If you had proof of no god would you show the world?

[opaltiger]

But atheism is merely a different set of morals

No, it isn't. Atheism is a lack of belief in a deity or deities. Stop trying to make the word mean things it doesn't.

 

[Vladimir Putin's LJ]

I wasn't going to respond to this thread because everything's pretty much been said. However,

No. Although they deserve to know the truth, it would be too horrible to share.

Opening sentence already sounds like we're proposing a 'SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE' scenario.

Our world revolves around many religious beliefs, and without them, it would be chaos. Think about it: the Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, Vikings, Africans, Native Americans... Every culture centered around a religion, so taking it away would be the end of the world.

The problem being: ancient Romans, Greeks, Egyptians and Vikings a) don't exist anymore and b) were polytheistic so it's a completely different ballgame. Africans and Native Americans do exist (obviously) but both are polytheistic and mostly spiritual. Anyway, if we NOW said that there is/are no gods, ancient civilizations wouldn't be affected at all since they're, well, ancient.

People would be afraid to die even more, killers would stop because they'd be afraid of a retaliation killing, prices would skyrocket until no one could afford anything because people would buy everything they wanted so they'd enjoy their short lives... Life would suddenly be empty, and people would stop having children so they wouldn't suffer too.

hmm ah yes I remember the times when me and all my atheist friends stopped enjoying life because we didn't fear horrible torture in the afterlife.

Anyway, don't talk about things you don't understand. People are and will always be afraid of death, regardless of religion; killers stopping killing... is a good thing? They wouldn't stop anyway. Don't you know anything about the psychology of killers? Come on; even with religion people already buy a ton of shit (guess what, we're in a recession) because you can't take any of your wordly possessions with you so you kind of have to acquire them in life and people wouldn't stop having children.

tl;dr don't talk out of your arse.

Many wise men before you have foreseen this future, and despaired. Without religion, the world will be engulfed in fiery chaos. Have we not all seen those... atheists, throwing their god-given lives away? Buying things, not killing people, and - worst of all - fearing death! Society is degenerating - we must embrace the old ways! We must be more like the Ancient Greeks or the Vikings, or we are doomed! Doomed!

Hearken ye, for the Great Prophet Eeveelution has spoken! You now know what will become of us, if we fail to act; is this the vile, Hellish world we wish to live in? Is it? There is still time, my children - renounce your non-faith! If you would but see the light...! Your ungodly, hedonistic, atheist ways will surely be the end of us all...!

hahaha

 

[Firelord Alex]

I would tell. Then the problems religion causes would stop. But then, IMO, there would be more killing and bad stuff happening, because people know there is no after life.

But, this will never happen, so there is no need to worry. :D

 

[Music Dragon]

I would tell. Then the problems religion causes would stop. But then, IMO, there would be more killing and bad stuff happening, because people know there is no after life.

But, this will never happen, so there is no need to worry. :D

Ah yes. The afterlife - only reason why I'm not a homicidal maniac.

 

[Autumn]

I would tell. Then the problems religion causes would stop. But then, IMO, there would be more killing and bad stuff happening, because people know there is no after life.

... except I don't believe in god(s) or an afterlife and I don't go around doing "bad stuff" to people or killing them or whatnot so...

 

[Firelord Alex]

... except I don't believe in god(s) or an afterlife and I don't go around doing "bad stuff" to people or killing them or whatnot so...

That is because you are smart and have good morals. I meant the people who believe in God and that is the only thing keeping them from snapping. And it wouldn't be "not believing" anymore. It would be knowing God doesn't exist.

 

[Harlequin]

I know that God doesn't exist. I've never murdered anyone. To think that the only thing holding back a majority of human beings is fear of retribution by some crazy phantom overlord is quite upsetting, really. Religion is not where people come by their morals.

I have a bit more faith in people than that.

 

[Empoleon]

In fact, if all we have is ourselves, most of us would try to act better. I life would have more meaning - we wouldn't just be holding out for a blissful ever after which may or may not exist.

Though most of the western world is based upon Judeo-Christian values, and a lot of what Judaism brought up in history was different from other religions, i.e. not sacrificing children to a god.

But as most have already stated, you can't prove that God doesn't exist. In fact, proving he exists is probably a lot easier. But regardless of which way the proof would lean, if it was inconclusive, I would tell everyone. There's no point in lying to people, really.

On a side note, according to this BBC article, religious people are 3 times more likely to try to stay alive the longest.

