Help me understand why you don't believe in God. If you do believe and He is real, you are rewarded, but if you don't believe, then you are done. What do you have to lose?
2006-12-14 05:32:23 · 20 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Of course I have heard of Pascal's Wager, I am asking your opinion. It seems like a no-brainer to me. I get this from history. The Bible contains real people with real acts witnessed by THOUSANDS of people. I haven't seen any old historical records proving this wrong, so why not believe? Is it truly worth it?
2006-12-14 05:41:27 · update #1
God has been around since who knows when. He won't go away now or ever.
God does not accept sinners into His heaven. Read the Bible once. You need to repent before you die. If you believe in Him, He will save you even if you can't repent before you die. He knows deep down what you believe and think.
I believe because I have seen and know God. Do you know how I see and know him. The THOUSANDS and MILLIONS of years of history of this world. He has performed miracles so numerous no human could ever even think of the number. I will stick with history and fact on this one.
2006-12-14 05:47:05 · update #2
This is such a cliche by Atheists to immediately bring up Pascal's Wager. It is just your way of avoiding the situation.
2006-12-14 05:50:22 · update #3
How about this then? Since I can't see God and never have, then I don't believe the Civil War took place. Columbus sailed to America? Don't believe it. How about we throw out all of history? That should make everyone happen, no one believing in anything. Jesus was a real person with real miracles witnessed by real people. It is one in the same as any other historical event on earth.
2006-12-14 06:16:02 · update #4
You are walking into walls here....
God said he granted permission to believers.
2006-12-14 05:46:06 · answer #1 · answered by ♫O Praise Him♫ 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
What do you have to lose by becoming a Shintoist? Or perhaps a Muslim?
If you can understand that, you can understand how we view your beliefs.
If you really want to understand, stop by a Borders and read a bit of Sam Harris' new book, "Letter To A Christian Nation". It addresses this exact question.
Edit - to your comment about Jesus being real.... There is MUCH debate over whether or not Jesus even existed at all. But even if he did, there is NO evidence whatsoever that he performed any miracles. You are mistaken. And as a side note, have you ever heard of Mithraism? Mithraism is the Persian religion that the Christ story was taken from. I'm sorry. It's simply the truth. Read up on a couple others at this link..
http://www.arkedmin.org/Writings/CrucDocs/crucifiedsaviors.htm
2006-12-14 05:35:58 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 1⤋
Pascal's Wager leads logically to atheism. Because you do not know that the god you opt for as "insurance" is the right one you need to consider whether you will suffer more by believing in no gods, or in a false god. Worshipping the wrong god, it could be judged, will be viewed less favourably by a jealous deity, than choosing not to worship any. So follow your logic and don't take any more chances. Go atheist.
(Psst - he hadn't heard of Pascal's Wager!)
_
2006-12-14 05:43:11 · answer #3 · answered by Bad Liberal 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I don't believe in any gods or deities because there's no good reason to believe in them. The threat that something bad might happen if I don't believe is highly outweighed by the fact the possibility that a god exists is so vanishingly small it's not a risk. I'm no more afraid of going to the Christian Hell than I am of getting stuck in the Hindu Hell, or missing out on the Islamic 44 virigins, or getting struck in the head by a basketball-sized meteor. *MY* beliefs are held from evidence, reason, and logic, not wishful thinking.
2006-12-14 05:43:12 · answer #4 · answered by godlessinaz 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Dignity, self-respect, logic, sanity, my time to name a few.
I know, lets throw all logic out the window and start saying 2+2 = 9
Wait, no it equals 425!
There we go I made a religious discovery!
Why don't I say that if you don't throw salt over your shoulder every time someone says the word "because" then you will spontaneously combust.
And if you don't make a hissing noise every time a construction worker passes you will be hit on the head with a brick.
Starting to see the faulty logic in your strawman argument or should I continue? I can always edit the answer If you need more.
2006-12-14 05:39:45 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Because I refuse to believe that my life rests solely upon a magic man is the sky's opinion. Just because I am an atheist doesn't mean that I do not have values or morals. I live a very respectful life, I treat people well, and provide for my family. And if god is real like you say, when I die, He would have forgiven me anyways, and reward me for living a good life despite it all. So not only do I not have to believe, but by your standards, I'm in anyways.
2006-12-14 05:38:20 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
I don't have anything to lose, but I do not believe in God and this will not change because people try to scare me with hell, actually it's quite the opposite. I could also not be made to adore Hitler by being threatened with concentration camps. Sorry for this example, but that's how it is. And your hell is not even real, and I have no reason to think it could be real as the whole idea is absurd, so there is nothing I have to be afraid of.
2006-12-14 05:51:32 · answer #7 · answered by Elly 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Golly, that's an original argument. Ever heard of Pascal's Wager?
Of all the things you personally believe in, how many of them to you believe in "just to be safe", rather than because you actually consider them to be true?
2006-12-14 05:36:59 · answer #8 · answered by abram.kelly 4 · 4⤊ 1⤋
well seeing as athiests dont believe in god/afterlife, we have our lives to lose. the bible tells us how to live and all our rules, we are basically controlled little robots doing nothing but praising god.
i would much rather live the short life i have now, and live it doing things then sit in church and spend the other 2/3s of my life praying and worshipping.
after all if 8 hrs is recommended sleep, and work is an 8 hr day, that gives us 1/3 of our day to enjoy. that means 1/3 of our life (u can include weekends to make it more). *shrug* i personally dont want to waste mine away?
2006-12-14 05:36:38 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋
I really hoped that that was not what you were going to post. Pascal's Wager is spiritually bankrupt, *** covering. Hypocritical. Do you think that your god would look kindly on a hypocrite? Or, is it all good, if it's praise?
2006-12-14 05:36:08 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
In 2000 yrs or less your god will be in the halls of mythology. Just like the gods of the past.
2006-12-14 05:41:09 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