What do you have to lose if you love God?

[IamRAMBO24]

I'm not talking about loving religion; I'm talking about the idea of loving God.

If you have a scientfic mind and refuse to believe what you can't prove, then why not love God for the hell of it because you can't disprove him either? Either way you're going to die, so how would you know if he exist or not? Why not just be safe and show a bit of respect for him? See it as a contigency plan.

[travelingman]

I'm not talking about loving religion; I'm talking about the idea of loving God.

If you have a scientfic mind and refuse to believe what you can't prove, then why not love God for the hell of it because you can't disprove him either? Either way you're going to die, so how would you know if he exist or not? Why not just be safe and show a bit of respect for him? See it as a contigency plan.

What about the clear distinctions between various gods and their doctrines that they have bestowed upon the human race as a means to meet them in the afterlife?

[IamRAMBO24]

What about the clear distinctions between various gods and their doctrines that they have bestowed upon the human race as a means to meet them in the afterlife?

Good point.

My definition of God means a universal spirtiual essence that permeates all of mankind. Mankind inteprets him based on his own image, but they all worship the same God, hence why I'm not big on a one sided religion (which I believe is antithetical to his intent) and just the idea his existence is out there and we should recognize it just because we don't know for sure Science can disprove it otherwise.

[IamRAMBO24]

If there is a higher power or higher powers, I doubt very much they care if you do or do not believe in their exist. You're aware of the ant farm analogy, I'm sure.

If we created ants, of course we would care about them.

[miller-time]

Why not just be safe and show a bit of respect for him? See it as a contigency plan.

How can you love or respect something if you don't believe in it? What if you manage to overcome that hurdle but end up loving a false god? It might be worse to love the wrong god than to abstain.

[dr.hee]

How can you love or respect something if you don't believe in it? What if you manage to overcome that hurdle but end up loving a false god? It might be worse to love the wrong god than to abstain.

This. Also...how can you consciously decide to feel "love" for someone? Especially given the fact OP considers this a way to be "on the safe side". Dumb thread. Trolling, I know...but also just devoid of any sense at all.

[cuad]

Learn some ****in' math. http://www.math.niu.edu/~richard/Math101/implies.pdf

Relevant statement:

Logicians have decided to take an "innocent until proven guilty" stance on this issue.

[Im so nba'd out]

I'm not talking about loving religion; I'm talking about the idea of loving God.

If you have a scientfic mind and refuse to believe what you can't prove, then why not love God for the hell of it because you can't disprove him either? Either way you're going to die, so how would you know if he exist or not? Why not just be safe and show a bit of respect for him? See it as a contigency plan.

If this is how you feel i don't believe you truly love GOD.I would be worried if i was you that doesn't sound like love at all.

[dr.hee]

If this is how you feel i don't believe you truly love GOD.I would be worried if i was you that doesn't sound like love at all.

OP's gonna burn in hell...

[K Xerxes]

Read about Pascal's Wager OP. You have a lot to lose by going with this dumb strategy and hoping for the best.

[dr.hee]

Read about Pascal's Wager OP. You have a lot to lose by going with this dumb strategy and hoping for the best.

Are there still people around who take Pascal's Wager seriously?

[Kblaze8855]

You don't think that "god" would have the power to know your love is just you hedging your bets?

[K Xerxes]

Are there still people around who take Pascal's Wager seriously?

Aside from OP? Loads. It crept up every once in a while in forums with a God debate that I was once a part of.

Hell some of the Christians that have tried to convert me IRL have resorted to this argument once their love bs is exhausted. If you know the two main flaws, it's easy to destroy.

It's come to the point where I pretty much consider it a litmus test for how well a person has thought about beliefs, like I would for someone's views about evolution etc.

[nathanjizzle]

most people use religion to one up people

[chosen_one6]

To answer the original question: your sanity.

I personally know people that have turned into religious zealots and talk to themselves on facebook about some god that they worship relentlessly. I'd delete them but besides their lunatic like rants they're ok people.