# What kind of God would you believe in and follow **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 22, 2013, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643 "2013-03-22T15:12:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lekatt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lekatt/32/7269_2.png) [@lekatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lekatt)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/1 "2013-03-22T15:12:25Z")
There has been many posts about God here. Most of them have been rejected outright. So now just describe the kind of God you could believe in. Create your own God as you would have Him/She/It to be. The major religions of this world have failed in my opinion to put forth a supreme being that could be accepted by everyone. I believe you can do this. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/2 "2013-03-22T15:19:30Z")
HimSheIt would be cromulent. More cromulent than ImHotEp by far. ---
**Author:** ![hansel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6bbea6/32.png) [@hansel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hansel)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/3 "2013-03-22T15:20:59Z")
The question misses the point of why I don’t believe. It’s not that I’m missing a flavour of god that I would find compelling. It’s that, through learned experience and reflection, I fundamentally believe that there isn’t a god, long before I judge the particular gods on offer by the world’s religions. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/4 "2013-03-22T15:21:41Z")
The perfect god to me would be one that’s completely hands-off, morally indifferent, and leaves no evidence of its existence. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/5 "2013-03-22T15:25:08Z")
Why should I, Tarzan, who bows before no-one, bow before something I created? ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/6 "2013-03-22T15:32:54Z")
A god i could believe in would be one that could prove he existed, the same way that i believe in apples or cars. One i could follow would have to not be a dick. ---
**Author:** ![Atakapa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a8b319/32.png) [@Atakapa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atakapa)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/7 "2013-03-22T15:39:35Z")
One that proved it existed. In such circumstances, even if it ate babies for breakfast and had made Hitler, Stalin, and Mao demigods out of appreciation you’d be foolish not to do whatever an omnipotent being with the power to cast you into eternal torment at a whim said. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/8 "2013-03-22T15:42:40Z")
It would be nice if one existed that could provide an afterlife of paradise for eternity. (of course, god’s definition of paradise should match up with mine.) ---
**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:** [March 22, 2013, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/9 "2013-03-22T15:46:37Z")
Believe _in_? If there were evidence that a god existed, I might believe that that god existed no matter what traits it had. Whether I would _follow_ such a being would definitely depend on it’s traits, however. ---
**Author:** ![Human\_Action](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@Human\_Action](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Human_Action)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/10 "2013-03-22T15:49:04Z")
I would believe in any God that I was convinced actually existed. I would follow (in the sense of approve of or endorse) a God that did not interfere with humanity. ---
**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:** [March 22, 2013, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/11 "2013-03-22T16:03:03Z")
One that would not require obsequious flattery and bold faced toadyism. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/12 "2013-03-22T16:09:51Z")
As was said before, I’d believe in any god that showed up and proved it’s existence. If it’s an omnipotent one, I’m following it. I know when I’m beat. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/13 "2013-03-22T16:35:47Z")
If there was a God who made this world more like the world in “Defending your Life” I’d be fine with that. Eat all you want, no weight gain, no judgement, and if you could sleep around for fun and exercise with no chance of STDs or unwanted pregnancy. I wouldn’t really want a lifelike review of all the times I was a fool, or a coward, or a total jerk though. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/14 "2013-03-22T16:38:41Z")
I seventh that I would believe in any god, good or bad, with sufficient evidence (as long as “believe” is not taken to mean unyielding faith; I will always be open to alternative explanations). I disagree with some though, that the perfect god is hands-off. If he has the power to improve one life by one iota, he should use it. I don’t believe all that Problem of Evil stuff that any interference by the big guy would make things worse. ---
**Author:** ![lekatt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lekatt/32/7269_2.png) [@lekatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lekatt)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/15 "2013-03-22T16:41:25Z")
> [@Human\_Action](#): > > I would believe in any God that I was convinced actually existed. > > I would follow (in the sense of approve of or endorse) a God that did not interfere with humanity. If your God did not interfere with humanity how would you know He existed. He could be a large rock. ---
**Author:** ![Foggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foggy/32/1082_2.png) [@Foggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foggy)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/16 "2013-03-22T16:43:25Z")
> [@](#): > > What kind of God would you believe in and follow Myself or none. ---
**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:** [March 22, 2013, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/17 "2013-03-22T16:43:34Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > One that would not require obsequious flattery and bold faced toadyism. Sure, but if this god could cast you into a vat of boiling oil for eternity for not doing so, would you become obsequiously flattering and a 100% toady? ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/18 "2013-03-22T16:46:43Z")
> [@lekatt](#): > > If your God did not interfere with humanity how would you know He existed. He could be a large rock. ‘Existing’ does not require “interefering” or even “interacting” with other things. ---
**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:** [March 22, 2013, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/19 "2013-03-22T16:47:01Z")
> [@lekatt](#): > > There has been many posts about God here. Most of them have been rejected outright. So now just describe the kind of God you could believe in. Create your own God as you would have Him/She/It to be. The major religions of this world have failed in my opinion to put forth a supreme being that could be accepted by everyone. I believe you can do this. Are you asking two diferent questions here? First you ask what kind of god I could believe in, and obviously that would be a god for which there is sufficient evidence. Do you understand that there is a difference between fantasy and reality? That what you want has nothing to do with what you get? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643/20 "2013-03-22T16:48:09Z")
> [@lekatt](#): > > He could be a large rock. That would be gneiss for a change. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-god-would-you-believe-in-and-follow/653643.md?page=2)