What if God's existence were proven without doubt? Good or bad? [View all]
I'm an agnostic and I've encountered two basic excuses, why the demand to proof God's existence is wrong: 1. His existence cannot be proven by logic, because this approach neglects believe. 2. His existence cannot be proven by means of this universe as he transcends it.
I recently stumbled on an interesting thesis: That we only worship God, because he's removed from us. We would stop worshiping God as soon as his existence is proven, as soon as he's no longer mysterious.
Assume there were a repeatable scientific experiment that would prove the existence of God (or at least leads to his existence as the most sensible explanation).
Would religion still work?
"And the same God who revealed himself through the HAZ9-experiment in a density-fluctuation spoke to Moses..."
Would people be willing to believe that this is their God, even though he matches their respective teaching's description only in a general sense?
What would be the difference between praying to him and asking a really powerful human for a favor?
"I'm sorry, he's in a meeting. You can't talk to God right now. Don't call us, we'll call you."
Would people treat him like a celebrity?
Would they try to analyze his personality?
Would they try to win his endorsement for their candidate/cause/product?
Would people be less willing to claim that he had endorsed them when he in fact had not?
Would be people try to co-opt him, to possess him, to force themselves onto him, to make themselves part of his world by collecting memorabilia?
"I'm his biggest fan! I got a tattoo with his name! And I bought the Limited-Edition God-pillows! Nobody but me really understands him!"
Would people fear this uncontrollable force?
Would people get jealous towards God, because he's powerful and they are not?
Would people try to take advantage of God?
Would people try to kill God?