# 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:** 6
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2013, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/101 "2013-04-12T21:56:15Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > I wouldn’t find the thought of my relatives in an afterlife comforting at all. It just means my relatives are either screaming in agony forever in Hell, or brainwashed praise-robots in Heaven. If the scenario in the OP is true, then there is no hope, not even in death. Especially in death. We are in effect all damned, and our only choice is a damnation of agony, or one of lobotomy. That doesn’t really sound like a difficult choice. How long would you have to burn before you’d decide you’d rather be lobotomized? ---
**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 12, 2013, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/102 "2013-04-12T23:06:55Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > That doesn’t really sound like a difficult choice. How long would you have to burn before you’d decide you’d rather be lobotomized? And? Of course people can be tortured into choosing abject slavery. That doesn’t make slavery good. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2013, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/103 "2013-04-12T23:11:14Z")
I didn’t say it was good but I gathered that the decision was something you’d have to think about. ---
**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 12, 2013, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/104 "2013-04-12T23:15:43Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > I didn’t say it was good but I gathered that the decision was something you’d have to think about. My point was that no matter what, in such a world me and my dead relatives would be better off in oblivion than in _either_ Heaven or Hell, so no I _wouldn’t_ find the idea of an afterlife “comforting”. ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2013, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/105 "2013-04-13T05:04:28Z")
A god who revealed itself just fucked up big time. That means it now is playing in the physical realm, strange powers notwithstanding. Not only am I joining the resistance, I’m going to find a way to take that fucker out. ---
**Author:** ![Gymnopithys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@Gymnopithys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gymnopithys)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2013, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/106 "2013-04-13T10:50:27Z")
“The current theory that God already exists in perfection involves the belief that God deliberately created something lower than himself when he might just as easily have created something equally perfect. That is a horrible belief: it could only have arisen among people whose notion of greatness is to be surrounded by inferior beings… and to enjoy the sense of superiority to them.” G.B. Shaw in a letter to Leon Tolstoy ---
**Author:** ![Askthepizzaguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askthepizzaguy/32/9405_2.png) [@Askthepizzaguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askthepizzaguy)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2013, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/107 "2013-04-13T11:30:22Z")
As far as I am concerned, I have performed my function which is to think about things and question things that are just begging for a good questioning. If at that point the “great” designer of everything, including horrible medical deformations, decides that the beings it created which performed exactly as anticipated by the omniscient designer are not worth keeping around anymore, then he can continue with his genocide and exterminations and plagues which has been his benevolent policy ever since the Old Testament. If the universe was created by someone worse than Hitler, it’s not going to change my point of view that he’s not worth worshiping. He can make and break his toys as he chooses, but I will be literally damned before I call him “God” or good. Thankfully, such a being doesn’t exist. Instead of praising God and thanking God constantly, you might try being thankful that there isn’t a supreme dictator. ---
**Author:** ![Kaviik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f05b48/32.png) [@Kaviik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaviik)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2013, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/108 "2013-04-13T12:49:04Z")
> [@MyFootsZZZ](#): > > Luckly we’ll never have to deal with this. > > So God exists, and you must ‘follow him’ to score a place in heaven. The Christian fundamentalists were right – he IS an asshole. > > Do you submit? No need since I would not want to be in what the Christians call Heaven. It is a place where memories are wiped, loved ones are no longer known. There are no challenges and existence is centred around worshipping a being. Since I cannot find the time, need or desire to worship for a moment while exist in reality; an eternity is out of the question. ---
**Author:** ![Kaviik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f05b48/32.png) [@Kaviik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaviik)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2013, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/109 "2013-04-13T12:55:36Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > The entire point of a Christian God is that you \*cannot \*have proof: to believe, you must use faith. Yes this is Pauline Christianity which of course is not Christianity since its founder is Paul who does not follow the religion of the Apostles. Thomas clearly needed evidence, the miracles performed by Jesus were to be EVIDENCE as well. Of course it is all bunk, but the Hebrew god, which was the god of the Jesus character; indeed supplied proof according to the myth. Burning Bush Walked with Adam Talked with Abram Sea of Reeds parting Pillar of smoke Pillar of Fire Miracles performed by Prophets All were supposed proofs of God, so