IF THERE IS NO GOD

If there is no God,

Not everything is permitted to man.

He is still his brother's keeper

And he is not permitted to sadden his brother,

By saying there is no God.

---Czeslaw Milosz



Discuss^TM


Does it sadden you when people say that there is no G-d? Do you think people should refrain from saying it because it saddens you? Should we refrain from saying there IS a G-d if it saddens some people?

If there is no G-d, then anything goes.

I think we should refrain from saying anything to anyone that will sadden them.

But I don't get bothered when people say that there is no G-d. I just wonder how they got to that conclusion.

Does it?

Yes, why not? As long as you can get away with it.

Of course not .

If there were no G-d, would you steal and kill?

It does sadden me when people say that they don't believe in G-d. But not because they are casting doubt on my belief system. I just feel for them that they are missing something. So, in a way it's better for them that they can come here and discuss their non-belief.


What if there's a G-d but He's letting you get away with it?

How so?



Then you're essentially screwed. Sorry.

By coming to this site, the non-believers are maintaining their connection, tenuous as it may be. I don't think that they're seriously trying to prosletyze. I think they're trying to work things out for themselves. So I don't think they should be suppressed.

If I could get away with it, why not? Maybe not me personally, but someone, theoretically...yes. It would be perfectly rational.



Like how? No hell? Ever?

Yeah. Let's say I believe in G-d but not in heaven or hell. The only "punishment" for sin would be its natural result, whatever that is.

Then I think this sort of system could be equated to one without a g-d because they both essentially have the same result.

Maybe. But you can be moral according to this system, without necessarily believing in heaven or hell, or in G-d punishing you eventually.

An atheist can refrain from a certain action because they believe it's bad for themselves/ the world without believing in G-d.

Then same thing as if there's no G-d. Logically there would be no reason not to sin. Perhaps emotionally there would be, but not logically.

But then you could also be moral in a system without a g-d. I don't think that having a system where g-d stays uninvolved will incline anyone to be moral more so than a system without a g-d. If you believe in morality and what is right or wrong, it shouldn't matter if there is a g-d or not.

Where do we disagree?

WHY should I follow any sort of morality, if there is no gain or loss from me doing so?