Tuesday 13 January 2015
Friday 9 January 2015
Christians and Atheists
Why would an atheist try to convince their loved one to stop believing?
TV comedian and atheist Dara O Briain recently spent time on one of his panel shows explaining how he had attempted to convince his devoutly Catholic father that he was wrong to believe.
I wondered why. What are the possible consequences of success and failure?
Dara is a scientist, having studied Theoretical Physics at UCD in Dublin. He must surely have weighed up the consequences of his actions before speaking to his father.
Possible Result #1
Dara fails - his father retains his faith - Dara is correct and God does not exist.
Result: his father dies happy and content in his ignorance, and blinks out of existence
Possible Result #2
Dara fails - his father retains his faith - Dara is wrong and God does exist.
Result: his father dies happy and content in his faith, and goes to heaven
Possible Result #3
Dara succeeds - his father renounces his faith - Dara is correct and God does not exist.
Result: his father dies dejected and miserable for having wasted all that time at church, and blinks out of existence
Possible Result #4
Dara succeeds - his father renounces his faith - Dara is wrong and God does exist.
Result: his father dies dejected and miserable for having wasted all that time at church, and then has to face the almighty and explain himself
I ask again - why would an atheist try to convice their loved one to stop believing?
Whether God exists or not, no possible reason other than to win an argument, which they think is more important than the feelings, and possible post-death destination, of the loved one.
How utterly utterly selfish!
TV comedian and atheist Dara O Briain recently spent time on one of his panel shows explaining how he had attempted to convince his devoutly Catholic father that he was wrong to believe.
I wondered why. What are the possible consequences of success and failure?
Dara is a scientist, having studied Theoretical Physics at UCD in Dublin. He must surely have weighed up the consequences of his actions before speaking to his father.
Possible Result #1
Dara fails - his father retains his faith - Dara is correct and God does not exist.
Result: his father dies happy and content in his ignorance, and blinks out of existence
Possible Result #2
Dara fails - his father retains his faith - Dara is wrong and God does exist.
Result: his father dies happy and content in his faith, and goes to heaven
Possible Result #3
Dara succeeds - his father renounces his faith - Dara is correct and God does not exist.
Result: his father dies dejected and miserable for having wasted all that time at church, and blinks out of existence
Possible Result #4
Dara succeeds - his father renounces his faith - Dara is wrong and God does exist.
Result: his father dies dejected and miserable for having wasted all that time at church, and then has to face the almighty and explain himself
I ask again - why would an atheist try to convice their loved one to stop believing?
Whether God exists or not, no possible reason other than to win an argument, which they think is more important than the feelings, and possible post-death destination, of the loved one.
How utterly utterly selfish!
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