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

If religon was a lie, i have no idea how it mite affect me. I know that i would still follow all the morals the bible has taught me, such as the ten commandments, avoiding the 7 sins, respecting everyones opinion/culture/beliefs, loving each individual unconditionally, etc,etc, as these things are a huge part of me as a whole and have made me (or more like it has put me on the journey to become) a better person ( and plz dont think that i am suggesting u have to religious to be a good person, cause u definately dont). So i would still keep my morals and habits.

But i already believe that a huge part of the bible is a lie or atleast not interpreted exactly as it was told by the ppl who worte them. Religon, each and every religon is the same thing, retold in different ways, originated from Ancient religons, which originated from paganism. in christianity, Catholics, protestants, presbyterians- theyre all the same with slite difference. Even the biggest religons such as muslim, Christianity and juadism, are the same basic beliefs. I believe that the illusion of separation between these religons is the conspiracy and has been used by the higher darker powers as a device to create war, poverty and enslavement. That is why im going through a life altering moment, where this realisation is causing me to stop calling myself religous but call myself a "spiritual person"
So i would not really be affected by this realisation that religon is false.

But i do know, that i will always have faith in the higher power of divine energy and a source of infinite love that many call god. I will always believe in that no matter what evidence is given agaisnt religon

To follow a religion you need faith. Faith is to believe in the unseen, the unknown.

Faith cannot be proven or substantiated.

So even if your religion was proven false or fake, as long as you got faith, it is of no consequense.

Keep the faith

VVV

If it was proven that the foundations were false, it would be very hard to still have faith.

reply to post by 547000


and in regards to your thread that you created entirely as an opposition to this one, if one of the religions is proved true then it would prove only one faith is true.

reply to post by Mykahel

Without God and a hope for the future, everything is meaningless.

Yeah, you guys keep saying this. Why? Why?

I don't belive in God. Haven't for years. Life continues to be just as meaningful to me as it was when I was still religious. Not one scintilla of purpose or significance was lost when I ceased to believe.

Just what is this meaning that is lost when God goes AWOL?

What changes?

Please explain this to me, because, honestly, I just don't see it.

It wouldn't affect me, society would just find something else to cling on to when they need help with something. The money the churches have should already be used for other stuff, and I disagree with most religion 100%.

Fortunately for me I follow a religion based all toward self worship and then some. So anything about a higher power or anything like that is of no concern to me. When/If they do every disprove religion, I think it will be a good day for the entire world, but like I said, we will come up with something else in time.

reply to post by awake_and_aware


I created that thread because people in this thread kept bringing up the question in this thread.

reply to post by Astyanax


Well, if you don't believe in an afterlife either, the fact is nothing matters in the long run. All your happiness is for naught, because when you go, it will not exist. All the memories you leave behind is for naught, because the people who remember you will die. All your contributions to humanity is naught, for civilizations come and go and all is forgotten over time. Humanity itself is for naught, because it will perish eventually and everything will be as though it never happened. Everything on Earth will be for naught, because all life here will end, not even billion years of evolution matters. The universe itself and everything in it is for naught, because it will end, either by expansion or collapse, and nothing inside it will matter. No matter what you do are hope for you are nothing but an insignificant speck who is not able to contribute anything to a universe that is set to end, rendering all accomplishments pointless. If there's no way to have something eternal, whether it is God or the afterlife, all things are in vain in the long run. Life would be just a temporary game of trying to pass on your genes and die, and for reasons already discussed that game is pretty pointless too, because life will end. All your other accomplishments are pointless because there won't be anyone left to even think of them, let alone admire them, and then the universe will end, wiping everything out. You will have done nothing when that moment happens. At the end of the day, all is meaningless if there's nothing eternal, whether it be an observer or an actor.

Religion is sitting in church thinking about fishing.
Spirituality is fishing and thinking about God

Well then I guess I will have to settle with being only as happy as any atheist after I die. Before that happens,
spending what's left of life with no hope for the future and in the realisation of knowing life is just a space
between two nothings. Not that appealling.

astyanax

Yeah, you guys keep saying this. Why? Why?

Why? Why ask why? Isn't it self explanatory?

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

has anyone proved religion false in this thread yet?

i have not read all of it yet.

thanks,
et

reply to post by Astyanax


Hmmm... I guess the best way I could put it is this...

When I consider whether or not something has purpose or meaning, I look to the end result. For instance, sometimes I get depressed because I waste a whole day simply entertaining myself via movies, games, reading, whatever, and have not done anything productive. There is nothing to show for my time spent. In the same way, even if we are the most productive people in the world, if we simply cease to exist when all is said and done, what have we accomplished?

I could make more money than anyone in the world, but since some day I will die, it will go to another person and I will simply vanish. What have I accomplished?

I could learn the secrets of every science known to man, but since I will die and fade away, what have I accomplished?

I may gather up more cars than anybody on the block, but since I cannot keep them, what have I truly accomplished?

I may save more lives than anybody else in the world, but since we will all die eventually, what have I really accomplished?

