Why do christians use Pascal's Wager?

Question

Pascal's Wager is;

Suppose you are right. Suppose there is no God. Then when I die as a believer, I have lost nothing. I just die, as a man that devoted his life to love and morals. But if you, as a non-believer, are wrong and I am right, you have to spend an eternity in hell. See, I have nothing to lose, but you have everything to lose.

The problem with this line of reasoning is that there are thousands of gods that humans have imagined. A person who believes in Allah can make this statement, and so can a person who believes in God, and so can a person who believes in Vishnu. This multitude of fictional beings shows the silliness of the argument. There is no way to know which god to choose, because there is no evidence whatsoever indicating that any of them exist.

Fish - there is no evidence. Ask any christian who knows what they are talking about.

Answer 1

Plenty of evidence,you just don't want to see it.Sad.

Answer 2

Given the examples that you have provided, it seems that not only do Christians use this sense of logic but other religious persons as well. I'm not sure the issue is so much that you believe in "their" god...but more the fact that you appear not to believe in one at all. This seems to be an incomprehensible concept to faithful individuals who cannot imagine bodily death as the end of existence. It is a seemingly necessary drive for a faithful person to try to convince a faithless person to have a belief beyond the provable. It makes sense though, even science seemed like a crazy concept at one point in time. Whatever the absolute "truth" is, we'll all find out sooner or later.

Answer 3

It's all the same God just in different languages, and from different parts of the world. God is everthing right? The entire universe and beyond. It' s the force that make the everthing and in between go around. It's hard to explain. Being spiritual helps understanding "God" easier. I'm a Christian and went to Christian schools my whole life,(their views shoved down my throat), and I've never once heard of Pascal's Wager. But honestly I'm hoping for a heaven, because I think it would be cool. The only evidence is what you "believe" to be evidence. Like good things happening is God and bad things hapenning isn't God. It all is God and everthing happens for a reason. It all comes down to faith and knowing that we're only a tiny speck in the universe. Etc. Etc. Etc. Blah.

Answer 4

I believe in my faith because it is how I worship God the best. If my chosen path is wrong, I still believe that "God," no matter what denomination best "describes" Him, would accept me as I stood before Him and said, "There were 1,000 religions, denominations and sects. I found the best way I could to you."

I can't prove to anyone that the God I relate to is right. I can simply lead by example - show what the God I believe in has done in my life. And I believe Him to be a forgiving, creative and ultimately loving God. I get to Him through Jesus Christ, but I cannot say with conviction in my heart that others cannot get to Him another way. I believe the Bible was written BY men and over the centuries it's been treated as the spoils of war - to be re-written by other men. So I take the ultimate message of love and peace and try work toward pleasing God through that.

Answer 5

Agreed. And the Atheist's Wager makes as much sense as Pascal's:

Suppose there is a god and s/he judges everyone -- then when I die, you and I will be judged on the basis of how we lived, not what we chose to believe.

Answer 6

The wager is silly from another approach as well.

If you, an individual, "believe" in something solely because you are trying to avoid a given consequence, then you don't really believe ... you are simply faking it and, if we presume God to be all knowing, then he would recognize this false pretense of belief.

But the whole notion of requiring an individual to believe in your faith to be saved is rather shabby in general.

Answer 7

So what. Bloom where you are planted. If this argument helps a Muslim or a Hindu have more confidence in their faith, then so much the better.

.People that have faith can find reasons for it. People that choose not to believe wont be persuaded to believe by logic. In other words, reason can aid faith but it is not likely to bring someone to faith.

Answer 8

Lack of faith that is why plain and simple. For me I do not have to defend my faith or explain it. No I am not a christian. When I hit a bumpy spot in life, I was introduced to a way to pray. It works for me. That simple. Whether I created it or it is really out there does not matter. It works for me and I am happier for it.

Answer 9

I am a Christian and do not use a "line of reasoning" which can be debated, or is presumptuous according to an "if". But I preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the power of God.

Answer 10

I don't think it's an arguement for Christianity alone, per se. What I see it as is an arguement to show why people follow religion in general.

Answer 11

It is a matter of faith, what you personally believe. How the divine speaks to you. Free will, freedom of religion (or lack there of), those are your gifts.