If you were God, what kind of God would you be?

No, it isn't actually. It's a non-belief in ANY god. Not a belief there is no god. Of course, non belief is not a faith position. Yes. I wouldn't know, I don't think something like a god can be conceived by any human.

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I hunt for the truth

When I was seven my faith in the absence of fairies grew and grew. By the time I was ten I had an unshakeable faith in the non existence of Santa but I still had not developed a faith in the nonbeing of ghosts - looking back on my life it would seem I was always been a fundamentalist non believer in Zeus, with a faith unrivalled...I guess that's just childhood indoctrination for you.Now I hold strong faith that Sagan's Garage Dragon is a myth, and even if Sagan posthumously introduced me to said dragon I'd simply deny it - so strong is my faith I'm sure. Equally strong is my faith in the lack of

Arianrod                      Nuada Argetlam
Morrigu                       Tagd
Govannon                      Goibniu
Gunfled                       Odin
Dagda                         Ogma
Ogryvan                       Marzin
Dea Dia                       Mara
Iuno Lucina                   Diana of  Ephesus
Saturn                        Robigus
Furrina                       Pluto
Cronos                        Vesta
Engurra                       Zer-panitu
Belus                         Merodach
Ubilulu                       Elum
U-dimmer-an-kia               Marduk
U-sab-sib                     Nin
U-Mersi                       Persephone
Tammuz                        Istar
Venus                         Lagas
Beltis                        Nirig
Nusku                         En-Mersi
Aa                            Assur
Sin                           Beltu
Apsu                          Kuski-banda
Elali                         Nin-azu
Mami                          Qarradu
Zaraqu                        Ueras
Zagaga

