h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Yup, that's about all I have to say at this point. From the huge cosmic fence on which I am currently sitting, however, the grasss looks entirely greener on the side of athiesm and reason - and a good bit healthier.

I have nothing against those who beleive in an omnipotent god. Blind faith of that kind is pretty much an unstoppable force and I am anything but an immovable object, but I disapprove of the kind of indoctrination that often accompanies organised religion - it usually leads to conflict (of the violent veriety).

At the moment I have great faith in my capacity to learn from experience, aim towards being a better person and to always show as much tolerence of others as I can. These are some of the basic ideas that underpin most world religions but the isolationist trappings that go along with those religions usually mask the basic message - try to be a better human being. I have personally come up against a lot of hypocracy when it comes to organised religion - people who feel that they can get away with whatever they jolly well like in their day-to-day lives because they toddle-off to church (or other place of worship) once a week.

I do not believe in God but I defy anyone to judge me as a 'bad' person on those grounds alone. Meet me first and judge me by my deeds - if there was ever an overall governing principal in the world, I would rather it was that.

Crikey - I don't know what came over me there - I usually just post daft nonsense

**Claps**

What would you say would happen in the following situation, someone?
There are two people. One is an atheist, they don't believe in God, but they are still very hard-working and caring. The other person believes in God, and goes to church, but lies, cheats and hates. They both die, which one would be let into Heave, assuming that God exists?
If you'd say that God would let in the second person, that goes against the basic principle that "God is all Good". If the atheist goes to Heaven, some believers would be offended that they had faith in God, and look, here's someone who's never worshipped Him in Paradise.

It's just interesting to think about...


~~A~~

i dont think eather of them would go to heven assuming god exist..

My answer, too, would be neither of them. The atheist has gone through life, fully expecting death to be the final end of all things. He has been good, so God will reward him with his heart's desire.

The believer has gone through life believing that heaven is the just reward for a life justified through faith and good works. He seems to have slipped up on the good works point (and, honestly, don't most of us?) In extremis, then (and leaving aside any doctrines of repentence and purgatory here), he is not taken up into eternal life, but (like the atheist) comes to an end. To a believer, the idea of failing to reach the further shore after death is the worst of all things - to which the name 'hell' is given.

Thus - both the atheist and the Christian die absolutely when they die; but only the Christian regards this death as hell.

That's how I see it, anyway.

depends I suppose on your definition of hell. This and similar ideas have intrigued me for a while. If the atheist expects death as an end to his self-awareness, idividuality, consciousness whatever a benevolent or vengeful deity sending him anywhere does him a big favour because our athiest still exists - even in hell - so he "wins". This is where the believer tells me that you wouldn't wish to be in hell under any circumstances.

the believer who goes to hell - goes to hell I suppose.
It all depends on what hell is... the atheist though is not liable to worry about it much. Though he might worry about the end of his existence.

But hey...in all seriousness the universe came into being when I became self-aware and will end when I cease to be self-aware anything else that I personnally didn't experience is just hear say and is inadmissible. When I go you all go with me

still..only 32 you have all got a year or two left.

ttfn

Do you know much about Pascal's Wager? Somebody pointed me in the direction of http://www.h2g2.com/A241920 if you'd like to visit it.

~~A~~

Pascals Wager ...I've heard of it before but it presumes you attach no/little cost to beieving in a god which later turns out to be absent...

this also suuposes that you "choose" what you believe...religious people seem to decry that idea since their faith just is and is not to them a matter of choice

some atheist feel the same way .... eg. there ARE no gods it just is that way so cynically deciding to believe in one just in case is an impossibility.

I also seem to see the wager in reverse...i must be weird then huh?