Unless an action has significance for eternity instead of just these short years we live on earth, I don't see the point. I guess that is where I am coming from with the Life's Purpose stuff.I can promise that Saul said it all a lot better in Ecclesiastes.

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

How is that supposed to happen? Hunans are so trustworthy.

Above Top Secret

Originally posted by Mykahel
Unless an action has significance for eternity instead of just these short years we live on earth, I don't see the point.

This merely repeats what you said earlier. My question is why? It seems to me the height of arrogance, not to mention the height of stupidity knowing what we know about the world, to expect eternal significance out of any human action. There is certainly no rational argument for doing so.

I can promise that Saul said it all a lot better in Ecclesiastes.

I've read Ecclesiastes. No help there either.

Are you sure people don't make God up just to make themselves and their actions feel important?

*

Originally posted by 547000
All your happiness is for naught, because when you go, it will not exist.

What need have I for happiness when I have ceased to exist?

All the memories you leave behind is for naught, because the people who remember you will die.

What need have I to be remembered when I have ceased to exist?

Humanity itself is for naught, because it will perish eventually and everything will be as though it never happened.

What need have we for memorials, when we have ceased to exist?

No matter what you do are hope for you are nothing but an insignificant speck who is not able to contribute anything to a universe that is set to end, rendering all accomplishments pointless.

What need have we for significance, when we have ceased to exist?

If there's no way to have something eternal, whether it is God or the afterlife, all things are in vain in the long run.

What need have I for eternity, when I have ceased to exist?

*

Originally posted by randyvs
Isn't it self explanatory?

If it was, would I be asking the question?

Hmm... Good question OP. I'm a Christian, Catholic to be exact however I've not been to church for years. However, I do have a personal relationship towards God.

But in all honesty, if I found out that dying led you only to darkness, that there's no life after death... I think I would be relieved. I don't think it'd change much about me or who I am. Although, I would find blasphemous jokes a little more funny.

So yeah, there you have it. If I found out that the "deity" I worship doesn't exist, and there's no life after death, I'd be relieved.

reply to post by Astyanax


Exactly, the simple answer to all of life's problems would be to cease to exist, such as committing suicide.

reply to post by 547000

I disagree. Life's problems are best solved by living and learning.

The problems you spoke of are not life's problems, though. They're all after-death problems. Meaning: not problems at all.

Anyway, you still haven't explained why all this eternal significance is so vital to you and your fellow believers. How does the lack of eternal significance detract from the flavour of chocolate ice-cream, the pains of love, the power of sexual desire or the satisfaction of proving Fermat's last theorem? Is your newborn daughter any less precious to you because she lacks eternal significance?

Is my neighbour less worth loving because he lacks eternal significance? Really?

how can you prove a belief is a lie?



that's what religion is. belief. hope, trust. who or what can take that away?

buy it? force it?


non issue, imo.

reply to post by Astyanax


Unrequited love? Suicide. Money problems? Suicide. Any issue that makes you feel hurt? Suicide.

There's absolutely nothing precious about life if there's no significance to it. What makes a human life any more precious that a grain of sand or bacteria? In fact, life is the worst thing you can bring in to the world, it is just suffering with some transitory entertainment on the side. What makes existence any more important then non-existence? It's all a temporary practical joke where the punchline is it was all for nothing. If it was proven there was no afterlife, some men would seek immortality, some men would seek death. Those who were fortunate enough to enjoy life would do anything to extend it, and those who hate life would do anything to end it.

Originally posted by 547000
Unrequited love? Suicide. Money problems? Suicide. Any issue that makes you feel hurt? Suicide.

Oh come now, that's a bit feeble, isn't it? Are you telling me that if there were no God people would immediately lose the pride, courage, tenacity, sense of duty and sheer bloody-mindedness that drives most of us to stay alive? That we would lose our instinct for self-preservation? That we would no longer fear death?

What an extraordinary claim for anyone to make. Do you really believe that?

There's absolutely nothing precious about life if there's no significance to it.

There you go repeating yourselves again.

What makes a human life any more precious that a grain of sand or bacteria?

The fact that I am human, which means that I possess empathy and know what it means to be human, is surely more than sufficient to make other human lives more precious to me than sand or bacteria. In the big picture, a human life may be no more significant than that of a bacterium, but who cares about the big picture? Value is a human concept anyway; let us acknowledge its human dimensions and not try to inflate it with talk of God.

In fact, life is the worst thing you can bring in to the world, it is just suffering with some transitory entertainment on the side.

Really? Would you rather be dead then? Is it only the fear of Hell that keeps you alive? Sounds a bit pathetic.

I have lived over half a century. Your description of life seems a little harsh to me.

What makes existence any more important then non-existence?

Again, the fact that it is your existence, and the only one you have, should be more than enough, surely?

It's all a temporary practical joke where the punchline is it was all for nothing.

Only people who think life should have some eternal significance are likely to fall for such a joke.

If none of you believers can answer my simple question, shouldn't you be drawing a lesson from that?