And don't get me started on my powerful faith in the non-entitiness of* Bao A Qu (Malay) - Entity that lives in the Tower of Victory in Chitor
* Aatxe (Basque) - Spirit that takes the form of a bull
* Abassy (Yakuts) - Demons that have teeth of iron
* Abada (African) - Small type of unicorn reported to live in the lands of the African Congo
* bd (Tatar) - Forest spirit
* Abaia (Melanesian) - Huge magical eel
* Abarimon (Medieval Bestiaries) - Savage humanoid with backward feet
* Abath (Malay) - One-horned animal
* Abatwa (Zulu) - Little people that ride ants
* Abura-bō (Japanese) - Spectral fire from Shiga Prefecture, in which the shape of a monk can often be seen
* Abura-sumashi (Japanese) - creature from a mountain pass in Kumamoto Prefecture
* Acephali (Greek) - Headless humanoids
* Acheri (Indian) - Disease-bringing ghost
* Achiyalabopa (Puebloan) - Rainbow-feathered birds
* Achlis (Roman) - Curious elk
* Adar Llwch Gwin (Welsh) - Giant birds that understand human languages
* Adaro (Solomon Islands) - Malevolent merfolk
* Adhene (Manx) - Nature spirit
* Adlet (Inuit) - Vampiric dog-human hybrid
* Adroanzi (Lugbara) - Nature spirit
* Adze (Ewe people) - African vampiric forest being
* Aerico (Macedonian) - Disease demon
* Afanc (Welsh) - Lake monster (exact lake varies by story)
* Agathodaemon (Greek) - Spirit of vinefields and grainfields
* Agloolik (Inuit) - Ice spirit that aids hunters and fishermen
* Agogwe (East Africa) - Small, ape-like humanoid
* Ahkiyyini (Inuit) - Animated skeleton that causes shipwrecks
* Ahuizotl (Aztec) - Anthropophagous dog-monkey hybrid
* Aigamuxa (Khoikhoi) - Anthropophagous humanoid with eyes in its instep
* Aigikampoi (Etruscan) - Fish-tailed goat
* Aigamuxa (Khoikhoi) - Man-eating Ogres
* Aitu (Polynesian) - Malevolent spirits or demons
* Aitvaras (Lithuanian) - Household spirit
* Ajatar (Finnish) - Dragon
* Akabeko (Japanese) - Red cow involved in the construction of Enzō-ji in Yanaizu, Fukushima
* Akamataa (Japanese) - Snake spirit from Okinawa
* Akateko (Japanese) - Tree-dwelling monster
* Akhlut (Inuit) - Orca-wolf shapeshifter
* Akka (Finnish) - Female spirits or minor goddesses
* Akki (Japanese) - Large, grotesque humanoid
* Akkorokamui (Ainu) - Sea monster
* Akuma (Japanese) - Evil spirit
* Akupara (Hindu) - Giant turtle that supports the world
* Akurojin-no-hi (Japanese) - Ghostly flame which causes disease
* Al (Armenian and Persian) - Spirit that steals unborn babies and livers from pregnant women
* Ala (Slavic) - Bad weather demon
* Alal (Chaldean) - Demon
* Alan (Philippine) - Winged humanoid that steals reproductive waste to make children
* Al Basti (Turkish) - Female night-demon
* Alce (Heraldic) - Wingless griffin
* Alicanto (Chilean) - Bird that eats gold and silver
* Alicorn - Technically a unicorn's horn. In modern times is commonly misapplied to winged unicorns
* Alkonost (Slavic) - Angelic bird with human head and breasts
* Allocamelus (Heraldic) - Ass-camel hybrid
* Allu (Akkadian and Sumerian) - Faceless demon
* Almas (Mongolian) - Savage humanoid
* Al-mi'raj (Islamic) - One-horned rabbit
* Aloja (Catalan) - Female water spirit
* Alom-bag-winno-sis (Abenaki) - Little people and tricksters
* Alp (German) - Male night-demon
* Alphyn (Heraldic) - Lion-like creature, sometimes with dragon or goat forelegs
* Alp-luachra (Irish) - Parasitic fairy
* Al Rakim (Islamic) - Guard dog of the Seven Sleepers
* Alseid (Greek) - Grove nymph
* Al (Assyrian) - Leprous demon
* Alux (Mayan) - Little people
* Amaburakosagi (Japanese) - Ritual disciplinary demon from Shikoku
* Amala (Tsimshian) - Giant who holds up the world
* Amamehagi (Japanese) - Ritual disciplinary demon from Hokuriku
* Amanojaku (Japanese) - Small demon
* Amarok (Inuit) - Giant wolf
* Amarum (Quechua) - Water boa spirit
* Amazake-babaa (Japanese) - Disease-causing hag
* Amemasu (Ainu) - Lake monster
* Amorōnagu (Japanese) - Tennyo from the island of Amami Ōshima
* Amphiptere (Heraldic) - Winged serpent
* Amphisbaena (Greek) - Serpent with a head at each end
* Anakim (Jewish) - Giant
* Androsphinx (Ancient Egyptian) - Human-headed sphinx
* Angel (Christian, Islamic, Jewish, and Zoroastrian) - Heavenly being, usually depicted as a winged humanoid.
* Angha (Persian) - Dog-lion-peacock hybrid
* Ani Hyuntikwalaski (Cherokee) - Lightning spirit
* Ankou (French) - Skeletal grave watcher with a lantern and a scythe.
* Anmo (Japanese) - Ritual disciplinary demon from Iwate Prefecture
* Antaeus (Greek) - A giant who was extremely strong as long as he remained in contact with the ground
* Antero Vipunen (Finnish) - Subterranean giant
* Ao Ao (Guaran) - Anthropophagous peccary or sheep
* Aobōzu (Japanese) - Blue monk who kidnaps children
* Apkallu (Sumerian) - Fish-human hybrid that attends the god Enki
* Apsaras (Buddhist and Hindu) - Female cloud spirit
* Aqrabuamelu (Akkadian) - Human-scorpion hybrid
* Ardat-Lili (Akkadian) - Disease demon
* Argus Panoptes (Greek) - Hundred-eyed giant
* Arikura-no-baba (Japanese) - Old woman with magical powers
* Arimaspi (Greek) - One-eyed humanoid
* Arion (Greek) - Extremely swift horse with a green mane and the power of speech
* Arkan Sonney (Manx) - Fairy hedgehog
* Asag (Sumerian) - Hideous rock demon
* Asakku (Sumerian) - Demon
* Asanbosam (West Africa) - Iron-toothed vampire
* Asena (Turkic) - Blue-maned wolf
* A-senee-ki-wakw (Abenaki) - Stone-giant
* Ashi-magari (Japanese) - Invisible tendril that impedes movement
* Asiman (Dahomey) - Vampiric possession spirit
* Askefrue (Germanic) - Female tree spirit
* Ask-wee-da-eed (Abenaki) - Fire elemental and spectral fire
* Asobibi (Japanese) - Spectral fire from Kōchi Prefecture
* Aspidochelone (Medieval Bestiaries) - Island-sized whale or sea turtle
* Asrai (English) - Water spirit
* Astomi (Hindu) - Humanoid sustained by pleasant smells instead of food
* Aswang (Philippine) - Carrion-eating humanoid
* Atomy (English) - Surprisingly small creature
* Ato-oi-kozō (Japanese) - Invisible spirit that follows people
* Atshen (Inuit) - Anthropophagous spirit
* Auloniad (Greek) - Pasture nymph
* Avalerion (Medieval Bestiary) - King of the birds
* Awa-hon-do (Abenaki) - Insect spirit
* Axex (Ancient Egyptian) - Falcon-lion hybrid
* Ayakashi (Japanese) - Sea-serpent that travels over boats in an arc while dripping oil
* Ayakashi-no-ayashibi (Japanese) - Spectral fire from Ishikawa Prefecture
* Aziza (Dahomey) - Little people that help hunters
* Azukiarai (Japanese) - Spirit that washes azuki beans along riversides
* Azukibabaa (Japanese) - Bean-grinding hag who devours people
* Azukitogi (Japanese) - Spirit that washes azuki beans along riversides(and that's just the A's. Take a look at this long list of things I have come to have a strong faith in the lack of.And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Boy am I a faithful person! Any god that doesn't interfere with reality in any way detectable to humans.If I were a god then the kind of god I would be would depend on my powers and the 'psychology of a deity'. I really have no comprehension of these things.If I was a god with the same kind of personality and motivation as I have now - I'd probably cock everything up and make everyone miserable...so while things might be different there probably wouldn't be that much difference. I'd certainly not leave my existence a mystery though. I'd use my increased intellect to deduce the system of morality that is of most benefit to all, and enforce it openly and accept criticism and explain the reasons why I have decided upon it to everyone who wanted to ask. I'd avoid spiritual ambiguities, not leave any doubt in anybody's mind about where they stand and I would allow anybody who so chooses to take part in an "opt out" scheme where they can live in a realm I created that is absent of my interference and they can govern themselves. Of course, this is assuming I make sentient creatures that think like we do. I might not do that - I might make better ones.Just a few ideas. In the end though, becoming god entails such a huge amount of responsibility and an infinite array of possibilities it is impossible to succinctly describe what I would do.

