It's been hundreds of years - if it's never worked it won't now so why use it?
At the bottom of this, asked a mere few minutes ago, someone used this wager:
http://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AoWuTa8Mc99kRULt5IuZcSEFEBV.?qid=20070525210746AAOjzGX
2007-05-25 17:20:40 · 18 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
*raises her eyebrow* Crocoducks?
2007-05-25 17:27:15 · update #1
"Why does Pascals Wager irk you so?"
It's one of those "Are we there yet?" questions - they won't get you anywhere and just annoy you.
2007-05-25 17:29:05 · update #2
Pascal's Wager wasn't proposed by Pascal. It was published by friends after Pascal died and it was just some rough notes. Almost certainly Pascal would never had argued that his wager could cause belief because that was not how Pascal thought people could come to belief.
I think Pascal would have argued that it is of great worth to find God, therefore you ought to seek God. Who is God? God is the being, if He exists, who created you. If you find yourself with a desire to know your Creator, and your Creator exists, that desire was likely put there by your Creator.
2007-05-25 23:05:26 · answer #1 · answered by Matthew T 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's never going to work on someone with more than two brain cells to rub together, certainly not as a conversion tool (as an excuse to drink, well there aren't many that are better).
But, I think La Belle B makes an interesting point. There are surely a large number of Christians who try to maintain their beliefs exactly because of Pascal's Wager.
The fact that an omniscient God would know that they're hedging their bets is one of the greatest shortcomings of the wager, yet they don't seem to realise this.
2007-05-26 00:33:43 · answer #2 · answered by Anthony Stark 5 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Those holding on to the wager for dear life are reason impaired. Blaise Pascal was by no means a dull individual, he was however raised in a strictly Christian environment. The most fatal flaw of his wager never crossed his mind: numerous gods requiring total and exclusive devotion negate the outcome.
He also stumbled on "belief" as an option: those buying into the wager and choosing to "believe" have already damned themselves. "Belief", by definition, is not elective. You either do, or you don't. The act of "believing" is innate. Those who "choose" would not actually "believe".
2007-05-26 00:37:00 · answer #3 · answered by Dog 4 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Michelle, your argument is lamer than pascal's.
You say "one of history's greatest math(e)matics scholars....and you think his Wager doesn't work?"
PLEASE tell me that because the man is brilliant and famous, that you aren't suggesting I am incapable of analyzing his logic?
Such patronizing ideation may thrill your little friends who think sitting in a circle singing "jesus loves me" is an intellectual endeavor, but don't try foisting it on me.
You go on to insist: "Statistically, you are incorrect. And his wager is entirely based on statistics. Always put your money where there is a safe return."
The logic may well work great when investing stocks, but it fails in matters of faith.
If you accept pascal's wager as valid, then it is safe to say that you believe in ALL existing gods, am I correct?
If I am incorrect, then your suggestion that I abide by his logic when you don't is rather hypocritical, don't you think?
.
2007-05-26 01:07:54 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
They have trouble letting go. They're still using a book that was written 2000 years ago. Pascal's wager dosn't take into account that there are hundreds of other religions.
2007-05-26 00:27:37 · answer #5 · answered by punch 7 · 4⤊ 1⤋
They continue to use it precisely because it is based on the faulty assumption that they started with. Starting with the conclusion that God punishes unbelievers, then working backwards, produces a logical syndrom in which the debater is unable to see any other position. He has already defined how the real God behaves, so any talk of alternate gods or no gods is nonsense. Essentially, they have convinced themselves and this interferes with their ability to reason.
2007-05-26 00:58:51 · answer #6 · answered by skepsis 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A lot of folks on this thing use it as a drinking game.
When people ask "why are athesists on here", do you have proof of god, blah blah blah, people drink.
Pascals wager is one of those things....
After sometime on here, you learn a lot of the answers are simply drunkard rantings.
2007-05-26 00:31:26 · answer #7 · answered by freshbliss 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It is simply a reply when someone asks why... and I assure you it has worked. I personally don't think it's beneficial to someone who already has decided they don't believe and have never felt using it is as effective as just loving, caring, and witnessing to people. That being said, you have to admit... you and others just avoid the scenario, you never do come up with a good response to it.
2007-05-26 00:41:45 · answer #8 · answered by Scott B 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Actually it works because I believe a whole lot of Christians are Christians because of exactly what Pascal said.
2007-05-26 00:24:43 · answer #9 · answered by Jmyooooh 4 · 2⤊ 2⤋
They're wusses, just like Pascal.
2007-05-26 00:23:17 · answer #10 · answered by Resident Heretic 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