# Non Believers; You just learned God existed. Now what? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 7, 2013, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074 "2013-04-07T14:39:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**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:** [April 9, 2013, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/81 "2013-04-09T19:42:47Z")
> [@Slypork](#): > > [But does he need a starship?](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYW_lPlekiQ) > > OK, so the big guy shows up, says, “I’m tired of all these guessing games. I’m the one who started it all going, sent out messengers and prophets with my message and you still doubted me. I sent my kid preaching a message of love and you killed him. You’ve mixed up and perverted my message of loving each other and treating each other with some measure of respect. Well, now I’m back and you’re going to do things the way I wanted all along.” > > He says we don’t even have to go to his Top 10 list, just the big two that JC dropped in Matthew 22:36-40: > Well, you know what? That’s not too hard to deal with. Could I be so ungrateful to the boss that gave me life, the universe and Hooters waitresses that I’d thumb my nose at him? Sure, things are a mess. Maybe it was because he gave us the chance to do everything on our own and we screwed the pooch. Now he’s back and given the choice of joining the team or getting booted I’ll gladly become a fan. Go team! The above post shows exactly why the OP needs to be very specific as to which sect’s version on “God” is being referred to. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/82 "2013-04-09T19:55:52Z")
> [@akennett](#): > > But if you want to argue that way, you need to take it to its conclusion, namely that if you’re not a Jew, you’re not expected to worship that god. The OT clearly acknowledges that other peoples have their own gods…so you now have to go cling to that one. Well, the OT does refer to other gods, but current orthodox Jews don’t believe that they are real gods. So, if they’re right, and you aren’t a Jew, you just have to follow some basic rules like not murdering and you can indulge in as much lobster as you want. OTOH, if Judeans from 700 BC or so were right, there are many gods to choose from, YHWH being only theirs, and you can probably find one more or less to your liking. Some will even provide sacred prostitutes. In both cases, you’re better of than if fundamentalist christians are right. (If you unfortunately happen to be Jewish, too bad for you, I guess. But Jews are always screwed up, anyway, so you should already be accustomed to it) ---
**Author:** ![eltro102](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@eltro102](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eltro102)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/83 "2013-04-09T21:59:36Z")
well you’re still a non-believer because a believer generally means someone who believes in things they can never know ---
**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:** [April 9, 2013, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/84 "2013-04-09T22:29:20Z")
> [@Slypork](#): > > OK, so the big guy shows up, says, “I’m tired of all these guessing games. I’m the one who started it all going, sent out messengers and prophets with my message and you still doubted me. I sent my kid preaching a message of love and you killed him. You’ve mixed up and perverted my message of loving each other and treating each other with some measure of respect. Well, now I’m back and you’re going to do things the way I wanted all along.” > > He says we don’t even have to go to his Top 10 list, just the big two that JC dropped in Matthew 22:36-40: > > > [@](#): > > > > 1. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. > > 2. Love your neighbor as yourself. > > Well, you know what? That’s not too hard to deal with. Could I be so ungrateful to the boss that gave me life, the universe and Hooters waitresses that I’d thumb my nose at him? Sure, things are a mess. Maybe it was because he gave us the chance to do everything on our own and we screwed the pooch. Now he’s back and given the choice of joining the team or getting booted I’ll gladly become a fan. Go team! To quote the OP: > [@MyFootsZZZ](#): > > The Christian fundamentalists were right – he IS an asshole. Therefore for the purposes of this thread, any “nice” interpretation of God doesn’t count. It’s assholes all the way down. ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/85 "2013-04-09T22:44:12Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > It’s assholes all the way down. Which given the rampant homophobia among fundamentalists manages to amuse me mightily. Yeah, I’m easily amused. 🙂 ---
**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:** [April 11, 2013, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/86 "2013-04-11T01:55:35Z")
> [@Battle\_Pope](#): > > > [@For You](#): > > > > > [@Darth\_Panda](#): > > > > > > I’d challenge him to a drinking contest. > > > > Once you have him under the table, how should we humiliate him? > > Just above his butt-crack draw an arrow pointing down and write “Zeus was here”. > > The other gods will love it. Fitting: > [@MyFootsZZZ](#): > > … The Christian fundamentalists were right – he IS an _ **asshole** _. > [@MyFootsZZZ](#): > > Do you submit? You realize, of course, that “Submission” is a common English translation of “Islam”, right? On that very count, I think I would have to tell god what orifice “it” belongs in. ---
**Author:** ![PBear42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PBear42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PBear42)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2013, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/87 "2013-04-11T05:47:45Z")
As an atheist, I find most of the responses in this thread disappointing. If I had good reasons to believe God exists, I would believe. It’s the absence of such which drives my present world view, not some deep-seated need to believe God doesn’t exist. And, you know, God could exist without being an asshole. Just saying. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2013, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/88 "2013-04-11T05:52:29Z")
> [@MyFootsZZZ](#): > > **Non Believers; You just learned God existed. Now what?** Now we hunt Him down and kill Him. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2013, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/89 "2013-04-11T06:13:25Z")
