# Atheists , how could God prove to you he exists? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 5, 2019, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-could-god-prove-to-you-he-exists/833518 "2019-05-05T19:08:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-could-god-prove-to-you-he-exists/833518/41 "2019-05-05T22:01:50Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > That’s the way the King James refers to him, so people will have picked it up from what’s written there. The question is why did the KJV authors write it that way. I figure it’s because they were Russians and habitually dropped English articles all the time. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-could-god-prove-to-you-he-exists/833518/42 "2019-05-05T22:02:34Z")
> [@tastysandwiches](#): > > He can just snap his fingers and make me sincerely believe that he’s God. That would convince me for sure. > [@running\_coach](#): > > So much for free will. OK, so here’s the experiment: Out of my free will, I am GIVING GOD PERMISSION TO DO THIS. Go for it! I’ll no doubt let you know if “He” does. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-could-god-prove-to-you-he-exists/833518/43 "2019-05-05T22:07:50Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > This is something I’ve learned to accept over many, many years. No meaningful discussion on gods can ever be had without the believers first defining what their understanding of their gods actually is. (and that understanding is often rather tenuous and woolly to say the least). Has a believer ever satisfactorily defined their ‘God’ to you? If so, can you share that definition? Because it’d be awesome to hear what someone came up with. If no one ever has defined it, does it follow that you’ve never had a meaningful discussion about god(s)? ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-could-god-prove-to-you-he-exists/833518/44 "2019-05-05T22:10:41Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > The traditional Christian God is supposed to be omniscient and omnipotent. So I throw the ball to him and ask him to figure out what evidence would irrefutably convince me he is God and then provide that evidence to me. I like that ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-could-god-prove-to-you-he-exists/833518/45 "2019-05-05T22:18:39Z")
> [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > Has a believer ever satisfactorily defined their ‘God’ to you? nope, not in a way that makes any sense to me or provides any basis for a testable claim. ---
**Author:** ![UnwittingAmericans](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d9b06d/32.png) [@UnwittingAmericans](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UnwittingAmericans)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-could-god-prove-to-you-he-exists/833518/46 "2019-05-05T22:19:02Z")
Do some of the Jesus stunts from the book to warm up, then make Twitter and all historical references to it disappear. Have Sofia Vergara show up at my house showered and shaved with a couple of Quaaludes and a six-pack. Then blot out the sun the next day, cause it’d all be downhill from there after Sofia, plus I’d wanna go straight to heaven now that I know it’s real. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-could-god-prove-to-you-he-exists/833518/47 "2019-05-05T22:20:20Z")
I’m actually a really gullible person. It wouldn’t take that much for someone to convince me they were a supernatural deity. A parlor trick probably wouldn’t be enough, but an instant deposit of millions of dollars into my bank account would. My agnosticism isn’t the result of me being unusually skeptical. I just have not encountered any compelling evidence. If all of a sudden a big booming voice said, “I am your lord! BOW DOWN BEFORE ME!”, I would be the first to drop down to my knees. But I’m not going to drop down to my knees based on a fairy tale. ---
**Author:** ![Unreconstructed\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/76d3ee/32.png) [@Unreconstructed\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unreconstructed_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-could-god-prove-to-you-he-exists/833518/48 "2019-05-05T22:24:17Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > No you won’t. You’ll assume you’ve been hacked. The odds of someone being able to hack my phone in less than 24 hours are so remote that I’d happily ascribe it to divine inspiration. Given a sufficiently skeptical outlook, there’s no evidence that could prove God exists. We all set our burden of proof somewhere. This is where I set mine. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-could-god-prove-to-you-he-exists/833518/49 "2019-05-05T22:25:38Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > That should do it (nothing less), and [I’m A Believer.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wB9YIsKIEbA) Fixed your link. I approve of your choice of versions. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![UnwittingAmericans](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d9b06d/32.png) [@UnwittingAmericans](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UnwittingAmericans)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-could-god-prove-to-you-he-exists/833518/50 "2019-05-05T22:29:42Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > I’m actually a really gullible person. It wouldn’t take that much for someone to convince me they were a supernatural deity. A parlor trick probably wouldn’t be enough, but an instant deposit of millions of dollars into my bank account would. > > My agnosticism isn’t the result of me being unusually skeptical. I just have not encountered any compelling evidence. If all of a sudden a big booming voice said, “I am your lord! BOW DOWN BEFORE ME!”, I would be the first to drop down to my knees. But I’m not going to drop down to my knees based on a fairy tale. Don’t do it if the big booming voice says “NOAH!” ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-could-god-prove-to-you-he-exists/833518/51 "2019-05-05T22:33:29Z")
> [@TimeWinder](#): > > OK, so here’s the experiment: Out of my free will, I am GIVING GOD PERMISSION TO DO THIS. Go for it! I’ll no doubt let you know if “He” does. So now I’m wondering if, legally, you can give consent to Someone you don’t believe in. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-could-god-prove-to-you-he-exists/833518/52 "2019-05-05T22:34:13Z")
