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Debate Info

29
59
yes no
Debate Score:88
Arguments:65
Total Votes:98
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 yes (21)
 
 no (40)

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Thewayitis(4071) pic



Atheists, would you die to prove there is no God?

Religious people have died for what they believe, that there is a God.   Would an atheist die to prove there isn't a God?

yes

Side Score: 29
VS.

no

Side Score: 59
5 points

If by die, you mean deny all the gods until the day I die, then yes. I would not literally die for no reason, because life is precious to me.

But if I am on my deathbed and a priest comes to give me my final rites, I will, with the last of my strength create the sign of the ultimate force. METAL. \m/

And I will call out "HAIL SATAN." "HAIL ODIN." "HAIL THOTH."

And I will not believe in them, but I will attempt to offend the priest as utterly as I can in my final moments.

That is my plan in death. I would rather face your false hell than bow to tyranny.

If your god is real and cannot accept that I did not believe, then that is not my problem. I would rather take the pain of your corrupted god's hell than bow to such a wicked god, so very comfortable and safe, nestled in the skies above.

Oh yes, I would never accept that god.

However, if there IS a god, and that god is not wicked, then I would quite certainly be allowed into heaven.

Despite how evil and atheist such a last gesture might seem, the truth is that I am only atheist for good reasons, and that I only oppose religion because of the problems it causes society, not to mention the utter fact that it is 100% myth.

Side: yes
bobbyman23(17) Disputed
2 points

I think it would be better to die believing that there is a benevolent God, and finding out that he doesn't exist, than to die mocking him only find out he does.

Side: no
Emperor(1348) Disputed
3 points

Well, that's just it.

You're assuming the benevolent god is Yahweh.

If the benevolent god is the one from the Bible, then it is Yahweh, and NOT benevolent.

Otherwise, I would only have mocked Yahweh, a god who is not benevolent according to myths.

If Hell exists, if a place for torture exists, and a god is ever willing to send humans there forever, then no, that god is not benevolent.

I would only be mocking one god, and that is the Christian god of the Bible.

Side: yes
riahlize(1573) Disputed
1 point

That's essentially Pascal's Wager.

What if your doctrine is wrong? What if you're believing in the wrong god? What if you die and find out that the real god is Allah or Hades or Zeus?

Then shouldn't you believe every deity believed to exist is real and that their rules exist? Because of not, you have possibly mocked or offended them. That way you avoid whatever "hell" a certain religion may have.

To further refute this, even of you did believe in all of them, you'll still blasphemy some. Since some of them say "have no other gods or idols before me".

Side: yes
1 point

If my death proved the non- existence of God, then yes I would die. If a societies values weren't reflected by religion, then we wouldn't have so much hate. Peoples ideas would be more clear and less biased. I think that if peoples ideas were less restricted by religion we could progress and have a better understanding of who we are. No hate against gay people, no hate against single mothers, no hate against abortion, no hate against stem cell research...We could progress..

Side: yes
2 points

People will die for what they believe to be true, but no one will die for what they know to be a lie. The reason an atheist will never be persecuted.

Side: no
3 points

I think you're asking the wrong question. The real question should be: Would an atheist die before pretending to believe that there is a god. I would like to think that I would swallow my pride and pretend to believe, because I believe that once you die, it's all over. However, I also know that I'm very stubborn, and I don't like people telling me what to do or what to believe in, so I'm probably a good candidate for someone who would be stupid enough to die for my beliefs.

Side: no

This is probably the most honest answer I have ever heard from an atheist and admire for your honesty. On the flip-side, I'm sure many religious people would do the same. I'm very stubborn also and would like to believe that I would hold to my convictions as a Christian, but one never quit knows until faced with a given situation the out come. Peter said he would never be a Judas and that didn't work out.

Side: no
2 points

No, because an atheist wouldn't get anything out of it if they died for their opinions.

Christians have died for their beliefs because part of their belief is to not lie about it, and so they'll die for it.

Side: no
2 points

I certainly wouldn't. We're not talking about a set moral value here, but rather a lack of one. Why sacrifice myself for a concept of nothingness? It just doesn't make any sense. And even though a lot of us atheists certainly can be asinine in regards to other people's beliefs, it doesn't really stretch any farther than a simple frustration with the key differences in thinking styles between theists and atheists. So, no, I don't think many of us except the most stubborn would die for a "cause" like this.

Side: no
2 points

if atheists devote their life to disproving god their just being miserable... i would die for the answers to life (including the existence of god) but not for the reasons of disproving him but for the reasons of having thirst for a higher knowledge

Side: no
2 points

Prove it to who?

As an Atheist, I believe that nothing will happen when I die. So dying is a neutral act. To live is equal to dying.

We all die eventually. When I die, I probably will just stop thinking. Till then, I'll do whatever I want.

Side: no
2 points

No. I wouldn't, Why die for something I don't believe in?

Side: no
1 point

No.

An atheist believes nothing. They don't believe there is a God, and they don't believe there isn't.

That way, an atheist couldn't die for his beliefs, simply because he doesn't have any.

Side: no
Saurbaby(5581) Disputed
3 points

That's not an atheist. An atheist believes that there isn't a God. And agnostic is basically what you're describing.

Side: yes
_deleted0_(850) Disputed
3 points

I think I just changed my religion.

I'm an agnostic theist ;)

Side: no
1 point

First of all, I don't care about proving anything to anyone! If you believe in a fake god... good for you! I don't care, that's your right.

Second, I don't believe in a fantasy after world... so why would I want to die any sooner than I have to?

And... if I'm wrong, and I don't believe I am, then I would go to Hell for being an atheist so why would I want to speed that up? I wouldn't.

