So, What happens to you if/when religion is proven false?

This is a hypothetical question posed overall to gauge some thinking into the plethora of attention the common person gives dieties around the world and how it interferes with them.

So, the senario is simple, you get complete and full evidence that the religion or general dogma you follow is false...lets say it comes to you in a way that leaves you no doubt (say a time travelling device fell onto your lap, and out of curiousity, you checked out all the religious stories to find out none of it happened..just some leaders making stuff up to control the cults and whatnot..).

You come back and voila..the entire world now understands all religions have simply been a ancient scam..there is nothing. No great flood, no adam and eve (upon checking, it was monkeys evolving over time..), no parting of the seas, no crucifiction, no mountains moving, none of it...

How would your life be impacted? Would you still go to your local church? Would you still pray? Would you find more value in this life (its all you got), or less

How about the community...would you demand the money spent on churches, temples, etc be liquidated and the structures turned into something useful? Would you want deity worship removed completely from the country (off the money, out of the pledge, etc)..would you feel happy for learning the truth or sad that you no longer had a happy delusion?

How do you reckon society would react as a whole (the proof is bulletproof..no possible way around it)?


This exercise is meant for the few religious folks on ATS that has some introspection and can answer the questions without kneejerk simply dismissing the question (if you want to dismiss it, then simply go to the next thread, no need to post).

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I personally would be fairly uneffected by it..I wouldn't want cathedrals torn down as I find them culturally significant and quite pretty, if a bit useless. I enjoy the ceremonial aspects of religion from a distance..I just get confused why anyone would actually believe that stuff to begin with. I see the money and pledge stuff as stupid overall...if you need a government to demand God is who we trust and whatnot, then its not a very strong stand...but I understand it is currently on there mostly out of heritage and the religious freak out whenever you mention removing government stamped gods on money and such.

I think the world would enter into a full fledged science and technology development panic with many having anxiety attacks about death, so tons of money finally being spent on longevity and cures..

I imagine a massive spike in personal spirituality and meditation would be the big thing worldwide, as people need the connection to something greater than themselves...even if that something is just a higher form of self.

I think that this is the greatest test of faith. Our world follows duality, so...

If one man's trash is another man's treasure, could one man's Hell be another man's Heaven? Will you still believe in God if you find out that Satan is just one side of a two-faced divinity?

Every man is given this test. Some people don't see the Light, so they remain in the shadows of their past.

Nice thread.

I don't know how accurate the OT was, but I know some of the NT is true. If the Crucifixion is said to be false, I would be very skeptical indeed, because my own experience tells me otherwise. If it were proven without doubt, I would probably just believe in God as a universal energy. If it was proven there is no God or afterlife I would just be depressed and nihilistic for my remaining time here.

This reminds me of the chileans stuck in the mine. What if we are the ones stuck in the mine and some outside force sent us religions so we don't go crazy and get depressed?

Originally posted by 547000
I don't know how accurate the OT was, but I know some of the NT is true. If the Crucifixion is said to be false, I would be very skeptical indeed, because my own experience tells me otherwise. If it were proven without doubt, I would probably just believe in God as a universal energy. If it was proven there is no God or afterlife I would just be depressed and nihilistic for my remaining time here.

What in the NT is true? You seem to not to know what the so called OT and the so called NT are.
www.messiahtruth.com...

reply to post by SaturnFX


Wait...I have a time machine and we still don't have cures for illnesses? Well I'll just go to the future and grab some...brb.


But honestly...my faith and spirituality doesn't rely on the accuracy of any biblical story. With or without them I will still have faith in God...my faith in men has been gone for a long time, so finding out some leader in the past lied to them and made up stories (about a diety they all already worshiped)...that wouldn't surprise me or have any effect on my faith in God.

I think we need to remember that these "stories" were told by people who already had a belief in God. That belief came from somewhere...I don't know where.

