If you knew for a fact that life ceased to exist after death, how would you live your life now?

[Anrando]

I dismissed what you posted in this case as it make no sense unless you can prove what I asked to be proven.

You started off with a false premise, that atheists and non-believers were the only ones to act like “wild dogs” in places where the civil authorities have fallen. I will give you this point and read the rest of your post if you can show me proof that all of those who did so in the situations you described were atheists and non-believers, that no Christians/Catholics/or other believers in a higher power were guilty of acting like “wild dogs”.

I am sorry that we disagree.

Goodness, if you actually believe that a practicing Christian or G-d fearing believer would murder and loot when the police are away, then indeed we do disagree.

I for one do not believe that a G-d fearing person would behave like an animal. That was the whole point of my post.

The “proof” you seek that only non-believers descended to the level of wild dogs is their very behavior.

I cannot account for cultural or “in name only” Christians. There are many that say that they believe but do not live what they proclaim to believe. Do you, as a self proclaimed Christian, believe that YOU could become a vicious predator if you knew there was no chance of getting punished by the civil authorities? If the answer is YES, and If THAT is your point then we definitely disagree, particularly on what a true Christian/believer is. I for one would NOT run out and start raping and stealing if the lights went out and the cops ran away. That IS the point of a belief system isn’t it?

Once again, you fear G-d or you fear the cops, otherwise you act like a beast.

W.Unland

 

[Anrando]

I don’'t want to keep God in. I am saying that we can not contemplate an existence without God because all we know is a world with God. God touches everything. Everything would be different without God.

I see you did not comment on my movie reference. I guess it is just too hard to see that God touches and influences everything whether or not we believe in Him.

Now my answer, if I wished to keep God in it would be this, we would not exist so the question you ask is moot. With out God, the Uncaused Cause the universe would not exist at all.

But that was not my answer if you go back to my first post in this thread.

You know when I read this we agree 100%. My original post makes the same argument…if you read it

I can’t quite figure out where our disagreement is, unless it is at some level that I cannot perceive.

W.Unland

 

[snowflakes]

I don’'t want to keep God in. I am saying that we can not contemplate an existence without God because all we know is a world with God. God touches everything. Everything would be different without God.

You can’t contemplate an existence without god but I can and so can others. Not everyone sees the world like you do.

I see you did not comment on my movie reference. I guess it is just too hard to see that God touches and influences everything whether or not we believe in Him.

I guess it’s too hard for you to realize it’s a science fiction movie ( I never saw but I looked it up and read the story line). Did you know it’s a science fiction movie? It’s classified under science fiction. Did you know “It’s a wonderful life” is in a list along with “Flash Gordon Conquors the Universe” and the Invisable man? Science fiction: Do you know what that means? It means it’s not real. It’s a made up story. It has as much merit as my hypothetical question because they both are made up. It’s a wonderful life is basically hypothetical.

Now my answer, if I wished to keep God in it would be this, we would not exist so the question you ask is moot. With out God, the Uncaused Cause the universe would not exist at all.

It’s not a moot question. It has a purpose, to make people look deep inside themselves. If it’s moot like you say then watching the movie “it’s a wonderful life” is moot too because if I said the story line and said “what if an angel came down and showed you how life would be without you being here”, people would classify that as a hypothetical question.

 

[Shiranui117]

I would likely flip out; being deprived of all consciousness, thought and feeling is the worst thing I could ever imagine. I’d do some crazy things. Not sure what exactly, but I’d go nutz. I would still want to get married and pass on the family lineage, but I wouldn’t have nearly so stable a personality. Honestly, I feel like a large part of my life would have gone to waste if there was no afterlife or God

EDIT: After pondering it for a bit more, I can say that I’d sell all my prayer items and stop going to church, once I got over the frenzied, desperate denial. Do some things that the Church would frown upon, and then not particularly care. There’s no such thing as sin, right? So why bother with half the morality issues that the Church raises if the Church isn’t true? I might keep my Bible for light reading purposes, but everything else religious would go; maybe even my icon of the Theotokos and child. I wouldn’t be a very happy camper, even after all that, though. After all, I’d only have 30,000 more days of my life, if I’m very lucky. Clock’s ticking!

(All hypothetical, of course!)

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

You can’t contemplate an existence without god but I can and so can others. Not everyone sees the world like you do.

I guess it’s too hard for you to realize it’s a science fiction movie ( I never saw but I looked it up and read the story line). Did you know it’s a science fiction movie? It’s classified under science fiction. Did you know “It’s a wonderful life” is in a list along with “Flash Gordon Conquors the Universe” and the Invisable man? Science fiction: Do you know what that means? It means it’s not real. It’s a made up story. It has as much merit as my hypothetical question because they both are made up. It’s a wonderful life is basically hypothetical.

It’s not a moot question. It has a purpose, to make people look deep inside themselves. If it’s moot like you say then watching the movie “it’s a wonderful life” is moot too because if I said the story line and said “what if an angel came down and showed you how life would be without you being here”, people would classify that as a hypothetical question.

