let's say there is no God and christians are all crazy...if you don't believe then you live a life of sin, whatever. if you do believe they you get a reason to strive to better yourself.
now let's say there is a God...if you believe you have the creator of the universe to guide you in this world he created, more joy than you can contain, and you go to heaven and feel no pain, no hurt, only joy. but if you don't believe then you spend eternity suffering in hell apart from God.
truely...which is worse? Believe in God and he doesn't exist or don't believe and he does....think about it.
2007-07-26 19:02:39 · 18 answers · asked by Chriss 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I do apologise that my question seems to have been misworded...i was trying to show that without God you have nothing to gain and everything to lose...but with God you have nothing to lose and everything to gain...
thanxs to all who pointed out the truth that you shouldn't believe from fear yet who weren't rude in their explanation...though you are supposed to fear God it is to be a reverent fear...not Ahh run away!! lol
to those whe don't believe...i say a prayer for you
2007-07-27 10:02:49 · update #1
P.S. you rock cynthia m! that reference was in a play i was in based on the columbine tragedy.
2007-07-27 10:05:16 · update #2
Thanks Chriss for the reminder.
I would rather choose to turn from my sins and believe in Jesus as Lord and savior than live a miserable life on earth and end up in hell after that. :)
Jim elliot said "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose."
Blessings!
2007-07-26 19:23:30 · answer #1 · answered by forerunner7 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Pascal's wager again.
"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 (some people pray 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
2007-07-26 19:21:03 · answer #2 · answered by Dreamstuff Entity 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
A supreme being who makes it impossible to determine with certainty whether or not he exists, then who tortures, infinitely, anyone who fails to guess correctly is a god of deceit and cruelty. Eternity with such a being would be no reward.
Now about this "guidance". There's not much evidence for that either. It all seems to be done through intermediaries: books, bishops and the like. Can I trust them? Do I really need to be told, in general, what's right and wrong? Isn't "bettering myself" related to making life better for others? Or is it "God's" intent to teach me selfishness?
Even if this God insists on enforcing this cosmic cat and mouse game, I'm not sure I'd enjoy winning all that much more than losing. I think I prefer to take my chances steering my own course.
2007-07-26 20:06:24 · answer #3 · answered by skepsis 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
> let's say there is no God and christians are all crazy..
OK. We are on the same page.
> truely...which is worse? Believe in God and he doesn't exist or don't believe and he does....think about it.
Yes, let us think about it. One mistake leads to a life of living with free will and then eternity in hell as punishment from a loving god for exercising that will. The other leads to a life of fear in what might be, and then death and it is all over. Do you prefer to live a life of fear, just in case, and consider that you give up nothing of importance, other than your freedom of thought and your only life?
2007-07-26 19:28:27 · answer #4 · answered by Fred 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If you don't believe in God but He actually exists, you have to suffer for eternity. If you believe in God, but He doesn't exist, no harm done. Don't make the mistake in thinking belief is a crazy, difficult thing. Belief is belief. Whether you believe but don't exactly worship/dedicate/etc, it's still belief. Some Christians do have lives. Maybe you should get to know one outside the computer.
2007-07-26 19:10:14 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yes, I think about it.
If there are some merciful god and I don't believe in god.
There is no reason for the merciful god to let me go to some where like hell. If he fail to prevent me from hell, so I don't believe in the incompetence god.
and If there are some sadistic god who prefer send people to hell for just not believe in god. I don't think that I will believe or even respect that sadistic god.
2007-07-26 21:13:02 · answer #6 · answered by Golden Experience 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
So we should believe only out of fear? Nice try.
Assume there is a God, wouldn't it grade out of moral decency (helping out those in need, being a good person), rather than simple loyalty while doing things preached as immoral. (Most politicians - Hell, most people).
I don't believe in God simply because It's not logical, when someone can prove scientifically that there is a God, I will convert.
Furthermore - How do you know YOUR God is right? There are several concepts of God(s).
2007-07-26 19:08:17 · answer #7 · answered by Ethernaut 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I'm sorry but your hypothetical is sort of silly to me. Obviously neither choice will be very palatable to a non-Christian, but the two scenarios don't include the one that I belive, which you didn't include, on purpose, whichis there is no god and there is no hell. But that isn't your quesiton.
For me your question is not answerable because the two choices are both unrealistic and couldn't possibly be true options that are worth considering.
Sorry. I did contemplate it though.
2007-07-26 19:09:55 · answer #8 · answered by Lady Morgana 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I'm really confused when it comes to God.
I'm not sure what I belive in anymore.
But to answer your question,
It would be worse to not believe in the God and then end up spending eternity burning in a hell.
But I don't know if I really belive that or not.
2007-07-26 19:09:09 · answer #9 · answered by safety_pinned_heart 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
One should not believe in God out of fear of reprisal.
2007-07-26 19:10:14 · answer #10 · answered by Nora Explora 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