Atheist Poll (Judgment Day)

[HonestJoe]

Forget, just for a moment, your world view. I'll show you . . . watch me . . . if I discovered God wasn't true I would abandon the concept and teach that he didn't exist to anyone who would listen. See? Easy.

Now . . . you are resurrected from the dead, you know for a fact that God exists. There is no denying it. This is a hypothetical scenario. Would you choose everlasting life under perfect conditions or everlasting destruction. Not hell. Just death. No consciousness. Which one?

You could make up any hypothetical forced choice with one good option and one terrible option but I don't see the point. Obviously I'd choose the first of those two options. Nobody in their right mind would do otherwise. What have you demonstrated by that answer though?

Also, that wasn't the question in your OP.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

According to the Bible judgement day is a 1,000 year period where those who hadn't had the opportunity to become well antiquated with the Bible, i.e. God's Word, Jesus and his ransom sacrifice, were allowed to learn. Then Satan, who will have been imprisoned for that time is released and allowed to present his side of things. Those following Satan follow him to his destruction, those rejecting Satan live forever in paradise on earth.

It's possible you would learn of God's position on homosexuality and other things more than possible in this life or world or system. In this way those are much more fortunate than we are. But this is a hypothetical. You and I and everyone here are already judged. Of course, we could change our position before we die.

I understand the JW position and that this is just a hypothetical.
I just reject arguments that aren't from a strong consequentialist or utilitarian background from any being including a possible god and reject the 'if not god than satan' view which I see as a false dilemma.

 

[Earthling]

The choice is moot. If I am experiencing everlasting, I am alive.

Nevermind

 

[Earthling]

You could make up any hypothetical forced choice with one good option and one terrible option but I don't see the point. Obviously I'd choose the first of those two options. Nobody in their right mind would do otherwise. What have you demonstrated by that answer though?

Also, that wasn't the question in your OP.

Not everyone would agree that the second option was terrible.

 

[Earthling]

I understand the JW position and that this is just a hypothetical.
I just reject arguments that aren't from a strong consequentialist or utilitarian background from any being including a possible god and reject the 'if not god than satan' view which I see as a false dilemma.

Okay then.

 

[Willamena]

Nevermind

Death is momentary, not everlasting.


Actually, life is too.

 

[Bob the Unbeliever]

Nope not at all, whether it be unbelievers or believers, all shall stand before the Judgement seat of Christ Jesus. As it is written,

Prove it. Hint: your bible isn't evidence. It's your claim.

 

[Rational Agnostic]

I think it would depend a lot on the circumstance. What sort of God what sort of judgment. For example if part of the Judgment was that I had gay friends and didn't discourage them from being gay and that's bad because I said so, I would tell that God to **** right the hell off.
I would like to say that I'm the kind of person who wouldn't change my values to save my skin. That would be too totalitarian for my liking and besides would feel like disingenuous lip service anyway.

Wow, that's impressive. In all honesty, if I were being yelled at by an omnipotent superman in the sky, I'd probably just s**t myself.

 

[HonestJoe]

Not everyone would agree that the second option was terrible.

Are you going to get to a point any time soon?

 

[Earthling]

Are you going to get to a point any time soon?

We passed it a long time ago, dude. It was a simple question. I find it interesting that most atheists can't seem to answer a simple question, but alas . . . as evasive as some were, as a whole they certainly did better than the Christians did in their poll.

 

[Faithofchristian]

Prove it. Hint: your bible isn't evidence. It's your claim.

The Bible is evidence, further more I have nothing to prove to you.

 

[blü 2]

If God sets the standards and someone hasn't heard of God then how can they uphold those standards? The fact is, they can, but they can't make an informed choice.

Who cares? Isn't the important thing moral conduct in accordance with our evolved behavioral tendencies as a gregarious species? Why would God want to stamp [his] ego all over it?

And if indeed that was the regime [he] desired, why hasn't [he] spelt it out clearly? Hey guys, I've changed my mind and effective 1st January, slavery is out. Or Hey guys, neo-liberalism will send you to hell and keep you there, effective immediately. Or as the case may be. Why choose hundreds of thousand of different and conflicting spokesfolk? The least [he] could do would be to provide an objective test to see whose words have [his] imprimatur and whose don't. Far better if [he] had a net site or at least a TV slot to make [his] announcements personally.

Is [he] stupid? Doesn't [he] understand humans? Isn't [he] aware that [his] present tactics don't work, don't change anything much? Have all the hallmarks of a trap?

That's your willful ignorance talking. If you were a worker in this business and someone was appointed by the company C.E.O. to tell you a message and you failed to comply to that message it isn't the C.E.O.s fault just because you don't know who he is.

It is indeed the CEO's fault if [he] doesn't immediately get rid of poorly performing employees and agents, doesn't immediately correct any distortions of [his] actual message, doesn't immediately set up selection systems to exclude such people ever after.