I can see now that this “question” has no basis in philosophical thought or understanding.

I guess that makes sense seeing it was not posted to the philosophy forum here at CAF.

So in essence it is not really a hypothetical, its a fantasy (as your use of a science fiction movie as an example).

As you don’t wish to discuss the philosophy behind your “question” but rather to question the motives of individuals I will just move on.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

I would cry for a long time, because I would never get to see my loved ones again. Then I would cry even more, because I would never get to meet Jesus. Then I’d probably lose my mind and drink myself to death.

 

[snowflakes]

I can see now that this “question” has no basis in philosophical thought or understanding.

It has plenty thought and understanding such as it was a lesson at a well known university from a very respected professor. But you have to have an open mind and not be narrow minded to see the thought and understanding behind it.

I guess that makes sense seeing it was not posted to the philosophy forum here at CAF…

Now you noticed after all this time? Are you just realizing this now or are you just being sarcastic? That should of been clear to you from the first post. Typically a hypothetical question such as what I wrote would not be put on a philosophy section of this site because it’s hypothetical, made up science fiction such as the movie “it’s a wonderful life”.

So in essence it is not really a hypothetical, its a fantasy (as your use of a science fiction movie as an example).

It is hypothetical and it is fantasy, it’s not real just like that movie. A hypothetical question can vary on different levels and it can be fantasy. I think that’s what I basically was saying all this time, that it’s not real. That’s why I compared the movie to this hypothetical question because they are both science fiction, hypothetical, not happening scenarios, but it’s a question to make one think within themselves.

As you don’t wish to discuss the philosophy behind your “question” but rather to question the motives of individuals I will just move on.

what I did, as many times as I did this, I discussed the reasoning why I wrote this thread and why my professor brought it up in class way way back, it’s to make someone think of who they are, too look deep in themselves, to see their true moral values. there is more to it than that but that’s the main of it. Are they being good because god is watching or would they be the way they are if there was nothing beyond death, no judgement when we die. I didn’t question anyones motives, read all my replies. If you didn’t like my original post and felt the same way after I replied, there is no reason to keep coming back. There is always an option to walk away…

I will just move on.

Yes, please do but I but I have a feeling you won’t. You keep repeating yourself and I keep repeating myself in reply to you and it’s going around in circles. We obviously won’t agree with each other. I realized that from your first post and you should of realized the same. Please if nothing else, try to agree to disagree because in life, not everyone is going to agree with you. I believe I already told you this in a prior post that we should agree to disagree so after that there was really no need to keep coming back to repeat yourself.

 

[IsThisCeral]

Masturbate, watch pornography, touch women… the usual.

You only live once and God probably isn’t real so might as well…

 

[hxcCatholic413]

Masturbate, watch pornography, touch women… the usual.

You only live once and God probably isn’t real so might as well…

That’s a pretty big risk your taking there.

 

[magic_stick]

I can see now that this “question” has no basis in philosophical thought or understanding.

I see what snowflake was saying when she posted her question. And I see what her professor was saying. I do have to agree with her and at the same time, I am disagreeing with you. Others are disagreeing with you on this thread as well. There is without a doubt a lesson to be learned by answering her posts but you don’t see that. But as snowflake said, agree to disagree.

As you don’t wish to discuss the philosophy behind your “question” but rather to question the motives of individuals I will just move on.

I pretty much read all the posts and she never questioned anyone’s motives but your motive seems like you want to argue with people and it also comes across that you can’t accept people who have different views and reasonings. What gets me is that you said you are a good person but you sure have no problem being sarcastic in some of your replies. All of this does not make someone a good person. HTH! and bye!

 

[Good_Fella]

Lets say, it was a proven fact that there was no god, no after life, no anything. That when we die, the party is over and lights are out.

How would you live your life differently? I know we all (well, for most members on this board) know that this isn’t the case, but what if it was? How would you live your life different or would it be any different than how you live it now?

I would continue to listen to my conscience - which by the way is a proof of God’s existence, and continue to love - which is another proof - and avoid acts of what would now be regression instead of sin in the Judeo-Christian sense. Of course, I would save less money and live it up a little more.

PAX :tanning:

 

[Good_Fella]

But it is written upon my heart as the natural law which is written by God.

So I can not even imagine a world without the presence of God.

We are made in His image, without Him we would not be what we are.

True. If we were created in the image of the G-atom, we couldn’t possibly love and thirst for justice.

PAX

 

[NE_Catholic]

If there was never any theology or teaching from God, I doubt humans would have advanced to where we are now. But putting that aside, if by some miracle, we had arrived to this technological state without divine guidence, I’m sure things would be much different. To ask me if I would be different, well, I would have to adapt to a world of no God. That world would be devoid of most social programs, art and music would be VERY different, etc. Most people’s outlook would be materialistic. Most people would be hyper condriacs. My personal feelings would be one of gloom and dispair. I doubt the world population would be high, because why have children? Nazi and Communist philosphies would actually make sense. The closest thing I can see to this “no God” world was Stalin’s Russia. Even then, it was a far cry from no God. I guess this is a hard question to respond to because it’s like asking, “what would you be like if the sun stopped shining?”

