Could you handle the truth?

[Sandra Craft]

This is an interesting question: if you could push a button that would tell you if god exists (and for simplicity's sake, let's assume this is all it would take), would you?  Could You Handle the Truth?:

What if you could learn whether the religion you follow is true simply by pushing a button?

No more need for faith. Now you could actually know instead of just believing that you do. Would you push the button? Even if knowing the truth might make you really unhappy?

It's a fair question, considering how many religions claim to be the one true way. Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam and the countless versions of each, they can't all be "true." Right?

Just to make things interesting, let's include atheists, agnostics, Satanists, pagans, cannibals and anyone who votes for Donald Trump. Everyone can know truth about their beliefs.

(Not really sure why Kirby is including cannibals in this group.  Trying to be funny, I suppose.  Can kind of see including Trump supporters tho)

Assuming that this button is acceptable as evidence, I'd push it.  That's all I've ever asked for anyway.  But I would want this button to also tell me which version of god is real, if any of them is.  I need to know this just as much as theists do.  Acknowledging a god exists in the presence of convincing evidence is the easy part; I'd also need information for the hard part: deciding whether or not to worship it.

[Tank]

I'd press it in an instant. Knowledge is important whether one likes it or not.

[Asmodean]

I could handle it either way. I don't like being wrong, but I'm also adult enough to take it in stride.

It would take more than a truth button, however, as I am prone to suspecting such imaginary devices of lying.

[OldGit]

His Greyness is right - before accepting the button's verdict I should want absolute proof that it is reliable.  I suggest another button which gives the truth about the first button.  Oh, yes, and ....

[Pasta Chick]

Does the button give you details, or is it just a yes/no deal?

If it gives details, I'd push that thing in a millisecond. I would fight for my chance to push that button.

If it simply tells you yes or no, I'd pass. This is part of why I'm atheist to begin with. There are thousands of religions, millions of interpretations of them, and infinite options we've not even explored. Of course I'd be wrong. Most likely we'd all be wrong.

[Sandra Craft]

Does the button give you details, or is it just a yes/no deal?

That's my question -- apparently non-believers get a yes/no answer, and believers only get told if their particular belief is right.  I'd push the button anyway, but that's just not enough information to work with.

[Biggus Dickus]

Does the button give you details, or is it just a yes/no deal?

That's my question -- apparently non-believers get a yes/no answer, and believers only get told if their particular belief is right.  I'd push the button anyway, but that's just not enough information to work with.

I would think skeptics such as ourselves would be more inclined to push the button, but I have to believe that many,many believers would be scared to put their faith to the test...if there is a god ideally that's all it is, a creator of the universe who more or less is one not requiring faith or worship by it's creations, so everyone else who is a believer would be informed when they pushed the button that their particular belief is wrong, because all the religions are wrong.

[Magdalena]

Pero, Bruno, what if the button reveals that a certain religion is right...that whoever utters the name of, He who has no name, must be put to death?

I would want the button to reveal something totally different than what we've come up with, when it comes to religion, so far...You know, give me something new, something fresh, something that feels good and won't kill me. 

[Biggus Dickus]

Pero, Bruno, what if the button reveals that a certain religion is right...that whoever utters the name of, He who has no name, must be put to death?

I would want the button to reveal something totally different than what we've come up with, when it comes to religion, so far...You know, give me something new, something fresh, something that feels good and won't kill me. 

Señora Magdalena, that's why I said ideally the button would reveal that all or our religions here on earth are wrong, every single one of them.

Basically there is a creator, but no religion is required...god is simply no different than a quark, or a neutron. Shit it's too late for this, my point mainly was that I thought that skeptics would be more inclined than believers to discover the truth.

[Icarus]

I agree with Bruno that skeptics would be more inclined to seek the truth.  As Asmo reminded us, we'd want more assurance that the button would reveal the real truth, not some bullshit gimmick dreamed up by an evangelical preacher in a mega church.

[Tank]

It would be good if there is a true religion, but it's buried deep in the Congo. Nobody there even hears about the button so they never press it to get the 'Yes'.

[Sandra Craft]

I would think skeptics such as ourselves would be more inclined to push the button, but I have to believe that many,many believers would be scared to put their faith to the test...if there is a god ideally that's all it is, a creator of the universe who more or less is one not requiring faith or worship by it's creations, so everyone else who is a believer would be informed when they pushed the button that their particular belief is wrong, because all the religions are wrong.

If this were anything other than a thought experiment, I'd want time before pushing the button to make bets with theists in line about the nature of god, if it turns out there is one and we get that piece of info.  I'd be willing to bet serious coin that the true nature of god would surprise them a good deal more than me.

[Magdalena]

Wait, are we talking about pushing a button that would tell you if god exists, or tell you whether the religion you follow is true?   

Yes, there is a god.
No, there is no god.
OR
Yes, there is a god, and the religion you follow is true.
Yes, there is a god, but the religion you follow interprets God all wrong.
No, there is no god, so the religion you follow is not true.

[Claireliontamer]

I'd definitely press it.  I think either answer would definitely lead to more questions and probably more bickering amongst humans!

[Tank]

If one religion were true which would you like it to be?