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Non Christians: if the Christian God is real...

an anarchist

Your local anarchist.
I’m asking non Christians this hypothetical. If the Christian God was undoubtedly real, would you become a Christian? Let’s say the Christian God proved Himself to you, He does whatever He has to to make you believe. Maybe the sky was ripped open in front of you and Jesus Christ poked His head out and said “hey”.
I saw someone say that “even if he was real, he wouldn’t meet my moral standards.” Is this true for you? The God of the Bible does some pretty gnarly stuff. And He commanded the Israelites to do some gnarly stuff with His law.
For me, I think I would serve Him. I would suspend my understanding of moral standards I suppose. Allow myself to know that I have a subjective perspective. What about you though? Even if He is real, would you want to be His follower?
I am unsure of my position. Jehovah is mighty but arguably immoral from our human perspective. Jesus Christ is great though, died for us and stuff.
 

dybmh

דניאל יוסף בן מאיר הירש
No, I wouldn't follow the Christian God called "The Father". It would be a test of faith to follow the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Deuteronomy 13:1-3.
 

JustGeorge

Not As Much Fun As I Look
Staff member
Premium Member
No. I assume he's real, just like I believe in most other Gods(a few I question). However, I don't see any indication that he's what Christians seem to think he is. This whole monotheism thing came later, and I highly suspect that was a political move.

To me, he seems to be the God of one group of people.

I perceive Jesus as a teacher. Son of God? Aren't we all? (Or, daughters.)
 

Exaltist Ethan

Bridging the Gap Between Believers and Skeptics
I’m asking non Christians this hypothetical. If the Christian God was undoubtedly real, would you become a Christian? Let’s say the Christian God proved Himself to you, He does whatever He has to to make you believe. Maybe the sky was ripped open in front of you and Jesus Christ poked His head out and said “hey”.

I hope he would say more than hey. And if the sky was ripped open in front of me I think a lot of people would see it. I probably would question my own sanity and ask other people if they can see the same thing. But I get what you are saying. If there was proof, and not just something written in a book created roughly two-thousand years ago ... I'd believe. But then my entire being and identity would be ripped to shreds.

I saw someone say that “even if he was real, he wouldn’t meet my moral standards.” Is this true for you? The God of the Bible does some pretty gnarly stuff. And He commanded the Israelites to do some gnarly stuff with His law.

Entropy has killed everything that ever existed. Yahweh has done less damage than my God.

For me, I think I would serve Him. I would suspend my understanding of moral standards I suppose. Allow myself to know that I have a subjective perspective. What about you though? Even if He is real, would you want to be His follower?

Hmm. Well, I had this idea at one point to possibly call myself a Jewish Christian, if your hypothetical became true. I would spend every Saturday reading parts of the Old Testament and every Sunday reading parts of the New Testament. I would try to know this God as much as possible, and if He exposed himself to me, I would try to regain that exposure as much as possible; to ask questions, to understand Him, and his creation a little more.

I am unsure of my position. Jehovah is mighty but arguably immoral from our human perspective. Jesus Christ is great though, died for us and stuff.

Well, I just told you mine. I would attend any church and synagogue I could for this thirst of God to end. Or maybe I would incorporate my own syntheism into this God, and essentially become a Mormon. Or maybe my pacifism would lead to me to become a Mennonite. I would try my best to follow the path of this God as well as I could.

I think in the end however I would just use and wear the label of Jewish Christian, or Judeo-Christian. I'd wear a cross, either by tattoo or by some form of jewelry or clothing. And I would ask this God how He created The Omniverse. I know I wouldn't be able to understand his answer and the language would probably be foreign to me, but that is something I would need to know to convert.
 

an anarchist

Your local anarchist.
No. I assume he's real, just like I believe in most other Gods(a few I question). However, I don't see any indication that he's what Christians seem to think he is. This whole monotheism thing came later, and I highly suspect that was a political move.

To me, he seems to be the God of one group of people.

I perceive Jesus as a teacher. Son of God? Aren't we all? (Or, daughters.)
I was reading that Yahweh was perhaps a local tribal war god from Cannan that was adopted by the Hebrews. The religion of the Hebrews wasn’t monotheistic at first, it was henotheistic.edit Or polytheistic. I’m not too sure.
 
