all others. If you could convince him that no race is better or worse than any other, would you? Remember, he might feel worse because he won’t feel superior any more. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2010, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-would-you-take-god-away/565417/18 "2010-12-26T19:38:21Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Is godaway anything like Amway? 😃 I think the brand name would be “God-B-Gone.” ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2010, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-would-you-take-god-away/565417/19 "2010-12-26T19:38:46Z")
I think, generally, people are happier without the stress of religion and faith and I don’t think it would take any time at all for them to understand and prefer the godless lifestyle. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2010, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-would-you-take-god-away/565417/20 "2010-12-26T19:42:09Z")
> [@Ibanez](#): > > I know alot of people who believe in God, Jesus or whatever. Gives them purpose in their lives or a reason to exist or to be able to cope. Why would anyone want to destroy that in someones life. Because if it was any _other_ fictional character, you’d see how fucked up that is. If someone could only get through life because they thought Harry Potter was real, and tithed 10% of their income to Rowling in gratitude, they’d be considered a complete loon that needs help. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-would-you-take-god-away/565417.md?page=2)