Side: no
1 point

No, why should i! I am not a Christian, Jew, Islamist, e.t.c. I am not willing to die for my beliefs. Like saying "the sky is blue and i am willing to die for it!"

Side: no

"the sky is blue and i am willing to die for it!"

"the sky is green and i am willing to die for it!" would be better; we can prove the sky is blue sometimes. But I concur.

Side: no
ricedaragh(2494) Clarified
1 point

How do you know that my blue isn't your green ?

Side: yes

Why would I die for something I don't believe? I would die for things I do believe in, like preventing an authoritarian state, but It really doesn't matter to me that you can't prove there is no God. As far as I'm concerned, you can already disprove the traditional monotheistic God by the paradoxes such a god would create.

Side: no
1 point

Dying proves nothing. You're dead. The answer for either is "no"

If the question is whether they would die for a belief, it is purely situational. Would an atheist conceivably die under a totalitarian theist society for example, to prove a point or win freedom of religion (in this case freedom to also not have a religion)? Probably this is just as likely as a theist of a particular religion dying in protest of some other religion.

There is a very distinct and telling difference though. A theist will die and kill to force another to believe. This odd and destructive mentality is nearly non-existent in the atheist. Believe what you will, it is only when the religious begin forcing their ideas (which is constant and never ending from most religions and particularly Muslims and Christians) when they are met with protest.

Why a world of atheists would be a far more pleasant place.

Side: no
ThePyg(6738) Disputed
1 point

A theist will die and kill to force another to believe. This odd and destructive mentality is nearly non-existent in the atheist.

Incorrect.

Stalin and the Communist regime had outlawed worship, forcing people to worship underground. Anyone caught being a Christian was sent to a camp, where most of them died.

Mao was very similar.

Why a world of atheists would be a far more pleasant place.

No. A world of non-violent people would be a far more pleasant place. Religious beliefs, believe it or not, are not the cause of genocide. Ideology and discontent for mankind are.

Side: yes
iamdavidh(4856) Disputed
1 point

It's a completely false equivalency.

Stalin in Mao surpressed religion not for the sake of belief, but because they understood religion as another means of manipulating masses, and they wanted a monopoly on manipulating the masses.

No religion = one less tool toward genocide and all types of evils. It doesn't mean they dissappear, it just means one less tool.

No. A world of non-violent people would be a far more pleasant place. Religious beliefs, believe it or not, are not the cause of genocide. Ideology and discontent for mankind are.

And my argument is the religious are more violent and more easily manipulated toward violent tendencies through the excuse of some god.

Therefore, yes, a more peaceful world overall.

Side: no
Thewayitis(4071) Disputed
0 points

I doubt that a world of atheists would be a more pleasant place. What I do know is that a world without you certainly would be a more pleasant place. Your own words prove that hatred lays in your heart.

Side: yes
Emperor(1348) Disputed
1 point

You're fucked up.

That guy said he wanted a world of atheists.

You said you wanted him dead.

I think you're ignoring your own words.

Have you ever heard of cognitive dissonance?

Side: no
Serstlou(52) Disputed
1 point

Not only are you completely ignoring the fact that the Crusades or any other mass killings at the hands of various religious bodies have ever happened, but you're almost wishing death upon another human being simply for stating so, then you say that he's the one with an intense hate? How could that be any more ignorant or hypocritical, and what possible justification would you have to behave that way with little to no provocation?

Side: no
1 point

I am a so called 'atheist' and dying to prove there is no god is simply absurd. Why would I waste my entire life trying to prove something I already have no interest in knowing about. In my mind god does not exist. In a catholic's, he does. It's all the work of the mind and conscience.

Side: no
1 point

First of all, I'm a Christian, but to be fare this question really doesn't do much.

I could play devils advocate and say "would you like to prove there is no santa clause" Do you see what i'm getting at?

Just be grown ups and realize that there are some things that don't make sense to debate. Doesn't mean anyone's right or wrong.

Side: no
1 point

A resounding "NO" would be my answer. But more to the point, how would an atheist's voluntary demise prove or disprove the existence of a god? Seems to me that there is absolutely no incentive for an atheist to put his life on the line to prove a negative. Worse, it would be idiotic. Most atheists I know are pragmatic by nature. So, nope, I don't think you'd find a volunteer among us.

But a Christian or a Muslim putting his life on the line---Now THAT truly makes sense to me--so much sense that I'm blown away by the lack of volunteers for death amongst Believers. And those relative few who put themselves out there in the name of service to God are under the influence of shameless religious or political dogma delivered by master manipulators.

And even those who don't actively volunteer to exit life eventually fall ill, get involved in life threatening accidents, whatever............and oh do the prayers begin in earnest. The invocation of God to put off the inevitable just a little while longer can become quite intense. While I feel deep empathy--NO--a great deal of sympathy--for anyone facing imminent death, I'm profoundly puzzled with the Christians who I'd have thought would have been praying all their lives to die and be enveloped by the love of god ASAP. I mean they love their god above all else, including their own children, moms and dads and closest friends. I gotta tell you folks, I'd die in a nanosecond for a grand/child of mine, cuz you know what, I really do love those monkeys. So, it seems to me there's a rather gaping disconnect between Christians and the god they so love, adore, admire, respect, and with whom they claim to have such a profound personal relationship.

C'mon, folks, face the facts. God is but a concept—a construct of man—and a meaningless one at that. It's impossible to love a concept which for my money explains perfectly why tears of sadness are shed at Christian and Muslim funerals. Perfectly understandable. You love what you know. And no one however devout they claim to be is capable of loving a concept.

More logic, Christians and Muslims and less fantasizing.

Side: no