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F1fan

Veteran Member
I’m asking non Christians this hypothetical. If the Christian God was undoubtedly real, would you become a Christian? Let’s say the Christian God proved Himself to you, He does whatever He has to to make you believe. Maybe the sky was ripped open in front of you and Jesus Christ poked His head out and said “hey”.
I suggest many non-believers already have a moral outlook that is similar to what Jesus taught, and often are more like Jesus than many Christians.

So what you are really asking is would non-believers be convinced of the supernatural and implausible concepts that are part of Christianity and lore. If there WAS evidence I would adjust my views, as would many non-believers. If a God actually showed up and cleared the air, then we wouldn't need to believe, we would know.

Let's note that believers believe because they are not certain their religious concepts are true. All belief is subject to human judgment and can be in error. Believers have adopted belief from social influence and social experience, not because they made a sober and objective assessment of evidence and then came to a sound conclusion.

Even if the myth of Jesus was true it would still be an absurd, Rube Goldberg type of plan by a perfect God. My reasoning of the implausibility of the Jesus myth is in part due to the absurdity of this story and in no way a perfect plan. It really accomplished very little as to save mankind if read literally. It further depends upon sin, and as we know sin occurred due to the Fall of Man in the Garden, and that myth is also flawed, absurd, and implausible literally. So the dominoes fall, no pun intended, for the whole Jesus myth because none of the necessary elements are plausible, moral, or even smart, let alone perfect.
 

JustGeorge

Not As Much Fun As I Look
Staff member
Premium Member
I was reading that Yahweh was perhaps a local tribal war god from Cannan that was adopted by the Hebrews. The religion of the Hebrews wasn’t monotheistic at first, it was henotheistic.

Those are my thoughts on it, too.
 

Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist
Premium Member
I’m asking non Christians this hypothetical. If the Christian God was undoubtedly real, would you become a Christian? Let’s say the Christian God proved Himself to you, He does whatever He has to to make you believe. Maybe the sky was ripped open in front of you and Jesus Christ poked His head out and said “hey”.
I saw someone say that “even if he was real, he wouldn’t meet my moral standards.” Is this true for you? The God of the Bible does some pretty gnarly stuff. And He commanded the Israelites to do some gnarly stuff with His law.
For me, I think I would serve Him. I would suspend my understanding of moral standards I suppose. Allow myself to know that I have a subjective perspective. What about you though? Even if He is real, would you want to be His follower?
I am unsure of my position. Jehovah is mighty but arguably immoral from our human perspective. Jesus Christ is great though, died for us and stuff.

Would have to prove they weren't the same petty God of the Bible. Or they'd at least have a lot of explaining to do. I don't like the biblical God so hopefully there are not one in the same.
 

F1fan

Veteran Member
I was reading that Yahweh was perhaps a local tribal war god from Cannan that was adopted by the Hebrews. The religion of the Hebrews wasn’t monotheistic at first, it was henotheistic.
Yes, that is the most reliable history of the evolution of Yahweh. Even the Genesis accounts of creation illustrate a multiple God scenario. The two creation accounts were explained as a compromise of two different gods having their own accounts of creation, so the Hebrews included both versions. Over time this got whittled down to "one true God".
 

ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
If the Christian God was undoubtedly real, would you become a Christian?

Nope, why would i want to follow a nasty deity who murdered most of his own creation, condones rape, slavery, theft, and all that is bad in humanity?

“even if he was real, he wouldn’t meet my moral standards.” Is this true for you?
.

See above paragraph

I would of course be asking some very difficult questions of said god though
 
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Exaltist Ethan

Bridging the Gap Between Believers and Skeptics
After the phase of chaos, disaster and darkness, it will very much have been worth it.

My GOD, the dasein would stop me from eating, bathing, sleeping, I would be a stump breathing and drooling for weeks! Okay that is probably an exaggeration but I would be a wreck for awhile.
 

viole

Ontological Naturalist
Premium Member
I’m asking non Christians this hypothetical. If the Christian God was undoubtedly real, would you become a Christian?
Yes. Of course.

