Yes good points Kelli and pog.
This was by no means “scientific”. The 7/8 people I asked this question to were white males from 28-40. They were probably sports enthusiasts. So this was not any kind of representative sample of everyone.
No one said, “I don’t believe in God so it doesn’t matter to me.” No one said, “Yes. I already believe the scenario in your question is true and so my view of God cannot get any more favorable.”
@pog… about the possible pluralistic interpretation of my question… all I can say is that I twice said “God” in my quick dialogue with them. “Can I ask you a quick question about GOD?” “Would you have a more favorable view of GOD if…”
I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was surprised by the majority of negative responses. But, (and here’s the kicker) I was surprised by the coldness of the responses… what I perceived to be the scowl or apparent “dis-taste” of the possibility… ie the “hardness of heart”. The exception being the homeless man. If I may combine my “sixth-sense” perception with a bit of speculation, I felt like most (5-6/8) of the people I asked sort of puffed up their chest, thought about some bad people they knew of (Hitler, NJ school shooter etc), and said to themselves… “no, there are some really bad people in the world. I’m not as bad as them so I know I’m ok, but those bad people really need to suffer and if God doesn’t get them then God isn’t fair and I don’t like Him.” OR… “I’m really trying to be a good guy and it’s really hard sometimes. If those bad people I know get a free pass, then God isn’t fair and I won’t like that.”
If I may stretch the speculation even further… Now, I realize the negativity could simply be coming from the fact that I was “interrupting people” at an otherwise pleasant party atmosphere with a serious question and so they subconsciously voiced their displeasure in the negative. It could also be that the people I asked, 8 white males, 3-4 of them fairly athletically in-shape “work out” guys… are sort of the “top of the food chain” aspiring alpha males of American culture… really buying into the “rat race” and striving as hard as they can to “be good”, and “make it” the way success is defined in America. So the idea that some who don’t work hard to “make it”, get bliss just like they would, was disgusting to them.
This also hit me like a ton of bricks… People are never willing to give others a “free pass” and “let them off the hook” until they realize and bask in the joy of knowing they themselves have been given a “free pass” and have been “let off the hook”.