It's hard for me to say how I could be 100% convinced that no God exist...it's easy for me to imagine how a man made "religion" could be false...but not easy for me to imagine how I can be convinced that "God" doesn't exist.

Because for me to "know" that 100% for sure...I would have to be god like and have complete knowledge in everything...and then wouldn't that in fact make me a "god"????

So what would happen if people became like other people? Pretty dull question but i think the answer if simple:

1. Nothing. The person merely comes up with new beliefs such as "nothing exists" or "this is my life and this is it" which will lead them down different paths.

2. Suicide. The persons reality just came crashing down. Instead of allowing the mind and body to accept a different reality, they jump into death, hoping it will be the eternal resting place they now believe it as.

Beliefs, beliefs. What are ya gonna do?

I will continue to follow Aplha. Like I always have.
2nd

I'd probably cheer because it would be one less reason for people to kill and oppress each other over.

I imagine most folk wouldn't believe no matter what evidence was presented to them against religion as they have been indoctrinated so much into believing on blind faith they will utilise that blind faith to carry on believing in the mystical cloud pixies!

reply to post by gandhi

1. Nothing. The person merely comes up with new beliefs such as "nothing exists" or "this is my life and this is it" which will lead them down different paths.

I don't understand this really...I have this thinking already. This is my life...and from what I can tell...this is the only life I have...and I will live it to it's fullest.

I have faith in God...I believe there is some sort of afterlife...but I don't "KNOW" this...I simply have faith in my beliefs. If it is true...then I still have no idea WHAT that afterlife will be. But I do know I am living now...so why would I do anything else but live my life for all it's worth and try to be a good person at the same time...not for a hope of reward...but because it just feels like the right thing to do.

But I know nothing for sure...I could be wrong...I could be right. It doesn't really matter to me if I am wrong or right tho...it is really not going to change the way I live my life.

Originally posted by Romantic_Rebel

Originally posted by 547000
I don't know how accurate the OT was, but I know some of the NT is true. If the Crucifixion is said to be false, I would be very skeptical indeed, because my own experience tells me otherwise. If it were proven without doubt, I would probably just believe in God as a universal energy. If it was proven there is no God or afterlife I would just be depressed and nihilistic for my remaining time here.

What in the NT is true? You seem to not to know what the so called OT and the so called NT are.
www.messiahtruth.com...

The crucifixion is true, and the holy spirit is true. I can't prove it despite knowing it.

reply to post by Discotech

I imagine most folk wouldn't believe no matter what evidence was presented to them against religion as they have been indoctrinated so much into believing on blind faith they will utilise that blind faith to carry on believing in the mystical cloud pixies!

Is there a reason the discussion always has to turn this direction?

What drives your need to attempt to insult or belittle other people's thinking?

I'm just curious...because up until your comment it was a nice civil discussion...so what did you see in this discussion that you had to bring in an attempted insult???



Please note...I'm not insulted myself...but it is clear what your intent was.

Originally posted by 547000

Originally posted by Romantic_Rebel

Originally posted by 547000
I don't know how accurate the OT was, but I know some of the NT is true. If the Crucifixion is said to be false, I would be very skeptical indeed, because my own experience tells me otherwise. If it were proven without doubt, I would probably just believe in God as a universal energy. If it was proven there is no God or afterlife I would just be depressed and nihilistic for my remaining time here.

What in the NT is true? You seem to not to know what the so called OT and the so called NT are.
www.messiahtruth.com...

The crucifixion is true, and the holy spirit is true. I can't prove it despite knowing it.

I don't believe in Jesus and I doubt he ever existed. But you need to understand more of the OT from Judaism perspective.

reply to post by Discotech


My faith is not blind though. I have sought evidence for God and found it. It's not objective evidence though, so I can't prove to others what I know, and they would not believe me anyway.

reply to post by OutKast Searcher


How is that insulting?

Your quote said;

...into believing on blind faith they will utilize that blind faith to carry on believing...

When the post above you says;

The crucifixion is true, and the holy spirit is true. I can't prove it despite knowing it.