FAITH is not needed. Faith in the OT is not Faith of Paul. Faith of OT was supposed to be based on miracles/evidence of God’s existence. Faith of Paul is built on no evidence, two completely different beasts called Faith. ---
**Author:** ![Kaviik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f05b48/32.png) [@Kaviik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaviik)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2013, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/110 "2013-04-13T13:01:15Z")
> [@Martin\_Hyde](#): > > " If Hell is just a “separation from God”, then to me it’d be an eternal party time or whatever, and I wouldn’t care. If it’s literally eternal burning I’d probably need to find a way to avoid that. The Christians have quite the God. It is omniscient yet it has to check in on man and see what he is up to. He is omnipotent but is having a battle with a lesser being He is omnipresent but we can be separated it from it. It does not exist in time or part of time line; but some how it is patient and waits for things or it becomes angry and goes into a range. odd beast that it is . ---
**Author:** ![Cumberdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Cumberdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumberdale)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2013, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/111 "2013-04-13T22:41:34Z")
If it turned out to be the Judeo/Christo/Islamo god, I’d fight and resist it. Captain Kirk was able to handle several gods throughout his career. Surely I can handle one. ---
**Author:** ![Cyros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Cyros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyros)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2013, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/112 "2013-04-13T23:42:46Z")
> [@Cumberdale](#): > > If it turned out to be the Judeo/Christo/Islamo god, I’d fight and resist it. Captain Kirk was able to handle several gods throughout his career. Surely I can handle one. But he had better writers. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2013, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/113 "2013-04-14T07:43:16Z")
I’d get my iron chariots ready (God’s only weakness) and take that fucker right out. ---
**Author:** ![Askthepizzaguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askthepizzaguy/32/9405_2.png) [@Askthepizzaguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askthepizzaguy)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2013, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/114 "2013-04-14T07:47:36Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > I’d get my iron chariots ready (God’s only weakness) and take that fucker right out. I’m pretty sure you can just wrestle the fucker to the ground and [make him your bitch](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_wrestling_with_the_angel). ---
**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 14, 2013, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/115 "2013-04-14T08:53:29Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > I’d get my iron chariots ready (God’s only weakness) and take that fucker right out. Q: “What’s the difference between God and Godzilla?” A: “Godzilla can handle iron chariots.” ---
**Author:** ![anukulardecider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/94ad74/32.png) [@anukulardecider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anukulardecider)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2013, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/116 "2013-04-14T11:34:12Z")
> [@MyFootsZZZ](#): > > Luckly we’ll never have to deal with this. > > So God exists, and you must ‘follow him’ to score a place in heaven. The Christian fundamentalists were right – he IS an asshole. > > Do you submit? Will there only be white Republican’s there? LOL! ---
**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 14, 2013, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/117 "2013-04-14T15:18:30Z")
> [@Gymnopithys](#): > > "The current theory that God already exists in perfection involves the belief that God deliberately created something lower than himself … If god is perfect, why would it ever do anything? Perfection is the end of the road, it is death, nothing lies beyond it, a perfect thing can only move toward flaw. Either god is not perfect or it is not. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2013, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/118 "2013-04-14T18:40:32Z")
The OP specified that the big guy running the show turns out to be an asshole. Ok. So. What do you do when you wake up one morning and discover that your democratically elected government has been overthrown? And that further investigation shows that the leader is a tyrant like Pinochet for example? A1: It depends. A2: You do what you can to get by and protect those you care about. In the OP’s case resistance if futile, so a lower profile makes sense. ---
**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 14, 2013, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/119 "2013-04-14T19:00:39Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > A2: You do what you can to get by and protect those you care about. In the OP’s case resistance if futile, so a lower profile makes sense. Except that there’s no such thing as a low profile against an omniscient. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2013, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074/120 "2013-04-14T19:56:43Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Except that there’s no such thing as a low profile against an omniscient. That occurred to me. I figured that keeping a low profile essentially implies submissiveness in a panopticon context. The meek inherit the earth and all that. Of course if the big guy is an asshole with OCD it doesn’t matter what you do anyway. Off to the burning lake for those with impure thoughts! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-believers-you-just-learned-god-existed-now-what/655074.md?page=7)