What would you lose if Christianity were not true?

[InterestedAtheist]

I’ll try a different way. How am I discovering that it’s not true?

Not important. It's a hypothetical. Just accept that, in this hypothetical situation, you came to a full realisation that there was no God.
If that happened - can you tell us what you would have lost?

 

[dzheremi]

Who cares what most people disagree with? Most people aren't atheists wasting their time on messageboards about religion, either.

 

[InterestedAtheist]

Had I not sensed the Holy Spirit I may have taken you up on it.

Maybe one day you'll come to a realisation that you were mistaken in thinking you sensed the Holy Spirit. Others have.
We all make mistakes, after all, and none of us are perfect.

 

[rockytopva]

Who said anything about happiness being the point of life? Or about being happy all the time?
I just said that if you do leave Christianity you may find yourself happier for it.

happiness
noun
hap·pi·ness | \ ˈha-pē-nəs
\
Definition of happiness
1a : a state of well-being and contentment : joy
b : a pleasurable or satisfying experience

That doesn't sound like a benefit to you, in any kind of way? Well, if not, I suspect most people would disagree with you.

There is possibility of falling into the wrong church, which can make one miserable indeed. There is also possibility of falling in with the wrong bunch of atheist, which may leave you dead indeed!

 

[Hammster]

Not important. It's a hypothetical. Just accept that, in this hypothetical situation, you came to a full realisation that there was no God.
If that happened - can you tell us what you would have lost?

Actually, it is important.

I’ll wait for the OP. He might have an answer to my questions.

@BigV

 

[InterestedAtheist]

Who cares what most people disagree with? Most people aren't atheists wasting their time on messageboards about religion, either.

Dzheremi, are you interested in answering the question? If not, why are you "wasting your time on a messageboard"?
If you don't care about anyone here or anything they are saying, what are you here for?

 

[rockytopva]

Maybe one day you'll come to a realisation that you were mistaken in thinking you sensed the Holy Spirit. Others have.
We all make mistakes, after all, and none of us are perfect.

When I sensed the Holy Spirit I was aware that I had sensed the same powers that went into the creation of this universe!

 

[InterestedAtheist]

Actually, it is important.

I’ll wait for the OP. He might have an answer to my questions.

@BigV

Okay. I shall watch with interest.

 

[InterestedAtheist]

When I sensed the Holy Spirit I was aware that I had sensed the same powers that went into the creation of this universe!

You thought you were.
and maybe you were right. Or maybe not.

I mean, it's not like human perception is famous for its unerring accuracy, right? Plenty of people have made mistakes before, and plenty of people have realised they were mistaken about something they believed with great sincerity.

And plenty of fervent Christians have gone on to realise they were wrong and have deconverted.

 

[dzheremi]

Dzheremi, are you interested in answering the question? If not, why are you "wasting your time on a messageboard"?
If you don't care about anyone here or anything they are saying, what are you here for?

I could ask you the same thing.

And I already answered the question in my first reply. Socially, very little, and in the world where Christianity is not true that's pretty much the only thing that would matter or change, since obviously all the metaphysical claims made by Christianity about the source, fate, or reality of the soul would be out the window in that case (assuming some other religion wasn't right about that, which I highly doubt is the point an atheist would be making in this context).

 

[InterestedAtheist]

There is possibility of falling into the wrong church, which can make one miserable indeed. There is also possibility of falling in with the wrong bunch of atheist, which may leave you dead indeed!

Hmmm. Clearly it's best never to make any kind of decision at all about anything.

 

[InterestedAtheist]

I could ask you the same thing.

And I already answered the question in my first reply. Socially, very little, and in the world where Christianity is not true that's pretty much the only thing that would matter or change, since obviously all the metaphysical claims made by Christianity about the source, fate, or reality of the soul would be out the window in that case (assuming some other religion wasn't right about that, which I highly doubt is the point an atheist would be making in this context).

I'm here for the interesting conversation. Since you clearly don't find the conversation interesting, I was wondering what you were doing here.

Thank you for your answer. So you're saying that you would lose nothing? That's good to hear.

 

[dogs4thewin]

I’ll try a different way. How am I discovering that it’s not true?

Maybe the OP is saying if you died and nothing happened. No Heaven no nothing.

 

[Hammster]

Maybe the OP is saying if you died and nothing happened. No Heaven no nothing.

If I died and nothing happened, then I’ve lost nothing.

 

[InterestedAtheist]

Excuse me. Bedtime now. Back tomorrow!

 

[dogs4thewin]

If I died and nothing happened, then I’ve lost nothing.

so by that logic ( If that is what the OP means the answer is nothing.

 

[dogs4thewin]

Excuse me. Bedtime now. Back tomorrow!

Maybe I should do that when I am on in the evenings and leave and people asks me why I suddenly did not reply thanks for the idea. lol

 

[Sanoy]

Short answer. Everything.

Long answer. Christianity provides a bottom and a top, a ground and sky perspective from which one can orient and navigate life. Losing it is like leaving the earth for space, where there is no top, no bottom, no orientation, no where to go, just a constant floating. Everyone has a compass there, but it leads nowhere, because it was born from nothing.

1. I would lose the grounding to my intellectual faculties, which serve as the epistemic basis for discovering the truth. A naturalistic account of this is insufficient in both my opinion and also the opinion of some atheists. (complicated, but discussed here)
2. I would lose the grounding for true moral behavior. With God, one moves either toward or away from an objective paradigm set by him, and our intuitions provide a real goal and apprehension of ultimate consequence toward our progression toward or away from Him. Without that objective paradigm, one is simply floating around in a sea of moral hypotheses where every direction is only contingently better than any other direction, there is no goal, no ground, no sky, just floating around in an evolutionary delusion in the mind until you die. One may have a moral compass, but it leads to nowhere, because it was born from nothing.
   
3. I would lose the transformative power of the Holy Spirit to lead one to true life, whom I have seen transform me, when I yield myself to Christ, and who I have seen utterly transform my wife through prayer.
4. I would lose my hope in suffering. I would no longer have anyone to call out too for healing, for which both me and my wife have received.
   
5. I would lose my reason to live in suffering. Whatever I deem good becomes my reason to live, and it's sustained deprivation becomes my reason to die.
6. I would live under a persistent delusion, born from an evolution of mind, which makes the world appear fallen from what it ought to be, compels me to cry to nothing for change, all while nothing hears me and no thing ought to be
7. I would lose the hope of the restoration of all things.
8. I would lose free will, and consequently rationality. Everything in nature is deterministic, why should I be any different. If I am determined to believe or not believe a thing, I cannot come to any rational conclusions. My thoughts and conclusions are no more important than a tree growing a branch, or a rock skidding down a steep cliff.
   
9. Finally I would lose the greatest person I have ever met, one who brings me to tears to consider. One whose consideration nourishes my soul, whose words establish my soul, whose promises will restore my soul. I would lose the ultimate raison d'etre, a raison d'etre that brings all things into utter completion and fulfillment. With Him I gain everything, apart from Him I have nothing but a mental delusion mistakenly called life.

 

[rockytopva]

You thought you were.
and maybe you were right. Or maybe not.

I mean, it's not like human perception is famous for its unerring accuracy, right? Plenty of people have made mistakes before, and plenty of people have realised they were mistaken about something they believed with great sincerity.

And plenty of fervent Christians have gone on to realise they were wrong and have deconverted.

For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. - 2 Timothy 1:12

 

[Hammster]

so by that logic ( If that is what the OP means the answer is nothing.

Right. But he said that’s a contradiction.