I had no expectations. That's why I asked the questions. Most unbelievers this forum are willing to give response after response as to why they reject belief in God and believers are willing to offer reasons why we believe in God, but unbelievers seem to be unwilling to offer serious responses as to what kind of God they would be and what they would do. I was genuinely interested in finding out if anyone on this forum "could" take the inquiry seriously, and put some thought into what kind of God they would be and what kind of cosmos they would create if they could be God. Then we can discuss the pros and cons of the God you would like to be and what you would like to create.Edited by John 10:10, : added last sentence

Really? So when you wrote: It wasn't what you expected? Would you care to explain that one to me? That's because we realize we cannot possibly conceive of something like "god". You seem to think you can. So you're god is probably smaller/simpler then the one you're asking us to conceive. You have my answer, it's basically the same as Theo's. We cannot possibly conceive of something like "god".

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I hunt for the truth

Hi John 10:10,OK, I'm God. I live in a place with no one else, where there is NO time and NO space.This idea comes to me. I'm going to create other people like me, very similar but not completely exactly like me, so I have something interesting to do. Others to talk to etc. You know just BEING is a bit of a drag.So I do that and surprise, surprise, the beings decide they need to be individuals. They somehow think being with me makes them less than themselves. They want to leave, I don't think that is in their best interest, but since I made them like me, I can't stop them. To do so would make them my puppets which is not what I created.So they leave and THEY create a universe where they think they are physical bodies. They become TRAPPED in that universe to such a point they can't see they are spiritual beings created in my image and experience death, sickness, suffering, pain etc.I saw this, but I made them like me, so was unable to stop them.I love each of them more than you can imagine. I wish everyone of them would look around and figure out what they did and get out of the trap THEY CREATED. If I do something to help them get out of the trap they made, they become my puppets, rather than being beings like me, which is what I created.John, I hope you see this as the thoughtful reply it is.Not only that, it is very close to exactly what happened and why you are here.God Bless!Edited by petrophysics1, : typo

So you are able to fathom what a god intended and what a god did? Amazing.I wish I had a god. Yours seems so puny and insignificant.

