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would you prefer God to exist?
I have been reading about Christopher Hitchens' view of God recently. The Wikipedia article about him says:
"You could be an atheist and wish that the belief was true," he told CBC. "An antitheist, a term I’m trying to get into circulation, is someone who’s very relieved that there’s no evidence for this proposition. He argues that the concept of God or a supreme being is a totalitarian belief that destroys individual freedom."
While reading this, it occurred to me that I am exactly the kind of atheist that Christopher Hitchens is not. I would very much like there to be a benevolent powerful God to look after me and guide my life. I only reluctantly yield to the evidence that there isn't such a being.
What are peoples' views about this?
"You could be an atheist and wish that the belief was true," he told CBC. "An antitheist, a term I’m trying to get into circulation, is someone who’s very relieved that there’s no evidence for this proposition. He argues that the concept of God or a supreme being is a totalitarian belief that destroys individual freedom."
While reading this, it occurred to me that I am exactly the kind of atheist that Christopher Hitchens is not. I would very much like there to be a benevolent powerful God to look after me and guide my life. I only reluctantly yield to the evidence that there isn't such a being.
What are peoples' views about this?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Carl Gregory on -
I guess it would have to depend on the type of god it is. I really wouldn't want the god from the abrahamic religions being real. That thing is just a jerk.
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Permalink Reply by Dave Rogers on -
No. I've gotten by quite well so far looking after myself and guiding my own life.
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Permalink Reply by Andrea Gosselin on -
As a woman, I must say I'm not a fan of the Abrahamic god, nor any of the other gods referred to by androcentric religions; gods seem to have a grudge against the 'fairer sex'. So, I'm quite glad that he/she/it does not exist.
I enjoy leading my own life and making my own mistakes without fearing fire and brimstone, or feeling guilty about each and every 'sin' I commit. I also would take no comfort in thinking an eternal afterlife awaits me. I have a hard enough time trying to envision what a million years of life would be like--nevermind infinity. I'm happy knowing that it will likely come to an end at some point. I could only see infinite life resulting in boredom.
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Permalink Reply by Patricia on -
Not a chance.....too many dictator-like rules, most of which contradict enough so a person wouldn't have a lifestyle in reality with what actually is. Do this, don't do that, eat this, don't eat that, cover your head, don't cover your head, wear this, don't wear that, worship 24/7, don't associate with anyone you can't convert, don't read unapproved materials, don't ask questions.........on & on, & on! Then there are the issues of fixing things which shouldn't have occurred to begin with....birth defects, starvation, deadly diseases, kidnap/murder/rape, especially of tiny kids, drastic disasters....& again....on, & on, & on.
I feel atheism should have a lot more tv exposure because as we all know, ''they'' not only have their own networks, they are in the mainstream of the media as well as a large percentage of the fictional programming. I'd be much more satisfied with programming where nothing was mentioned about the subject at all. It's not as if there aren't other topics around!
Yes, we need some rules/laws to live by, but not sky freak invented, thanks very much.
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Permalink Reply by Tracy Lynn on -
I wish I wrote all that! :)
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Permalink Reply by Grace Fitzpatrick on -
Nope, because it is much easier than believing there is a god who refuses to help people who are suffering "for their own good." Any god worth his or her salt certainly would do something about all the suffering in the world and so far none of the proposed gods has done a thing to make the world a better place.
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Permalink Reply by Jason Spicer on -
I'm with Hitchens on this one; I'm definitely an antitheist. Theism has a profoundly infantilizing effect on people. No offense, Daniel, but grownups should not want a permanent parental figure in their lives. Grownups make their own mistakes and figure things out on their own. That doesn't mean they don't accept help when necessary, but what would be the point of adulthood if you knew there was always somebody to make it all better? How could anybody truly be responsible for their own actions? How could we be independent moral agents? The idea that morality comes from a god or holy text completely undermines any actual moral agency we might have.
On top of that, of course, it is deeply creepy that there's some cosmic overseer watching every move I make. We already have Mark Zuckerberg for that, and he's irritating enough, thanks. No, theism just screws people up. It makes them guilty when they shouldn't be, and lets them off the hook when they should be held accountable. It's hard to imagine a more perverse psychological dysfunction. Knowing that there is no skydaddy is quite liberating. I know there is no ultimate purpose to my life (and I'm quite relieved that that purpose is not to sing hosannas for eternity--I honestly can't tell the difference between heaven and hell) and that frees me to to what I want or do nothing at all, subject to how that affects the people I care about. Constantly worrying about what some vindictive skydaddy might think is a pain in the ass.
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Permalink Reply by Roy The Infidel on -
No god. No bullshit.
As evolved intelligent species, it is upon us to make sense or not of our existence in this indifferent universe. Wishing there was a skydaddy to help one make sense of it is simply irrational.
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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Nicole on -
If there really was a god who ran the universe, all-powerful, all-knowing, and eternal...what would we be to him but sims? We'd be nothing more than toys to play with for entertainment. After all, in comparison to eternity, we are a minor blip in time, hardly worth recording. So I doubt that even with the ability, that being would want to go along with every day-to-day activity and guide things, to ensure what happens is always best for us?
And the gods of religion that require worship? That's even more ridiculous. That's like if I were to find an ant colony and demand they worship me. Each ant does not mean much to me out of just thousands that will only live a short time. Punishing them for doing what's in their nature is just cruel and unusual, especially as (like Adam and Eve were supposedly once like) they are unable to fathom what is right and wrong based on hypocritical demands made by me.
TL;DR No, I would not want there to be a god. Because if there was, I still wouldn't be worth his time.
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Permalink Reply by Gary C. on -
I don't necessarily wish that God existed and that Heaven existed for me, because living forever sounds horrible.
BUT, I do wish their was a hell for people like Ann Coulture, Jerry Falwell, Rush Limbaugh, and many other people.
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Permalink Reply by FreeThinker on -
While I share a strong dislike for those kind of idealogues, I wouldn't wish an eternal hell for them. I wouldn't even wish an eternal hell on the cruelest murderer, rapist, or dictator.
I agree that living forever does not sound appealing. Heaven for me would include being able to opt out at my own discretion and ceasing to exist.
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