Atheists: Wouldn't it be better to believe...?

Question

...in Odin?

I mean, if I'm wrong and you're right, then I'll never know because I'll be dead.

But if you are wrong and I am right then....it won't really matter because if he does judge us, he'll judge us based on how we lived our lives, rather than on what we choose to believe.

Oh.

On to another question, is it true that no "real" atheist would commit a crime because they might get killed in the process, and this is the only chance at life that they get?

Sorry, this was supposed to go in R&S.

Answer 1

Well my boyfriend is Athiest and I am not but he's thought process on people believing in God is that they're stupid. (Indirectly calling me stupid which i don't like but whatever.) He just can't believe that people would believe something so crazy.

Answer 2

What you are setting up is the classic Pascal's Wager. The argument that believing pays off a lot better than non belief whatever the outcome.

The two main problems are:

First: You can't choose to believe something. If you believe there is no choosing to be done, and if you don't the most you can do is pretend to believe. And if a God of your conception would actually prefer a posturing believer to a sincere sceptic, then he'll just have to suffer throughout eternity without the pleasure of my presence.

Second: The Wager assumes that both "betters" come out even in the event the athiest is correct. Untrue. In that event, the athiest has not spent a large portion of his life obeying ridiculous rules and abadoning reason for fairy tales.

As to the question of crime, the argument sounds good, but unfortunately there are just as many idiots (well, not quite as many) among athiests as there are among believers.

Answer 3

The whole idea of atheism is the belief that there is no divine power. No God, no Odin. There is no right or wrong diety to worship. Therefore, the answer to your question would just be no, because even Odin was thought up from a vision of man.

Your second question would seem true, but factoring the nature of man and just circumstance and society as it is, it may not be true.

Answer 4

You sound like your using the logic behind Pascal's Wager. Or as they say in Vegas, "betting on the come line." The best bet is to believe in an afterlife, since you'll be covered either way.

Real atheists live life for the moment, which means they're good for good's sake. Crimes are committed by all knds of believers and non-believers. People reacting from crimes of passion doen't think that far ahead, believers or not....sorry.

Answer 5

If the God of the christians doesn't exist (inferred from your question), then what makes you think this odin exists? What if you're wrong and the god of the christians does exist? Odin was merely an after thought of a single man's imagination. Certainly that's not something to bet the whole farm on, is it?

Answer 6

That Odin thing makes no sense.
Anyone could die any time, and an atheist isn't necessarily so scared of death as to not do what they want to. Taking the risks one wants to take is the only point of life anyway, and surely most atheists will realize this.

Answer 7

Better to seek than draw comfort from belief !
We need to believe something only when it is not possible to 'experience' it.
Belief or disbelief, both are equal hurdles that make the possibility of experience more difficult.
Fortunately, there have been many many Great Masters who have perfected the technique to evolve ourselves to a level where the experience is well within 'reach' (though it was right within all along !).

Answer 8

Not respectable.

It's Pascal's wager, the guy up top described it well enough.

Answer 9

How exactly does one go about believing in something they don't believe in? By someone threatening them with judgment?
Sorry, it doesn't work like that.

(ps - God isn't a he)

Answer 10

He who believes in me will have everlasting life

If a christian commits a crime then they're gonna burn in hell for all eternity