What if there was no god?

[Auriga]

In fact, that's what I said. I said that the universe existed for an x amount of time before us, whcih sugests that x can be replaced by a specific number. We just don't know what the number is, so I leave it as a variable to be replaced at a later date if anybody can finally come to a decision as to how long ago the creation of the Universe was.

[Redzeppelin]

Got it. Thanks.

[Pendragon]

Would I change the way I live if I could be certain there is no God, Heaven, or Hell? That's a large question. I have always put it to people this way, however.
Your walk with God only consists of what you would do if you were certain that you would never get caught. To believe in God that way, that the walk you have with Him only is as good as taking away fear of punishment, and thought of reward and simply serving Him anyway, negates the question of whether or not He exists. You will believe He does, not out of fear of punishment, nor out of hope that you might have something to gain, but just because He is God. Then you have found something worth hanging onto that people cannot talk you out of or disproof in anyway you can except. God alone has become real for you. That's my stand.

God Bless

Pen

[NickAdams]

I'm pretty certain of it now and I don't believe in an after-life. I was once more ambitious. Wanting to create a legacy, but I don't believe the earth will last forever, so it all seems futile. With one life, I want to enjoy it as much as I can. Not in the hedo sense, but I want to pursue my dreams. That's why in2008, I will paint, play music, direct film, write, write and write.

[dzebra]

If God did not exist, I would be very greedy, because now would be the only time that I have and I would be the only thing that matters to me.

[Auriga]

So that brings people back to the issue that God provides a sense of morality to people. Are humans only moral creatures because they fear the otherside?

I believe that humans are moral creatures because we have the ability to think about a situation in a rational and deliberate way. Taking God out of the equation shouldn't automatically equate to taking morality and good sense out as well.

[Oniw17]

You cannot logically have an infinite amount of moments before a "now."

Why can't you?

[Auriga]

Because now implies there was a finite amount of past to get you up to this point. You can count backwards and say this was the beginning, this is now. You can't, however, apply that same logic to the future, because it hasn't happened yet. There can be, theoretically, infinity to the future.

[Oniw17]

So then if the big bang theory is correct, there almost has to be a creator-deity(since whether the big bang was the start or not, eventually something had to came from nothing).

[Bakiryu]

What if you found out with absolute certainty, that there was no god? No god, and no heaven or hell. (really think about this!) Would the knowledge that there was nothing after this life awaiting us, change the way you lived your life?

I'll probably laugh and say something like "In your face!" then I would get more done, and stop being annoyed by Jehovah Witnesses at 6 in the morning (no offense to any JW who happen to read this.)

[one_raven]

Our universe had a beginning. Of the two "infinities" (potential and actual), only potential infinities can exist (those created by the continues adding on - like seconds on a clock). Actual infinites cannot exist in reality. As well, because we have a "now" we know that time had a beginnning. You cannot logically have an infinite amount of moments before a "now."

I don't buy it.
I've heard that before, and no one has ever been able to prove it to me.
I am not saying that the Universe did not have a beginning, I am saying that your explanation doesn't hold water.

If I had a string of infinite length, I could still place my finger on the string and pluck it.
It doesn't matter if it has ends.

[Auriga]

So then if the big bang theory is correct, there almost has to be a creator-deity(since whether the big bang was the start or not, eventually something had to came from nothing).

I suppose that's the question of the thread, eh?

If we accept the fact that time must have a beginning, then how do we account for the creation of the universe without a god? Do we suggest that our Universe is just one Universe created at a specific point in time? I guess that brings about the issue of creating an infinite regression...

Which, I suppose, brings about another issue. If time needs to have a beginning, but not neccesarily an end, then how do we know how far along that one way infinite line we stand? Hm.. It's a tough concept, which brings me back to my earlier point on the other page about how this concept of infinity can lead people to be more comfortable in accepting the point of view of creationism, because it provides a sense of control and order. Without it, we're left contemplating infinite regressions on eternity's abstract string of time.

[Dark Star]

So then if the big bang theory is correct, there almost has to be a creator-deity(since whether the big bang was the start or not, eventually something had to came from nothing).

The big bang is not an explosion of something from nothing. It's more like a balloon expanding from very small to very large.

[blazeofglory]

my answer would seem awful, but I'd commit suicide...really, because I'd feel nihilistic towards everything I lived for, so far. I'm not trying to say that life sux or anything; I mean that everything would lose it's value, it's Real-ness.

That is untrue. Values are there not just there is God, and indeed of course without God values are there and will be there without God. If we read the history of the world more battles, and wars were fought in the name of religion and God, more than the two world wars put together.

[Metanoia]

It is a little presumtious to assume that just becasue God and Heaven and Hell are proven not to exisist that there would be nothing as there are many other relgions out there. For example even if there was no God or Heaven and Hell, the Buddist path could still prove to be true, as there are many many forms of Buddism, the first and early Buddisim did not worship a god figure to begin with, it was later Buddisim forms that turned Budda into a deity.

Nor is there any heaven or hell in Buddisim

I wasnt presuming to make any statement about any right or wrong religion, I was just wondering what one might do if they found their God false, and of nothing existing after death. How one would live their life after learning this(how would this knowlege alter your everday life, your relationships, your morals ect. That was the point of this thread.