What would you expect people to do if a real God sent a real Messenger to earth?

[Audie]

I just can't take seriously a god image dependent upon human spokesmen.

Yet another one won't change that.
Tom

At best, all but one was a phony, so far.

 

[columbus]

At best, all but one was a phony, so far.

Well, in fairness, the ongoing plot of Abrahamic religion is progressive revelation. Past prophets weren't phony, they just didn't have the whole story, and what they did have was corrupted by human contact.

Nevertheless, I still believe that Almighty God would do better if He existed and cared about what we do and believe.
Tom

 

[dfnj]

The problem would be in ascertaining the legitimacy of the claim. How would one arrive at accepting such claims as being genuine? It would almost have to be a leap of faith... and that is expecting a lot in this day and age.

People accept the official story on 9/11 without question. Why wouldn't they make such a leap?

 

[dfnj]

People's reactions depend on how charismatic some speaker is and how popular the message is, no matter what source they quote if any.

What would the messenger do and would the messenger say he is a messenger?

People who are drunk on power believe they ARE God.

 

[dfnj]

Well, in fairness, the ongoing plot of Abrahamic religion is progressive revelation. Past prophets weren't phony, they just didn't have the whole story, and what they did have was corrupted by human contact.

Nevertheless, I still believe that Almighty God would do better if He existed and cared about what we do and believe.
Tom

God does care if you choose to believe it. It's kind of like the terms "partly cloudy" or "partly sunny". They both describe the exact same experience with different connotations. What is "right" and "good" in the World is very subjective. Some people believe all religions are "evil" and cause nothing but suffering. Other people believe human nature is why we suffer. The whole question about God is very subjective.

 

[Stevicus]

I just can't take seriously a god image dependent upon human spokesmen.

I liked this little exchange between Joan of Arc and her Conscience from the movie https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0151137/?ref_=ttqt_qt_tt:


The Conscience: Who are you to even think you can know the difference between good and evil? Are you God?

Joan of Arc: I am just the messenger. He needs me.

The Conscience: How can you imagine that God, the creator of heaven and Earth, the source of all life, could possibly need you?

Joan of Arc: I don't know.

The Conscience: You don't think He's big enough to deliver His own messages?

 

[dfnj]

Homer Simpson agrees with you

Homer Simpson is obviously sent by God to give us messages!

 

[columbus]

God does care if you choose to believe it.

Believe what?

Why would I think so? Why should I believe you about it?
Tom

 

[dfnj]

I liked this little exchange between Joan of Arc and her Conscience from the movie https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0151137/?ref_=ttqt_qt_tt:


The Conscience: Who are you to even think you can know the difference between good and evil? Are you God?

Joan of Arc: I am just the messenger. He needs me.

The Conscience: How can you imagine that God, the creator of heaven and Earth, the source of all life, could possibly need you?

Joan of Arc: I don't know.

The Conscience: You don't think He's big enough to deliver His own messages?

Great movie!

 

[columbus]

The whole question about God is very subjective.

Which is why I don't take unsupported assertions about God very seriously.
I believe in God, sorta. I don't much believe in religion. That's just people talking about things that they don't really know anything about.
Tom

 

[dfnj]

Believe what?

Why would I think so? Why should I believe you about it?
Tom

Our beliefs about God are purely subjective. Many people choose to believe God cares for them. You apparently do not. The thing is why is one opinion better than another? It may be superstitious delusional BS. But who cares if it makes someone feel warm and happy. The feelings are real.

 

[dfnj]

Which is why I don't take unsupported assertions about God very seriously.
I believe in God, sorta. I don't much believe in religion. That's just people talking about things that they don't really know anything about.
Tom

I wan't trying to convince you God exists and cares for us with objective evidence. All I was saying is people choose to believe in God.

 

[Bob the Unbeliever]

What would you expect people to do if a real God sent a real Messenger to earth?

My first question would be to question the motive of needing to send just a messenger in the first place?

My next question would be, what is the morality of arbitrarily elevating a single being into "messenger" status over everyone else? How is that helpful, or even Fair?

My next question would be wondering about the now dubious morality of this "god" being-- and was it really a god, and not some Alien Super-advance Tech, who's hidden motives could not possibly be good.....

 

[ChristineM]

This is why I can't believe that the Gospels are much accurate.
Had that many people actually seen the publicly executed and Resurrected Jesus and then His Ascension, I am certain that Christianity would have exploded across Judea and the Roman Empire.
Tom

The gospels are selected by committee centuries after events to create a story to woo the masses. As you say, had JCs death and the following month been witnessed there would have been little need for a committee.

 

[columbus]

not some Alien Super-advance Tech, who's hidden motives could not possibly be good.....

What if the Aliens motives were good for everyone in the Galaxy, except for us?
Let's face it, as a group, the Human Race is violently dysfunctional. What if the Aliens are acting out of self defense when they sterilize the Earth? The way we humans might put down a dangerous dog?
Tom

 

[allfoak]

What would you expect people to do if a real God sent a real Messenger to earth?

Exactly what they are doing now.

 

[arthra]

What would you expect people to do if a real God sent a real Messenger to earth?

I would expect people to disbelieve the Messenger initially and then persecute His followers and finally to crucify or execute the Messenger as they have done in the past....

 

[Bob the Unbeliever]

What if the Aliens motives were good for everyone in the Galaxy, except for us?
Let's face it, as a group, the Human Race is violently dysfunctional. What if the Aliens are acting out of self defense when they sterilize the Earth? The way we humans might put down a dangerous dog?
Tom

A fair question. But, I think we have a right to exist. And regardless, I'd fight such a being or beings, if I was able.

Might Does Not Make Right, and your hypothetical aliens are guilty of that.

 

[LuisDantas]

What would you expect people to do if a real God sent a real Messenger to earth?

This is a hypothetical question and it is mostly directed at nonbelievers.
Believers can answer this too if they want to.

I have a specific reason for asking this but I want to leave it open-ended for now.

This kind of question really needs an effort at describing what a real God and a real Messenger would be like. ( Power to Ignosticism! )

I don't think that you are challenging the existence of, say, Rastafarians and Cargo Cults. Therefore I must assume that you are making implicit assumptions about what would qualify real gods and messengers.

Personally, I find both concepts essentially useless and meaningless. (Power to Apatheism too! )

Therefore, my answer to the question as made in the OP is, honestly: nothing. I would not expect anything, not even the recognition of whoever those god and messenger would happen to be. There is no logical reason to expect gods and their messengers to be detectable. An existence with gods and messengers is exactly the same as one without those, until and unless some reason is presented to expect otherwise.

Now, if you want to know what I would expect to see to convince me that both a meaningful deity (or deities) and some person or persons that particularly qualify as its messengers exist, it is a toss up between I just happening to feel like perceiving everyday people as such (and that does happen, although I still don't find the words meaningful enough to deserve usage) or seeing actual evidence of people and a message that truly indicate wisdom and personal development. I guess some people would prefer miracles, but I am not a miracle person.

 

[Bob the Unbeliever]

I wan't trying to convince you God exists and cares for us with objective evidence. All I was saying is people choose to believe in God.

I would re-phrase that: the vast majority are never given an actual choice in the matter-- they are brainwashed from infancy into the GodMeme idea, and that mental paradigm is insidiously effective at remaining firmly embedded in one's thought processes. Very difficult to dislodge. Just ask any atheist who was raised in a Deep God Culture.