# Questions for God **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 3, 2002, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-for-god/107156 "2002-05-03T22:09:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-for-god/107156/1 "2002-05-03T22:09:29Z")
As an atheist, I was once asked “What would have to occur before you would become a believer? Aside from God descending in a cloud to talk to you personally.” I’ve been told that God prefers that you choose to believe on faith rather than evidence. And if he did decide to present himself, you’d be forced to believe. But then you wouldn’t have faith and “desire to follow him out of love”. Whatever. Even if God did present himself to me, I’d still have the free will to determine whether he was worthy of worship. As is stands now, there would be a lot of questions to be answered before I entertained the possibility, such as: Why is your word so ambiguous and contradictory? Why can’t humanity grasp that one message? Why are there competing and mutually exclusive religions, all of whom can back up their beliefs with your word? Why do the innocent suffer? I cannot buy that the many crimes and wars are simply matters of the perpetrator’s “free will”, since the victims have little “free will”. And what about natural disasters like earthquakes, volcanoes, and floods that cause even more suffering? If you are inactive in the world and decide not to prevent these evils, then why? Should I even bother to ask help for good things, since you don’t intervene? Or is helping me understand a verse more worthy than stopping a massacre? Why can’t logic prove you exist? Why must I surrender logic for faith? You should know that wanting people to believe without evidence is an extremely unreliable way to gain followers. Do you really need to send people to hell eternally for that? If you are Yahweh, who created the entire universe, why is was a small prehistoric tribe in the Middle East your “chosen people”? If you are the eternal creator of all life, why did you spend so much time over a speck called Israel, even helping them massacre other humans (that you created)? Why couldn’t you convince the “chosen people” of their messiah? How did the Jews become un-chosen since they neglect to follow Jesus’ lead into heaven (the only way, remember)? Did you know your intended audience wouldn’t accept the message and you had to go with the gentiles as a back-up plan? Do those who don’t (or are unable to) believe in you really go to hell? Do those who don’t believe in Jesus go to hell? Do those who haven’t heard Jesus’ message go to hell? Do those who’ve heard and believe Jesus’ message, but belong in the incorrect faith go to hell? Why do sinners go to hell? If we’re born with a sinful nature and are imperfect, what else could you possibly expect? If that’s why you gave us grace, why did Jesus have such an incomplete sacrifice, where there are such stringent conditions (see above) for said grace. Why did Vinateri have to make that kick? ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-for-god/107156/2 "2002-05-03T23:04:43Z")
Why don’t the women of the world realize how sexy I am? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Griffin)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2002, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-for-god/107156/3 "2002-05-04T02:25:53Z")
If God presented himself, I’d look for the strings and cut them. ---
**Author:** ![dalovindj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/65b543/32.png) [@dalovindj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalovindj)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2002, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-for-god/107156/4 "2002-05-04T04:37:14Z")
> [@](#): > > Why did Vinateri have to make that kick? I almost fell out of my chair on that one. My roomates are starting to think I’m weird cause I sit in fromnt of a computer for hours on end and burst into random belly laughs. Nice post. I have a couple of questions I’d like to add. 1. Does any religion on the earth correctly describe your nature? The OP did a great job of asking questions which assumed a christian god as the answer. I highly doubt that this would be the outcome, so the rest of the questions will assume I get “none” as the answer to question 1. Religions of the world turn out to be mythology concieved and propagated through ignorance, fear, and greed. The OP did a better job than I would describing what a conversation with a “christian” god would need to entail. I’ll assume a non-denominational god if you don’t mind. 2. How did everything come to be? 3. Please describe what a universe is and how many there are. Explain the whole Universe. Everything that exists as you understand it. 4. When one dies, is their perception and experience lost forever, or does it continue on in some form? 5. Are there any kind of karmaic checks and balances? Are our actions tallied and punished or rewarded or are our actions meaningless either way? 6. Can you make me a god too? I always like a nice upgrade. 7. Please don’t let them cancel The Simpsons. DaLovin’ Dj On preview: > [@](#): > > or rewarded or are our That is pretty damn hard to say. Did I just quote myself in the post I wrote the text I quoted? That may be a new one. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2002, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-for-god/107156/5 "2002-05-04T06:02:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Griffin \* > \*\*If God presented himself, I’d look for the strings and cut them. \*\* “What does God need with a starship?” ---
**Author:** ![Gr8Kat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gr8kat/32/18668_2.png) [@Gr8Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gr8Kat)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-for-god/107156/6 "2002-05-05T00:22:04Z")
I don’t understand why God is so reluctant to prove his existence these days. Just read 1 Kings 18. Elijah pits God against Baal and God shows up and kicks butt. How come modern people don’t rate a show like that? That would be my question. ---