I saw someone say that “even if he was real, he wouldn’t meet my moral standards.” Is this true for you? The God of the Bible does some pretty gnarly stuff. And He commanded the Israelites to do some gnarly stuff with His law.
For me, I think I would serve Him. I would suspend my understanding of moral standards I suppose. Allow myself to know that I have a subjective perspective. What about you though? Even if He is real, would you want to be His follower?
I am unsure of my position. Jehovah is mighty but arguably immoral from our human perspective. Jesus Christ is great though, died for us and stuff.
That would not be relevant. If the Christian God proved Himself (or Themselves) to me, then I would assume that my morality is defective.

Ciao

- viole
 

9-10ths_Penguin

1/10 Subway Stalinist
Premium Member
I’m asking non Christians this hypothetical. If the Christian God was undoubtedly real, would you become a Christian? Let’s say the Christian God proved Himself to you, He does whatever He has to to make you believe. Maybe the sky was ripped open in front of you and Jesus Christ poked His head out and said “hey”.
I saw someone say that “even if he was real, he wouldn’t meet my moral standards.” Is this true for you? The God of the Bible does some pretty gnarly stuff. And He commanded the Israelites to do some gnarly stuff with His law.
For me, I think I would serve Him. I would suspend my understanding of moral standards I suppose. Allow myself to know that I have a subjective perspective. What about you though? Even if He is real, would you want to be His follower?
I've found that I just can't follow evil.

Even if I could appreciate intellectually that becoming a follower of the Christian God would be in my best interest, I don't think I could do it. Reflexively, I think my brain just couldn't handle going against my conscience in such an extreme way.

I am unsure of my position. Jehovah is mighty but arguably immoral from our human perspective. Jesus Christ is great though, died for us and stuff.
Died for us to save us from Jehovah, though. It's a weird dynamic, and it gets weirder depending on your take on the Trinity. Some takes end up in a very weird, abusive "I hurt myself to show you I love you" place.
 

VoidCat

Pronouns: he/him/they/them
No. I assume he's real, just like I believe in most other Gods(a few I question). However, I don't see any indication that he's what Christians seem to think he is. This whole monotheism thing came later, and I highly suspect that was a political move.

To me, he seems to be the God of one group of people.

I perceive Jesus as a teacher. Son of God? Aren't we all? (Or, daughters.)
same. I mean I have offerings on my altar to Jesus.
 

9-10ths_Penguin

1/10 Subway Stalinist
Premium Member
That would not be relevant. If the Christian God proved Himself (or Themselves) to me, then I would assume that my morality is defective.
If we're taking all of Christianity as a package deal, then one implication of the Garden of Eden story is that humanity has knowledge of good and evil "as God," and our moral sense can't be defective.
 

viole

Ontological Naturalist
Premium Member
If we're taking all of Christianity as a package deal, then one implication of the Garden of Eden story is that humanity has knowledge of good and evil "as God," and our moral sense can't be defective.
Good point. You just proved that the Christian God cannot exist, since assuming it as premise, leads to a contradiction.

Ciao

- viole
 

Hermit Philosopher

Selflessly here for you
I think I would serve Him.

What would you serving God look like? I mean, how are you being called to serve God?


arguably immoral from our human perspective.

Next time you go to dwell in God (via contemplation, prayer, meditation or however you yourself transcend), ask to understand the Divine perspective better. Ask specifics if you wish. Like “explain X in a manner that I can understand it”.

And be grateful once you do.
And never forget what things seemed like before you understood them differently.
And always remain humble towards your fellow being.

And I’ll stop now.


Humbly
Hermit
 

mikkel_the_dane

My own religion
I’m asking non Christians this hypothetical. If the Christian God was undoubtedly real, would you become a Christian? Let’s say the Christian God proved Himself to you, He does whatever He has to to make you believe. Maybe the sky was ripped open in front of you and Jesus Christ poked His head out and said “hey”.
...

As a skeptic I don't believe God can prove Herself to me, because I would need to be God to know I am not being tricked.
So I can't answer the rest.
 
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