Isn't Atheism Too Much of a Risk? Isn't it Safer to Bet on God & Christianity?

Question

I know the pascal wager can you write something of your own, well if You're intelligent??

Answer 1

Romans 1:18-30 tells us that God has revealed himself to everyone...that would include the atheist.

They choose not to believe.

Many will say, I'm a good person...I volunteer, donate, try to save the world, etc...

However, good people don't get to go to Heaven. Only Holy people may stand before the living God.

We will not be judged by our deeds to enter Heaven but by our gift of salvation. You either accept the gift, or you reject it.

Pretty simple actually.

Answer 2

I think that intelligence would look at things and realize that it's not about making bets; it's about living the best life you can.

If our law is modelled after the law of God, as so many Christians would have us believe, then we recognize that we don't get off because somebody else pays the price. We are responsible for our own actions, and have no hope or need of a redeemer.

Pascal's God is a god of fear; believe or burn. He said that it's "safer" to believe in a God because if the story was right and we, for whatever reason, didn't accept Christ, we would burn. He also said that there was no negative impact for not believing. That's where his argument fails.

The negative impact for not believing is that we don't live the lives we would otherwise choose. Religion impedes scientific and social growth. Christianity is constantly pressing against rights for homosexuals and trying to squelch any evidence that shows it to be anything but a choice. Religion is constantly trying to disprove the theory of evolution; to the point where the science is presented as the foolhardiness of man in some schools. Religion intrudes on histroy, with portraits of Native Americans still as the proverbial bad-guys when Europeans slaughtered them wholesale in the "new world". We still see Thanksgiving shown as a peaceful joining of races, when the truth of thanksgiving was anything but.

Intelligent people don't need a redeemer; we know our actions and recoginze that there will be an accounting. We just don't see it in the same way as Christians. We don't run to daddy to pay our fines and get us out of trouble.

We also recognize that the God of Christianity doesn't make any sense. Of course Christians will tell us that's because our wisdom is foolishness, and we can't understand God, which is simply a copout as they can't explain the God they've spent thousands of years with.

If our laws were modelled after Biblical principles, we would need no prisons; people would appeal to a higher power to pay their fines. That's not the case. Each of us is responsible and there's no cosmic cleaner turning us into white sheep.

I'm not an Atheist, nor am I a Christian, but that's the way I see it.

Answer 3

Think about it this way: if a god does exist, as defined by judeo-christian methodology, then it/he/she exists as a supernatural being, as a supernatural entity - that is, beyond nature. Has the modern world, the world of scientific and critical thought, ever encountered something truly "supernatural"? Even when we appear to observe such an anomaly, we are usually able to debunk it, or provide a good theory as to what we might be observing. Like, with ghosts, or UFOs for instance. So if you think of the universe as being essentially infinite, or perhaps just too big for any single human mind to comprehend, and think about what we actually know of the universe, which is very little, and what we do know, how little is actually "supernatural" - which is infinitely small, then taking a wager that such an entity exists is a bad bet! It's like betting on winning the lottery. The odds that it may you might win, or it might actually exist are extremely small. So, the odds that you are believing in the correct idea, when you say you believe in a supernatural being, are very small, and a bad bet. Whereas an atheist, who doesn't believe in a supernatural being, is taking a much better bet, since we are a) currently unable and have not been able to yet scientifically observe anything that is truly "supernatural" and b) we really know very little about our own little section of the universe. So going back to my analogy about playing the lottery, sure, if you buy enough lottery tickets, you'll increase the likelihood that one of them might be a winning ticket (although individually they all carry the same 1 in a billion odds), and yes, perhaps if you don't play, then you can't win, but by the time you've purchased enough tickets to stack the odds in your favor, you've spent all your money, and wasted all your time... when in fact you should have been enjoying yourself... and life... and not worrying about winning... or the existence of a supernatural being :-)

Answer 4

Pascal's Wager. If you are seriously wondering about this, try reading about the Atheist's Wager on Wikipedia.


Can someone explain the drinking game to me?

Answer 5

How is it safer to pretend to believe in something that you know cannot exist? Wouldn't that god (if it existed) know very well that you were just hedging your bet?

I'd much rather risk believing what seems reasonable and logical and let the sheep follow where they will. If it turns out that I am wrong, so be it. I don't exactly want to spend eternity with a bunch of obnoxious Christians anyhow.

Answer 6

Write my own pascal's wager....hmmmm.

Isn't monotheism too much of a risk? Wouldn't it be safer to worship the same gods your ancestors did? You don't want to anger the gods AND your own ancestors, do you?


I think it doesn't have quite as many holes, though.

[Passes 'round the absinthe.]

Answer 7

Any religion is good xcept devil worshiping or dark cults, it doesnt matter if ur a jew, christian, islam , hindu or watever u believe in somethin or some1 as the creater than u believe in God, u dont have to call him him Yahweh, Jehova, God, Allah, u can call him anyname that u want as long as it is respectful. Also religions over the changes have changed the content of the bibles to fit there personal needs and no1 has proof to say that christians , jews are the choosen. In the bible it just says to do Good and believe in God, doesnt say to take a specific religion. But with these days u need to believe in something, just have faith and let ur heart guide u....

Answer 8

You should live your life and try to make the world a better place for your being in it, whether or not you believe in God. If there is no God, you have lost nothing and will be remembered fondly by those you left behind. If there is a benevolent God, he will judge you on your merits and not just on whether or not you believed in him.

Answer 9

Dont you mean, Isnt Atheism too much of a risk? Isnt it safer to bet on God(s) in general?

Answer 10

Here's what I don't understand when I hear christians ask this question over and over and over.....

If I felt that way...that I might oughta believe in god "just in case" what exactly is that going to do anyhow?

I would only be PRETENDING. I cannot force myself to believe in an idea so far-fetched.

So...either the christian god is okay with people pretending to believe and worshiping out of fear, or since I don't truly believe, I'll go to hell anyhow.

Answer 11

How about the atheists wager.It makes far more sense

You should live your life and try to make the world a better place for your being in it, whether or not you believe in God. If there is no God, you have lost nothing and will be remembered fondly by those you left behind. If there is a benevolent God, he will judge you on your merits and not just on whether or not you believed in him.