**Author:** ![king\_of\_spain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7cd45c/32.png) [@king\_of\_spain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/king_of_spain)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-for-god/107156/7 "2002-05-05T01:13:38Z")
> [@](#): > > Explain the whole Universe. I think you might be there a while. ---
**Author:** ![Cheswolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5daacb/32.png) [@Cheswolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheswolf)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-for-god/107156/8 "2002-05-05T01:18:58Z")
Hi im an atheist too, and after I die _ **IF** _ there is a god I have always said that I will walk up to him and shout at the top of my lungs. _ **WHAT WAS THE POINT OF THAT???** _ ---
**Author:** ![Edlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8797f3/32.png) [@Edlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edlyn)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-for-god/107156/9 "2002-05-05T02:17:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Already in Use \* > Why don’t the women of the world realize how sexy I am? 😃 You only need one. **HubZilla** That was a mouthful, but you asked a lot of great questions. Some I have an understanding of and others not. I hope some day you will too. God be with 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, 2002, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-for-god/107156/10 "2002-05-05T04:12:50Z")
If there is a “God” out there that is anywhere near as powerful as is described in the Bible, he already knows _exactly_ what it would take to convince me of his existence. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-for-god/107156/11 "2002-05-05T06:11:04Z")
“Do you still have the warranty for this thing? 'coz it’s horribly defective.” ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-for-god/107156/12 "2002-05-05T06:16:32Z")
Hubzilla, I’m curious - was this thread begun because you’re wondering how religious people think their G-d would answer these questions, or are you merely trying to collect a list of puzzling theological issues? ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-for-god/107156/13 "2002-05-05T06:30:06Z")
Cmkeller, a little bit of both. They are fair questions to ask, and I would like to see if they could be answered. ---
**Author:** ![Mephisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@Mephisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mephisto)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-for-god/107156/14 "2002-05-05T12:17:09Z")
Hi God. What religion are you? Do I have free will? Do you? Is there a Hell, and if there is, how is it fair that anybody be sent there? What’s the point of anything? Where did you come from? Are you governed by any laws or did you make them all up yourself (like physics and stuff). Do you really love us, and if the answer is yes, why don’t you do something about gang rapes and cancer and stuff? Does this epiphany have anything to do with drugs? Prove it (in a not too unpleasant way). ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-for-god/107156/15 "2002-05-05T12:52:53Z")
> [@](#): > > They are fair questions to ask, and I would like to see if they could be answered. From whom on these boards would you accept answers? ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-for-god/107156/16 "2002-05-05T14:45:40Z")
My question would be, “Why did you create humans in the first place?” They have no purpose. I can see why a human would want, make that “need,” to create a God, but I can see no point for a God creating humans. Is God’s ego so fragil that It/He/She needs constant praise? Or is God so childlike he needs some toy-like beings to manipulate? Did he create us as companions for himself? If that is the case, why didn’t he create a more competant being, more on his level? Is he not capable of that? If he did create us to test us in some fashion, since he is God, even taking _free will_ into account, doesn’t he already know the outcome, so what’s the point there? As I said I can see no point for God creating humans. I have asked this of religious types, and they always end up with, “It is not for us to know the mind of God.” Sounds like a cheap copout to me. ---
**Author:** ![Drastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Drastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drastic)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-for-god/107156/17 "2002-05-05T15:25:59Z")
To quote the great Doktors 4 “Bob”, in the fine dobbspel hymn of “Told the Judge…” > [@](#): > > Well, I’ve been abused and I’ve been confused, and quite frankly, Lord, I am NOT amused, and I don’t believe we’ve been properly introduced! On the more serious side, I think I’d do a common apocryphal philosophy-course final exam question: Why? If I’m facing the God with the formulation usually assumed in such threads and not just a bad turn in the Bardo, He’ll know what a satisfactory set of answers to that is. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-for-god/107156/18 "2002-05-05T17:02:13Z")
😕 Is this some sort of poll? ---
**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, 2002, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-for-god/107156/19 "2002-05-05T17:12:55Z")
I think that the seeking of answers is what drives us, and sometimes the questions we wish to ask tells more about us then the answers we can provide. If one has to ask "Why? it could mean that the asker has not been provided a proper answer yet, or maybe even that there _is_ no answer. IMHO, this thread is not for providing answers, but is meant to show where people are in their seeking of the answers. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-for-god/107156/20 "2002-05-05T18:03:35Z")
> [@](#): > > “Do you still have the warranty for this thing? 'coz it’s horribly defective.” Was that in response to “Explain the whole universe,” **rjung**? 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-for-god/107156.md?page=2)