And when I say 'immediately', we're talking about an entity whose billing says [he]'s omniscient, setting up the question why [he] didn't foresee and prevent all such problems in the first place.

I believe we've been down that road already, you and I. Christ didn't promise his Kingdom would be set up in his audience's lifetime. He said that some of them would see the beginnings of that in his being approved by God for that task at that time. 3 days later some of them saw the transfiguration.

Mark 9
1 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.”

Matthew 16 -
28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.”

Luke 9
27 But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”

What do you say some (but not all) of those standing there later saw before they died that represented 'the kingdom of God ... come with power'? It can't be Jesus' presence on earth first time round, because they'd all already seen that. Nor can it be Constantine, because they were all dead by then. So what, exactly, represents the fulfillment of this thrice-repeated promise?

We demonstrate our choices in our actions and beliefs. It's easy to say you believe in God or don't believe in God, but do you act accordingly. Most of your adolescent like angst comes from a disliking of religion.

Not, do you act accordingly? but Do you act with decency?

Do you try to be a good child, parent, partner, friend, neighbor, citizen?

If you do, it doesn't matter whether you're religious or not.

If you don't, it doesn't matter whether you're religious or not.

If there's a god and [he]'s unhappy with that and insists on dragging [his] ego onto center stage instead, that's [his] problem, not mine.

 

[Ancient Soul]

I, uh . . . I don't know what to say. But, boy howdy I sure am glad I got you here to remind me of my own mythology. If, uh, if only you had been here when I wrote that.

No problem, that's what I'm here for, to help all Christians overcome their own ignorance.

 

[HonestJoe]

We passed it a long time ago, dude. It was a simple question. I find it interesting that most atheists can't seem to answer a simple question, but alas . . . as evasive as some were, as a whole they certainly did better than the Christians did in their poll.

It isn’t a simple question though, it has thousands of years of religion, faith, history and rhetoric behind it. You can’t ask the kind of question you did and expect people to simply ignore or dismiss all of that background.

Also, nobody asks “simple” questions like this without intending to establish some point or opinion on the basis of the replies. Anyway, I did answer your question (despite it’s flaws).

 

[Milton Platt]

According to my understanding of the Bible, believers are judged in this life, so judgement day isn't for them. Judgement day is also not for the unbelievers because they are, like Christians, judged in this lifetime. Judgement day is a period of time when the unrighteous are resurrected in order to present them, having not been introduced to the good news of the kingdom, to then make an informed decision. But what if you, an unbeliever, was resurrected to judgement day and it was obvious that God did exist. Would you change your position?

everyone is either a believer or a non-believer. So who is left to be judged?

 

[Earthling]

everyone is either a believer or a non-believer. So who is left to be judged?

Those who haven't been introduced to the teachings and history to make an informed decision as to whether they are a believer on not.

 

[Milton Platt]

Those who haven't been introduced to the teachings and history to make an informed decision as to whether they are a believer on not.

they cannot believe in a god if they do not have access to the teachings about a particular god or know the history of a particular religion.

That makes them an atheist, since they do not beleive in the god. You cannot believe in something you have no knowledge of.

Also, there are uncountable numbers of people,who believe in a particular god without knowing the history of that religion, so that cannot be a factor.

 

[nPeace]

According to my understanding of the Bible, believers are judged in this life, so judgement day isn't for them. Judgement day is also not for the unbelievers because they are, like Christians, judged in this lifetime. Judgement day is a period of time when the unrighteous are resurrected in order to present them, having not been introduced to the good news of the kingdom, to then make an informed decision. But what if you, an unbeliever, was resurrected to judgement day and it was obvious that God did exist. Would you change your position?

Earthling, I think this was a well thought out, and creative post.
After reading 75% of the first page, all I can say is, Wow. If I didn't know before, how much people hate righteousness, I do now. Jesus was so right,
John 3:20 . . .whoever practices vile things hates the light and does not come to the light. . .
John 7:7 . . .it hates me, because I bear witness about it that its works are wicked.
John 15:23 Whoever hates me also hates my Father.
of course.
...as well as all the scriptures...
Romans 1:28-32
28 Just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them over to a disapproved mental state, to do the things not fitting. 29 And they were filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, and badness, being full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice, being whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, schemers of what is harmful, disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding, false to agreements, having no natural affection, and merciless. 32 Although these know full well the righteous decree of God — that those practicing such things are deserving of death — they not only keep on doing them but also approve of those practicing them.
Wow. Accurate to a T.
See ya.

 

[Bob the Unbeliever]

The Bible is evidence, further more I have nothing to prove to you.

No. It's not. It is your claim. You cannot use your claim to "prove" your claim.

 

[Faithofchristian]

No. It's not. It is your claim. You cannot use your claim to "prove" your claim.

The Bible is all the Evidence all I need
The Bible is all the Evidence all I need.

Maybe not to you, but for me, the Bible is all the Evidence I need

If you can't handle it, that's your problem.