How?.. Provide me with sufficient evidence. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-could-god-prove-to-you-he-exists/833518/53 "2019-05-05T23:12:58Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > So much for free will. This has always struck me as odd. Did Adam and Eve have free will? They certainly were in touch with God. What about Moses and his people? He was doing miracles left and right for them – were all those Israelites robbed of their free will? Same for the Egyptians – I imagine they woke up to the existence of God when all their first borns were killed, including their cattle. Plus all the plagues. Moving onto the New Testament, Jesus’s disciples saw him perform all kinds of miracles, plus the people who he performed them on. Robbed of free will? All the consumers of loaves and fishes? The wine drinkers? Even after all that, Thomas continued to doubt that Jesus came back from the dead, but then Jesus showed him the holes – did He rob Thomas of his free will? It’s a trade I would gladly take – if God exists and happens to be the Christian one, I’d happily lose my free will for the chance of an eternity in heaven. After he reconfigured my brain to be a believer, I’d accept him as my savior and be a shoo-in. Who wouldn’t make that trade? An eternity in heaven vs. eternal torture? Anyway, to the OP, I think that’s really the only way to convince me – reconfigure my brain to be a believer. That still wouldn’t prove it’s God, but it would “prove” to me that He exists, since I can’t just stop believing (just like I can’t just start believing now). Anything else could just be a very advanced intelligence, but not the alpha and omega, uncaused cause, or whatever those things are. Q in Star Trek, for example, could certainly do some amazing parlor tricks but he wasn’t God, you know? ETA: On review, I know you, **running coach** wasn’t making the argument I argued against, but I’ve seen that as an argument against God showing himself – only through faith, etc., and robbing of free will if we see evidence. Sorry for imputing that on you. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-could-god-prove-to-you-he-exists/833518/54 "2019-05-05T23:17:51Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > The traditional Christian God is supposed to be omniscient and omnipotent. So I throw the ball to him and ask him to figure out what evidence would irrefutably convince me he is God and then provide that evidence to me. Definitely. God would know what it would take…or she/he/it just isn’t the God a lot of people make her/him/it out to be. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-could-god-prove-to-you-he-exists/833518/55 "2019-05-05T23:18:20Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > I’m actually a really gullible person. It wouldn’t take that much for someone to convince me they were a supernatural deity. A parlor trick probably wouldn’t be enough, but an instant deposit of millions of dollars into my bank account would. I work closely with God. I just checked and he’s willing to send you $5 million dollars to prove that he’s real. But since God doesn’t usually handle money personally, in order to release the funds I will need you to send me a $2,500 administration fee to cover the bank charges. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-could-god-prove-to-you-he-exists/833518/56 "2019-05-05T23:19:20Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > So now I’m wondering if, legally, you can give consent to Someone you don’t believe in. IANAL. However, I am sincere in my consent, anyway, and I’m guessing God wouldn’t need to follow human laws. Despite those dumb “Christian” movies about atheists (we’re all secret believers, but we’re just mad at him or something, and we’ll come around the first time something remotely bad happens to us), I’m an atheist because I don’t believe supernatural beings of any kind exist. I didn’t _choose_ not to believe, I just don’t. There’s far, far more support out there for the position that God doesn’t exist than that he does: particularly that “everybody knows” their local God(s) are the true ones, and everybody else’s are just myths. But truth is important to me – far more so than my current belief sets. If such a being _did_ exist; I would far rather believe in it (maybe not worship-- the God described in the Bible is clearly evil–but believe in) than not. Building worldviews based on falsehoods is how we get into a lot of our human messes. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-could-god-prove-to-you-he-exists/833518/57 "2019-05-05T23:52:09Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > To me that would prove this person is God. What about you? We’re talking the Judeo-Christian God, not all those other fakes the misguided rubes have fallen for? I’m open-minded about the existence of God(s). I don’t believe, but I could be convinced, unlikely as it strikes me. However, I’m pretty close-minded on the idea of worship and the bureaucracy around it that we call religion. ---
**Author:** ![SamuelA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@SamuelA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SamuelA)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2019, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-could-god-prove-to-you-he-exists/833518/58 "2019-05-06T00:03:43Z")
A _rational_ perspective is: I have no credible evidence that isn’t distorted by 2000+ years of retellings and editing that _any_ “supernatural” effects are possible. Or that any intelligent being within many light years of my position exists who isn’t just another fellow human or AI written by humans. So my “belief” is that the probability that such a being exists and is able to take actions that I can observe is very, very small. Perhaps 0.00001 of 1. This is called my “prior”. But if some dupes bread and fish, or walks on water, or makes a crippled person spontaneously regrow their spine, or resurrects the dead - each miracle I observe, or have credible, _contemperous_, _repeated_ observations from others - greatly shifts my belief towards “is some sort of supernatural being, and the being has powers similar to it’s claims”. But no one should be 100% in any belief, “faith” is irrational… ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2019, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-could-god-prove-to-you-he-exists/833518/59 "2019-05-06T00:41:11Z")
Some magician shows up at my door, demonstrates impressive skill and claims to be the all-powerful deity, “Hold on a sec, I’ll be right back” \ “_What’s the vegetable knife for?_” “Here, let me show you” \ I mean, the presumptive deity should be ok with that. Then we can engage in further discussion, in which the deity can explain why I should vote for it. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2019, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-could-god-prove-to-you-he-exists/833518/60 "2019-05-06T00:50:15Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > The traditional Christian God is supposed to be omniscient and omnipotent. So I throw the ball to him and ask him to figure out what evidence would irrefutably convince me he is God and then provide that evidence to me. > [@TimeWinder](#): > > OK, so here’s the experiment: Out of my free will, I am GIVING GOD PERMISSION TO DO THIS. Go for it! I’ll no doubt let you know if “He” does. > [@TimeWinder](#): > > IANAL. However, I am sincere in my consent, anyway, and I’m guessing God wouldn’t need to follow human laws. I approve of all of these. In general, if someone is making a remarkable claim, it’s not up to me to tell them what evidence they should provide. It’s up to them to make their most persuasive case. And God only knows what that would be. One I read about awhile back I really liked. To describe the relationship between the diameter and circumference of a circle with a diameter equal to the universe, comprised of hydrogen atoms, pi only needs to extend out to something like 32 digits. If you’re God, round pi off to 32 digits such that any future calculation of pi is a rational number. Do that, and I’m your huckleberry. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-could-god-prove-to-you-he-exists/833518.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-could-god-prove-to-you-he-exists/833518.md?page=4)