 

[HisMercy2011]

I would immediately marry my love in this lifetime regardless of the annulment situation, :thumbsup:because that wouldn’t exist!

I can’t think of anything else I’d change.

HisMercy

 

[NE_Catholic]

One last thing:
Those I know that subscribe to the philosophy of no God & no afterlife are very sad. They are usually single, if married, no children. They look for diversions in life and live minute to minute. They usually derive their morals from Judo-Christianity, the morals they choose to follow. They tend to ridicule or marginalize anything religious. They feel that anything goes as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone, although their idea of “hurt” varies from situation to situation. They want to bring you over to their side. I guess misery likes company.

 

[SpectatorX]

Lets say, it was a proven fact that there was no god, no after life, no anything. That when we die, the party is over and lights are out.

How would you live your life differently? I know we all (well, for most members on this board) know that this isn’t the case, but what if it was? How would you live your life different or would it be any different than how you live it now?

I’ve got this one. I sometimes postulate this to atheists whenever I find myself talking at them. Absent God, there is no philosophical or logical grounding for ethics at all. Right and wrong would be nothing more than an arbitrary and illusory bit of propaganda issued forth by the local guy who happens to possess the most underlings and guns.

Therefore, I’d be Lex Luthor. When faced with a situation in which I stood to gain at the expense of another soulless mass of molecules made by chance in the image and likeness of the immediately-preceding link in the meaningless evolutionary chain, why would I hesitate for an instant? I’d garner power and wealth so that I could attain the greatest position available, and I’d order my biological automatons about without any regard for their “well-being” until I was eventually deposed by another, more ambitious and clever, jerk.

Atheism taken to its end breeds nothing but sociopathy unless incompatible notions from the natural law are thrust upon it. Christianity, therefore, is all that keeps us from killing each other.

 

[snowflakes]

I have to say, it’s really interesting to see peoples replies. It is so amazing how god affects us in so many ways, and how life would be if god wasn’t in our presence. God is truely wonderful. praise god!

 

[LtTony]

Lets say, it was a proven fact that there was no god, no after life, no anything. That when we die, the party is over and lights are out.

How would you live your life differently? I know we all (well, for most members on this board) know that this isn’t the case, but what if it was? How would you live your life different or would it be any different than how you live it now?

I’ve often thought about this question myself.

I wouldn’t change a thing. God doesn’t asks us to do anything that isn’t morally right.

I’m anxious to read the other replies.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

First let me say The whole point in me asking this is to see deep down would you still be the same person or do you think you would live your life differently, regardless of your belief or non-belief in god? This question actually came from a theology course in college many years ago. The professor removed god therefore removing his affect from the question to make the question hypothetical. Infact, it really made people think. Are they living their life to impress god and to be on god’s good side? Or are they living their day to day life because that’s naturally who they are. He had a purpose in stating in this hypo that there is proof and solid evidence that life doesn’t go on after death because as he said “there is a difference between faith in something compared to having solid proof regardless of what your beliefs or non-beliefs are.” (I just pulled some of my old notes which are quite detailed). So, it’s really not the same as saying what if you don’t believe in god.

I pretty much read all the posts and she never questioned anyone’s motives but your motive seems like you want to argue with people and it also comes across that you can’t accept people who have different views and reasonings. What gets me is that you said you are a good person but you sure have no problem being sarcastic in some of your replies. All of this does not make someone a good person. HTH! and bye!

The premise behind this “fantasy” comes from snowflakes’ theology professor and the whole idea, as relayed by snowflake, was to make people view their motives for belief in God.

 

[snowflakes]

The premise behind this “fantasy” comes from snowflakes’ theology professor and the whole idea, as relayed by snowflake, was to make people view their motives for belief in God.

Their motives as in, are you motivated to do good because you know god is watching? Would you still be motivated to be who you are if god wasn’t here and there was no judgement beyond death?

If you knew you could get away with taking money from someone but won’t do it because god says it’s wrong, but you would do it if knowing there is no judgement of what you did when we pass, isn’t it the same as actually commiting that crime because you know deep in your heart you would do it if god wasn’t around?

So, does god say you did good by following his laws or does he say you were wrong because even though you didn’t commit that crime because he is watching, he knows it was still in your soul to commit it if he wasn’t here.

On another thread I wrote, someone said god gives free will to people, so how does god influence us through natural law? Which I believe in natural law but I also believe that god gives free will but the way I view it, it contradicts each other even though I believe both are correct. If natural law is influence of good, isn’t that affecting someone’s free will? Anyone know?

Does god genuinely judge a person based on their actions, or what he knows what they would do if he wasn’t here?