Way too often we as Atheists get asked the question: “What if you’re wrong?” , even though most theists don’t seriously consider the possibility, that they might be in error. I don’t believe in deities and I’m fairly certain, that they don’t exist and that they’re all made up. Can I be 100% certain? No. It might be the case, that I’ll die as an Atheist unrepented and I find myself before the “Big Guy”. So here’s what I’d do in that event:
It’s needless to say, that I would be in total and utter shock. I wouldn’t know what to say. I would be speechless. After picking up my jaw from the ground, my first question would be obvious: “Who are you? Which one are you? You aren’t the Christian one right? Were the Muslims right? Are you a deistic God whose existence was lost on all of us?” Then I would wait for his answer.
The next big question I would have to ask is “What did I miss? Where was the flaw in my reasoning? What did they figure out what I couldn’t?” I would love to find out where I went wrong and why others could figure it out and I couldn’t. That would be of utmost importance to me.
If we get into more detail and we presume, that God is a merciful (or at least not outright cruel) God and he is pleased with me and wants to spend an eternity in heaven with me, I would thank him for the offer but would respectfully decline and ask him to just let me die. If he forces me into Heaven, then I have an eternity to be pissed off at him.
If he had intentions of sending me to hell then I would ask God for a favor beforehand: I would ask him, to let me see my family one more time, so I could say Goodbye to them for good. If he said Yes then this way I would see, who of my family members made it to Heaven and who didn’t. They would know, that God would send me to hell and they would either A) resent him for it and would know he’s not a good God or B) they wouldn’t be my family and God would’ve replaced them somehow. I would then join my other family members in hell if there are any. As an extra I would have had one final encounter with those who are dear to me.
If he said No then I would go to hell immediately and would then meet my family members in hell (or not) and I would resent him even more for not granting my last humble wish.
If he sends me to hell (as some of my Christian/Muslim detractors say, is exactly the fate that awaits me) I would still be pleased in a way. I would know that I was right: There is no omnibenevolent deity. God doesn’t exist. Only the Devil does.
Of course for me, both Heaven and Hell would be Lose-Lose-Situations but I would make the best of it. So what if I’m wrong: If I’m wrong I’m doomed either way no matter if I go to Heaven or hell, unless he lets me die, in which case me being wrong but having found out why holds no real weight.
If I’m wrong I’m wrong and there’s nothing, I can do about it.
Goodbye from yours truly,
Rene von Boenninghausen @Renevelation
Tarsier Renevelations 