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Facts don't lie or have an agenda. Facts are just facts

Hi, Straggler. Can omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent gods get bored?
I mean, if you live outside of time, how could the night drag on? Surely there couldn't even be nights, as we understand them, let alone long nights, right?
For that matter, how would any sort of change register to you?
Could change even happen in the same sense that you and I understand it?I think answering John 10:10's question would require a paradigm shift of epic-infinite, multi-dimensional proportions. Anyone who actually can answer John 10:10's question is surely selling themselves short.

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-Bluejay (a.k.a. Mantis, Thylacosmilus)Darwin loves you.

I would be the kind of God that made universes in which you could take the following photograph: I'd make Bertrand Russel my prophet.

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"Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science." - Charles Darwin.

Hi, John 10:10. Two things:

1. The believers don't seem to be willing to offer serious responses, either---yourself included. So, how about it? What kind of God would you be?
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2. What on earth is the connection here? What significance does your question have for the greater debate?

I would gladly put some thought into it if I felt that it was a meaningful thing to do.

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-Bluejay (a.k.a. Mantis, Thylacosmilus)Darwin loves you.

Hi John 10:10,I think what people are telling you is that they can't see how this is a serious question. I think they do understand that for you the God of the Bible is a reality, but they seem bemused that you don't understand that for them no God is a reality, and especially not the God of the Bible.Modulous's Message 17 seemed helpful in making this clear. In a way your question to atheists is akin to asking, "What kind of leprechaun would you be if you could be a leprechaun?"Perhaps what you're truly seeking to understand is how the Christian God who has so much reality in your own life could not even receive a passing thought in the lives of others. Anyway, feel free to try to modify your questions to better explore what it is you want to know.

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--	Percy
	EvC Forum Director

I would be a wish granting leprechaun. I would grant wishes in return for protection and favors. John, you see how this answer looks? This is what your question looks like to an atheist. Its hard to give you a serious answer that does not look facetious.To answer your question. I dont know. There is so much knowledge I dont have about the universe and possible creations that I have no possible way of knowing what I would do. Unfortunately, my view of reality(along with every other living being) is entirely based on time and causation. I don't know how any action would take place if time and causation were not in place, so I cant even begin to say what I would do as God.I think the problem is most people attribute human characteristics to God(He exists within time for instance like humans, even though time is a dimension of the universe)

I have thought about your question. Every time I get the idea I'm wishing for a thousand dollars when I could be wishing for a million make that a billion no, a trillion wait, a gazillionThe only thing your question is good for is to study how quickly people can figure out how fast there isn't an answer unless one is exceptionally unimaginative.

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It's not the man that knows the most that has the most to say.

Percy,What unbelievers are really saying is that they are UNWILLING to seriously consider what it would be like to be God because they don't want there to be a God, and they don't want to look foolish trying to explain how they could be a better God than the ONE revealed in the Bible. I fully understand that for them "no God is a reality," I do not care to modify my questions. They have fully answered my questions. You may now close this topic thread.Blessings

No, what we are saying is that we are unable to seriously consider what it would be like to be God because we cant comprehend the mind of a omnipotent being when given a potentially infinite number of things to do. Now, if you want to point towards specific situations(maybe Biblical ones?) and ask us what we would do in them if we had infinite power, I believe we atheists could explain our actions. Your question was just so vague it is impossible to even conceive on an answer. Its simply not possible for humans to think outside of the context of time and space.Edit: To add, you never said you were talking about the Christian God either. If you want to know how we would rule the universe differently than the Christian God I would be glad to answer that.Edited by themasterdebator, : No reason given.Edited by themasterdebator, : No reason given.Edited by themasterdebator, : No reason given.

I'd be hard put not to make a better god then the one in the Bible. Any god that didn't play hide-and-seek and you go to Hell would be an improvement. John 10:10, your god is truly sad, and you need to come to grips with that.

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It's not the man that knows the most that has the most to say.