 

[Harlequin]

The "western world is based upon Judeo-Christian values," is it? Why, then, do I not keep kosher; why are there no laws against adultery or the worship of false idols; why can I talk back to my parents without being stoned; why can I blend cotton with other fabrics and why do we not regularly stone gays?

 

[H-land]

Yes, I would probably tell the world, or at least certain parts of it, when I felt inspired to do so if I had definitive proof of God's nonexistence. I would not, however, go on a crusade, or dedicate my life to this.

There's nothing wrong with believing in something.

I would disagree strongly. One could believe, por ejemplo, that if you kill heretics in God's name, then killing is all right. One example of this is how some people interpret the idea of jihad. I strongly believe that this is wrong to believe, because it allows one to throw aside the laws of morality that have been established by religions and by societies and go out and just flat out slaughter people and waives you any feelings of guilt or remorse. This is detrimental to mankind and to society, and were everyone to believe this, then Man would, as a civilized species and a force on the planet, cease to exist.
By this, I mean to say that it can be very wrong to believe in something.

 

[Werty]

Pure and simply, I would show the whole world, and inform them of their thousands of year old logical fallacies.

I find it revolting when religions manage to sway weak-minded people to join them only to use them.

I'm not going to make any thoughts on what would happen when I tell, it's a like pendulum; could be good or bad, but I know damn well that I would show the world. All there is to it. ;) I'd laugh.

 

[surskitty]

Of course.

Anyone who'd be majorly impacted by it would likely ignore it, though.

 

[Music Dragon]

I would disagree strongly. One could believe, por ejemplo, that if you kill heretics in God's name, then killing is all right. One example of this is how some people interpret the idea of jihad. I strongly believe that this is wrong to believe, because it allows one to throw aside the laws of morality that have been established by religions and by societies and go out and just flat out slaughter people and waives you any feelings of guilt or remorse. This is detrimental to mankind and to society, and were everyone to believe this, then Man would, as a civilized species and a force on the planet, cease to exist.
By this, I mean to say that it can be very wrong to believe in something.

Actually, belief in itself doesn't cause any actual harm; it isn't until you act upon that it becomes wrong (or right, or whatever). I'm guessing that's what Sandstone-Shadow meant. I mean, if some guy goes around thinking, "Hey, that guy's a heathen so killing him would be okay!" and then doesn't kill him, it's not really wrong. I think - or, rather, I hope - the average human cannot have all of her morals overridden by religious indoctrination. (Wishful thinking? Maybe, but hope springs eternal.)

Still, there are a lot of cases - like el ejemplo - where firm belief far too often leads to action, so sure.

 

[Not Meowth]

I would tell. Then the problems religion causes would stop. But then, IMO, there would be more killing and bad stuff happening, because people know there is no after life.

There is another reason why people might think twice about murdering and committing crime, you know. It's called the law. The whole "killing people is very bad" idea the vast majority (if not all) of today's societies has picked up on has worked pretty well in the past umpteen years and probably wouldn't just be thrown aside because nobody believes in the Ten Commandments. Not that they necessarily wouldn't, because even without God the Bible could still be used as a moral guidebook, or interpreted metaphorically as some Christians choose to approach it.

Also if Christians knew there was no afterlife they would probably be less concerned with the spiritual and existential sides of things and more concerned with more materialistic concepts, such as freedom, and hence would continue to follow some moral standards, like before, but for a different "reward".

 

[opaltiger]

There is another reason why people might think twice about murdering and committing crime, you know. It's called the law.

I am a little disappointed that the law is required to stop you from murdering someone. What about human decency?

 

[Not Meowth]

I am a little disappointed that the law is required to stop you from murdering someone. What about human decency?

Not everybody has it. Otherwise the law probably wouldn't be necessary.

 

[Tarvos]

I know that God doesn't exist. I've never murdered anyone. To think that the only thing holding back a majority of human beings is fear of retribution by some crazy phantom overlord is quite upsetting, really. Religion is not where people come by their morals.

I have a bit more faith in people than that.

To be fair, religion can be a source of morals. A better way to phrase this: religion is not the only source of morals.

Religion is also something different from organised religion. One can be deeply religious and never go to church.

 

[thunder]

no nobody would care and I can;t be bothered to go through the effort

 

[Eye of Gorgon]

Of course I would, bcaus it'd show Al-Qaeda a thing or two about how religion was made to build good morals, not to blow yourself up for a deity!