> [@PBear42](#): > > As an atheist, I find most of the responses in this thread disappointing. If I had good reasons to believe God exists, I would believe. It’s the absence of such which drives my present world view, not some deep-seated need to believe God doesn’t exist. And, you know, God could exist without being an asshole. Just saying. Fair enough, and probably the best answer. Some of us are just stubborn. We’d say, “But he had no business to exist.” And “If he existed, he ought to have said so earlier.” It’s a pride thing. It would take some of us a damn long time to come to terms with so big a change in our world. Think of those poor kids who learn they were switched at the hospital when babies: “I’m not my mother’s child? My father is a total stranger? Huh?” Now add a few orders of magnitude. Anyway, it would give me some nasty pleasure to know that all the priests, ministers, imams, rabbis, and whatnot have also been wrong all this time… ---
**Author:** ![stui\_magpie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stui_magpie/32/11010_2.png) [@stui\_magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stui_magpie)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2013, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/90 "2013-04-11T06:16:48Z")
Assuming irrefutable proof and the option is an eternity of torment how fucking stupid would you have to be to not bow down? I’d simply rock off to the nearest catholic church, do confession so all my past sins were gone and all good. Rock on back every month or so to confess again, just to keep ahead of the curve. No massive change of lifestyle really, as long as I don’t genuinely have to feel it. ---
**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:** [April 11, 2013, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/91 "2013-04-11T06:55:56Z")
> [@PBear42](#): > > And, you know, God could exist without being an asshole. Just saying. Not very easily. And at any rate, in this scenario, he is; so the question is moot. > [@stui\_magpie](#): > > Assuming irrefutable proof and the option is an eternity of torment how fucking stupid would you have to be to not bow down? > > I’d simply rock off to the nearest catholic church, do confession so all my past sins were gone and all good. > > Rock on back every month or so to confess again, just to keep ahead of the curve. > > No massive change of lifestyle really, as long as I don’t genuinely have to feel it. First, what makes you assume this is a Catholic god? Second, what makes you assume you can fool a god? And third, what makes you think he won’t just throw everyone into Hell for the fun of it? This is the nightmare scenario; the universe is controlled by an all powerful, all seeing evil god, and he’s actually paying attention to us. ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2013, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/92 "2013-04-11T16:37:05Z")
Agnostic here. I would submit – I’m not stupid. ---
**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:** [April 11, 2013, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/93 "2013-04-11T16:55:48Z")
Given that such a god can read minds, I have no choice in the matter unless I can be convinced of this god’s worthiness. The Bible claims that this entity knows what’s in your heart so outward submission probably won’t work. ---
**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:** [April 11, 2013, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/94 "2013-04-11T17:55:45Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Now we hunt Him down and kill Him. That seems like a wasted effort, given the subject line you quoted: “ **You just found out God exist_ed_** …” – past tense. Why bother to hunt down and kill something that no longer exists? ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2013, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/95 "2013-04-11T18:23:05Z")
Hell (oops) yeah I’ll submit. I pretty much submit to the capricious whims of my boss five days a week and he isn’t all that powerful. He is kind of an ass though. If this God of yours can show me tangible evidence that he can fuck me over if I do him wrong then I’ll bow down and kiss his ass. I got my knee pads from my last evaluation right here in my desk. God just needs to be clear what he wants and not send a bunch of human representatives with bad haircuts and obvious agendas to explain the plan. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2013, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/96 "2013-04-11T19:46:49Z")
> [@For You](#): > > That seems like a wasted effort, given the subject line you quoted: “ **You just found out God exist_ed_** …” – past tense. Why bother to hunt down and kill something that no longer exists? Um… The use of the past tense does not exclude the present existence of a subject. England existed in A.D. 1550. It’s a true statement, and doesn’t mean that England doesn’t exist now. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2013, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/97 "2013-04-11T19:57:34Z")
> [@stui\_magpie](#): > > Assuming irrefutable proof and the option is an eternity of torment how fucking stupid would you have to be to not bow down? > > I’d simply rock off to the nearest catholic church, do confession so all my past sins were gone and all good. > > Rock on back every month or so to confess again, just to keep ahead of the curve. > > No massive change of lifestyle really, as long as I don’t genuinely have to feel it. Seems awfully risky to assume that the Catholics have been the ones who’ve had it right all along. ---
**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:** [April 12, 2013, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/98 "2013-04-12T03:34:21Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Um… The use of the past tense does not exclude the present existence of a subject. England existed in A.D. 1550. It’s a true statement, and doesn’t mean that England doesn’t exist now. Without a modifier, “existed” implies “no longer exists”. It was not “has existed” or “existed, and still does”, it was an unmodified past tense, which, in English, is typically exclusive of present/future. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2013, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/99 "2013-04-12T04:33:07Z")
Hm… Edited 'cause I was wrong… I think the subjunctive implied in the language of the OP serves as a sufficient modifier. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2013, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/100 "2013-04-12T19:16:46Z")
I’d probably say, “Well, you certainly had me fooled, mate. I could have sworn there was nothing in it.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074.md?page=6)