As in belief. No evidence, no logical reason, just knee-jerk reaction. How is mentioning something like a fairy an insult? Can you prove they don't exist?

Seriously, I don't see how that is an insult.

Originally posted by Romantic_Rebel

Originally posted by 547000

Originally posted by Romantic_Rebel

Originally posted by 547000
I don't know how accurate the OT was, but I know some of the NT is true. If the Crucifixion is said to be false, I would be very skeptical indeed, because my own experience tells me otherwise. If it were proven without doubt, I would probably just believe in God as a universal energy. If it was proven there is no God or afterlife I would just be depressed and nihilistic for my remaining time here.

What in the NT is true? You seem to not to know what the so called OT and the so called NT are.
www.messiahtruth.com...

The crucifixion is true, and the holy spirit is true. I can't prove it despite knowing it.

I don't believe in Jesus and I doubt he ever existed. But you need to understand more of the OT from Judaism perspective.

Believe me, I thought all religions were BS, but one day I opened my mind to the idea there is a God, not bending it one way or another, and asked Him, if He was real, to guide me and give me proof. Direct experience trumps theory. You can theorize about God's existence or non-existence all you want, but when you've asked for subjective proof and received it you can only try to deceive yourself. You still need some degree of faith, which knowledge helps you keep.

Having already made this discovery of several different religions to which I have subscribed to over time, the usual outcome is an indescribably positive pure delight simialar to that of heavy weight being lifted from the shoulders.

The extreme foolishness of placing fictional, irrational, narrow-minded, hateful views over fellow human beings is a heavy weight to carry on the shoulders.

It takes much work to discover this though. Between "faith" and the "golden free ticket" to heaven that religion "promises", this becomes a discovery that will remain unreachable to the self-centered lazy folk among us whom are overtaken by their brainwashing and their selfish reasons for their religious affiliation.

Originally posted by 547000

Originally posted by Romantic_Rebel

Originally posted by 547000

Originally posted by Romantic_Rebel

Originally posted by 547000
I don't know how accurate the OT was, but I know some of the NT is true. If the Crucifixion is said to be false, I would be very skeptical indeed, because my own experience tells me otherwise. If it were proven without doubt, I would probably just believe in God as a universal energy. If it was proven there is no God or afterlife I would just be depressed and nihilistic for my remaining time here.

What in the NT is true? You seem to not to know what the so called OT and the so called NT are.
www.messiahtruth.com...

The crucifixion is true, and the holy spirit is true. I can't prove it despite knowing it.

I don't believe in Jesus and I doubt he ever existed. But you need to understand more of the OT from Judaism perspective.

Believe me, I thought all religions were BS, but one day I opened my mind to the idea there is a God, not bending it one way or another, and asked Him, if He was real, to guide me and give me proof. Direct experience trumps theory. You can theorize about God's existence or non-existence all you want, but when you've asked for subjective proof and received it you can only try to deceive yourself. You still need some degree of faith, which knowledge helps you keep.

What is faith then? Just another word or a expression?
www.messiahtruth.com...
Read this link and tell me what do you think of it.

reply to post by Whyhi


If you can't see how it is an attempted insult...then I really can't help you.

Nothing I would say would shed any light on it for you...you have made up your mind and closed it to any other perspective. It is up to you to see things from others perspective...not something I can, or have an interest, in walking you through.

reply to post by SaturnFX


If/When?

Theism/Religion has always been false.

Deism has not been proved wrong or right. It's unfalsifiable (currently)

And thus, neither has Atheism been proved either way.

Agnosticism seems the best approach to have in terms of a creator or source of the universe, however we are all Atheists when it comes to man made theories of God, with special little stories to believe in by the very language we created.

We have to look at Occam's Razor, ask what we scientifically and evidently know, and then ask ourselves? Are we just making unnessasary assumptions? Why have we personified the creative forces or laws of the universe? Why are we acting like Kids and Santa?