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 | G.P.: "There isn't any possible evidence that can make factually inaccurate claims true, or make the illogical logical. There isn't any possible new evidence that can come along and make 2 plus 2 equal 5." |
| Jay Vogelsong: "At this point, I can think of nothing which would make me reconsider. I have already wasted a big part of my life trying to find the truth in religious and mystical concepts. I found the exact reverse of what I intended, but in such excruciating detail that I can't conceive of going back. Even if someone revised the concept of God in such a way as to make it seem valid (given whatever real-world facts you choose), its common usage would still prevent me from acknowledging that such a revision would merit acceptance under the word "God." Such stretching of the term would only lend support to the already delusional. "God" simply cannot qualify as a possible scientific theory to explain anything, due to its wide-ranging supernatural, superstitious, and other absurd connotations." |
| ABK: "I suppose if God knocked on my door one day and said, 'Come
with me. I will beam us to Darfur and save all those starving people with a
real live miracle.' That might do it. It wouldn't even have to be my door.
What I'd really love is if he'd round up the so-called 'holy' people (Pope,
Dalai Lama, Pat Robertson, Al Sadr, Bin Laden, Bill O'Reilly, Shrub) and
beam them all to Darfur. Then, having waved his hand to stop the genocide,
turned to them and said, 'OK, you twits, who told you I said it was OK to
kill in my name?' That'd be very cool. I'd join His church!" "Or if my nephew's severed spinal cord reconnected following prayer and he got up and went water-skiing, that would be pretty convincing. Or if a mosque, synagogue, ashram or church got together and prayed up the regrowth of a severed limb or a missing eye for one of those soldiers in the VA hospital. That might just do it." |
| Dave: "If Jesus were to appear to me in person, and allow me to
*videotape* him walking through a wall or levitating an automobile (so that
I could later prove to myself and to others that I hadn't been
hallucinating), then I suppose I might believe. (But I'd have a lot of
pointed questions for him.)" "An incredible and undeniable medical miracle such as ABK describes (except more impressive than a reconnected spine--I'm talking about the regrowth of a long-lost limb, or the resurrection of someone who has already been embalmed) might cause me to reconsider the idea of a personal god, but it wouldn't validate any one religion. Just because people were praying to Jesus doesn't mean he's the one who answered the prayer." |
| A confident Atheist: "if there were any sort of proof that prayers to the Christian god or any other god are answered at any rate better than 50/50 chance (in other words, if it were shown that prayer made any difference in real events whatsoever) then I would reconsider." |
| S. Henkels: "If a voice and image came to me, probably from the sky, and looked like an Old Man with a white beard (but NOT Santa Claus and his reindeer) ... and offered me monumental words of wisdom, perhaps even the secret to eternal life, I would possibly believe that this being was the BibleGod. Trouble is, the chances are that if this actually did happen (very slim indeed), it would be pure delusion and hallucination, and if I told enough people, I'd be put into a loony bin!" |
| Brian Corll: "It would require God showing his face and explaining just what the hell this has all been about, and why the world is the way it is." |
| Old man: "Peace on earth, good will towards all mankind, and no more man's inhumanity towards mankind would make me believe in god." |
| Sara Rother: "I am tempted to say that nothing would make me believe in god, but then I am a scientist, so MAYBE if there was undisputbale proof (which is almost impossible to get over anything abstract) that would get me to change my mind." |
| B. Niece: "... I would need the burning bushes and the archangels to visit me from time to time." |
| R. Lee: "If he appeared to me, not in a dream or a drunken state, but face to face. If he wants me to follow him its that simple." |
| Bruce Robinson (coordinator of this web site): "I would hold out
for a demonstration of some sort that would be clearly impossible for anyone
but a God to perform. Further, it would be helpful if it were a display that
could be recorded." "I would suggest that, say, 1000 stars that are visible to the naked eye be relocated within a few hours so that they form the message 'I AM.' That should be easy for God to do; it doesn't even involve characters with curved lines." |
References used:
- Christopher Hitchens, "God is Not Great: How religion poisons everything," Twelve Books, Hachette Book Group, (2007). Read reviews or order this book safely from Amazon.com online book store.
- "Atheists, what would it take to make you reconsider?," Amazon.com forum, at: http://www.amazon.com/
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Home > Religions of the world > Atheism > here |
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or Home > Christianity > Christian personalities > God > Atheism > here |
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or Home > Religious information > God > Atheism > here |
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or Home > Spirituality > God > Atheism > here |
Copyright © 2007 by Ontario
Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Originally written: 2007-JUL-19
Latest update: 2007-JUL-19
Author: B.A. Robinson
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