Is hedging my bet better than outright atheism?

Question

I cannot decide to believe or disbelieve - I'm the obligatory straddler.

When I listen to some religious figures I am filled with hope and I feel at peace. As soon as I'm off by myself I think it's all hooey.

Is this behavior better than outright atheism as I would at least be in the lobby in heaven and never in hell?

Answer 1

It sounds to me like you're in a transitional state, sifting through your reactions and impressions and working out a cohesive, integrated response. This takes time, and I would strongly encourage you to give it as much time as it takes. Many people have poor tolerance for ambiguity, for the question that is not yet answered, and make foolish decisions based on this. Though I myself am a Christian, I think that the person who prematurely "decides" what they believe, whether they choose God or not, is making a mistake dangerous to their personal growth and identity.

The very notion of "deciding" what we believe implies that we should impose an arbitrary decision over our mixed feelings and impressions. I disagree, and for what it's worth, believe that Christ taught the same. Belief for reward is shakey, results in inconsistencies (i.e. since what you actually think isn't really integrated, the belief can't effectively help with decisions), and is condemned in scripture. On the other hand, scripture is filled with an admonition to seek earnestly and honestly, and should you find you don't believe in God it is still sound policy for personal honesty and integrity.

One problem that many people encounter in this process, and one that it sounds like you're struggling with, is the seperation of the two very different impressions: I feel this way here, but another way there. When these feelings are kept in seperate contexts it can be very difficult to weigh them against each other.

As an experiment, try breaking down those boundaries. The next time you find yourself thinking "it's all hooey", start writing down your concerns and thoughts. If you keep a journal, that's a good place, but also make sure you've got them written down in a place where they're easy to find and reference. Give yourself PLENTY of empty space: a good way to do this is to jot down all your concerns, then make each of the main points the first line on a blank sheet of paper in a notebook.

Take this notebook with you the next time you're listening to these religious figures. Look at your concerns, and see how you feel about them. You may find that you have answers to the questions you asked, you may find that you have further questions. Write these down as they occur to you so you can review them later.

Keep going back and forth. This "paper monologue" helps you see how you felt at a given point in time, and carry a little bit of your feelings in the church out of the church, and your feelings out of the church into the church. It's a great way to start breaking down the barriers that have kept these thoughts seperate, and when you see them side by side it's much easier to try to make sense of it.

Wherever your seeking takes you, I wish you well.

Answer 2

Pascal's wager:

"If god exists, it's infinitely better to believe, since you get heaven instead of hell for eternity. If he doesn't, it doesn't matter since you're dead anyway. So overall it's better to believe"

This is, of course, false.

Some of the problems with the argument:

* The implied assumption that god may exist (with a 50% probability, no less!)

* The assumption that there is an afterlife with a heaven and hell

* The assumption that the god cares about belief in him/her above all else

* The assumption that if you believe in a god, it will definitely be the same god that actually exists.

* The assumption that you lose nothing if it's false. You have lost a great deal, from time praying to a nonexistent entity (somebody mentioned just today praying several hours a day!!!) to morality (your god may ask you to hurt other people) and much more besides.

* The assumption that people can believe in something simply because it benefits them. Would you believe goblins exist for twenty bucks? Why not?

* The assumption that any god won't see through the "believing just to get into heaven" ploy.

For more:
http://www.abarnett.demon.co.uk/atheism/wager.html
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pascal-wager/
http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/theism/wager.html

Answer 3

It is all hooey.

However any legitimate religion has a principle that a "good person" gets into the afterlife (sorry catholics, guess you don't qualify here).

See the bs argument often made by religious people of "why don't you believe because you have nothing to lose if there is no god". Is hooey.

1- just because they can force themselves to believe crap, or are easily duped, doesn't mean a person of normal intelligence would be.

2- I thought the point of religion was to really believe, last time I checked, really believing and accepting a religion isn't "oh well might as well because I'm just playing the odds". I don't think any radical catholic religion that is so extreme as to not allow a good person in over a bad catholic would allow this type of logical or "hedgeing your bets" kind of thinking. They say you rot in hell if you don't accept "jesus" as god-regardless of whether you are good or not, even if you save 10 billion babies but are not catholic, you are damned according to them.

Answer 4

It depends on the individual. Some people prefer to be decisive while others are okay with being of two minds about something. Others just don't care either way.

You're basically refering to Pascal's Wager though. I suggest you look it up. Basically, the main flaw in the argument is if you're just practicing belief in God to be safe, then why aren't you practicing belief in Odin, Zeus & Ra?

The argument can be applied to any religion and is therefore flawed as most religions state you cannot believe in additional gods.

Answer 5

Obligatory straddler...I guess I'll remain adult about that one.

So you don't believe, but you want to? According to the dogma of most theisms, belief is an absolute, not a matter of self interest, so God would see through a "hedged bet".

Answer 6

You're just still on the journey. That's okay. I am a committed Humanist, but I still find inspiration in sermons and books by religious people, even those about religion. All religions are human-made, created in part to inspire people and give them hope. You don't have to accept all the mumbo-jumbo to enjoy the joyful aspects and benefit from the human knowledge gained by religious people.

Just a suggestion--read about Unitarian Universalism and visit a UU fellowship or congregation in your area. UUism is all about the journey. It doesn't tell you what to believe, it provides encouragement and aid to those who are trying to find their way. Not everyone agrees, not do UUs expect to come to any kind of consensus. Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, atheists, Humanists--everyone is welcome. The one thing that binds all UUs together is mutual respect. Each person is free to find his or her own path.

Answer 7

Many atheists cannot bring themselves to believe in religion, they don't have it in them and don't wish to pretend. Others find such falsities with mainstream religion that if they wish to lead moral lives they must do so without religions help.

Technically you're a reserved Christian, you innately fear it miught be true and so you do not break away despite your doubts. An agnostic consciouslly chooses to reserve judgment because they realise that it is impossible to prove the existence or lack of existence in God. It is not fear of judgment that forces agnosticism, it is a acceptance of the futility of argument without proof and so they make no decision.

Answer 8

"Heaven's Lobby!" What a fabulous idea for a short story! Thank you! And to answer your question...

You must decide how you will benefit by staying on the fence. Obviously it is of some benefit to you otherwise you would have gone to one camp of the other.

Answer 9

I guess you need to ask yourself if temporary feelings of hope and peace are worth believing in hooey. For me, I can't draw peace and hope from hooey. My mind just doesn't work that way. And if God does exist, I'm sure he is smart enough to tell the people who really believe from the people feigning belief to avoid hell.

Answer 10

So it's like gambling? I don't know, I would say you're not a true believer and you and I are sharing a pew in hell. ;-)

Seriously though, sounds like you're still figuring out what you believe. Until, I'd call myself agnostic if I were you.