How beliefs affect behavior
 

I was reading through the "is there a god thread" and it got me curious about how people act based on their beliefs.. and rather than start yet another tangent on an already uber-long thread, I thought I'd start a new one to ask this question:

To those of you who believe in god:

If someone somehow was able to prove that there was no such thing as any god in any form (just use your imagination.. don't give me 'thats impossible so i dont have to think about it,' just stfu if that's your answer), how would this new information affect who you are and how you go about life? would you say 'screw it' and start killing people you hated? would you be more helpful to society? would you change nothing?


and to the atheists:

The reverse question, if suddenly a string of miracles or god himself coming to you and proving his existence were to occur.. would you suddenly start going to church? would you be nicer, go crazy, change nothing?

let's hear it.

I resent that "would you be nicer"

What the fuck does that mean???

lol.. want me to change it to 'would you be meaner?'
you'd probably be just as offended by that

i'm an atheist.. calm down.
i'm just assuming there are some atheist assholes out there who would change their tune if threatened with damnation.. maybe not.. maybe all atheists are wonderful human beings like me.. i dunno..

The last thing - change nothing. I'd probably just shrug, and think "what the fuck, I got that one wrong" and then carry on as normal.

And I'm a nice atheist already - would the mean Christians, of whom there are thousands, start being nice if it was proved there is no god?

i still don't get it. What makes you think atheists are't nicer to begin with. My experience has been that in general they are more compassionate than the average theist. Theists are threatened with damnation and it doesn't stop them from starting wars, being assholes...

To answer your original question:

Nothing would change. As for church? Are you presuming that the god requires worship? That would be like me asking an ant to worship me. I am cognitively so advanced from an ant that it's worship would be meaningless.

If the god asked me to I would – maybe. I mean, what would be the consequences of not attending a place of worship?

Plain old vanilla god does not equate to afterlife, soul, reward, punishment...

Now if the god says to me, “See dat dere book over dere… ‘The Catechisms of the Catholic Church’? S’true and dem’s da rulz” Yea – I’d go to church.

As for the Godly -> Godless catagory:

Nah, probably not change me much. Most of God's laws are common sense, and those that aren't are usually disease prevention. I wouldn't sleep around on my wife, cause I love her. But, if without wife and without God, well, I wonder if my healthcare covers a vasectomy when I'm single.

Oh, and I'd sleep in on Sunday and probably watch Lost live.

william.. you are wound wayy too tight.. quit trying to assume I'm giving any sort of opinion with my question.. it's a question.. i'm not saying if i knew there was a god i would go to church.. or that anyone should.. i was asking if there was anybody who would..

and i never implied atheists weren't nicer.. i know for a fact not ALL of them are nice... and nobody is really as nice as they could be.. so wtf.. you can't imagine an atheist in the world who might be nicer if they found out there was a god? it doesn't seem impossible to me... i know some theists who are only nice BECAUSE they're theists.. i don't agree with the logic.. but it's out there.

your answer to my question is the same answer as mine.. we agree.. so now i know i'm not the only one who thinks that.. but there are other people in the world.. i wanted to hear from all different types of people.. so i listed some possible answers i expected.. no big deal...

For theists, you ask them:

would you say 'screw it' and start killing people you hated?

Yet for atheists, you ask:

would you be nicer

You're right there William.

Be Leaves, if you can't take the heat, don't start the thread...

This topic brings to mind the discussion of the effects of religion on the decision making process of people in power. Namely Bush. When your 'decider' believes that there will be a judgement day when the world will eventually come to an end or that jesus will come back to earth.. it has to be easier to make decisions to go to war, etc. after all what would be a couple thousand lives when judgement day is so near?