2007-09-02 11:26:36 · 26 answers · asked by carita 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
No. It's a ridiculous notion. I'm not going to believe in God just so I don't wind up in hell. It's insulting.
2007-09-02 11:31:21 · answer #1 · answered by Becca 6 · 6⤊ 0⤋
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
2007-09-02 11:35:51 · answer #2 · answered by Dreamstuff Entity 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Yes, I have considered Pascal's wager and think it has to be the last word in Christian cynicism: believe, just in case there is a God and He will accept you.
I don't think it has any real credibility and is the product of a brilliant mind, but one bound by the mores of the 17th century. It's a compulsory nod toward the supremacy of Christianity because to do otherwise during the period was suicidal, so to speak.
It also suggests that the Christian God is hardly omniscient because He can be fooled into thinking your belief is serious. It also doesn't assess what happens if you select the wrong God to believe in but it does imply that you're mistake will finish you off. It's just a fancy form of spiritual roulette, with the hope that your colour will finally come up.
2007-09-02 11:32:42 · answer #3 · answered by chris m 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Bare with me, I'm not feeling very well right now, so I being a little more open minded than usual..
Yep, I do from time to time. What if I am wrong and I have misinterpreted the Bible, etc. The fact is, there are a lot of things in the Bible which do not add up.. Such as God loving me as much as it is claimed yet allowing me to suffer an eternity because I was confused.. Then there is Evolution, a few other reasons as well. I am a very imaginative person, so I often think over such situations in day dreams..
But in the end, I did at one time try to go back to religion and it just did not work (this was not due to fear of Hell but wanting to experience such hope that theists usually have). I can not force myself to believe in something. So if there is a God despite what science shows to be true, and I go to Hell then it was by His will.
2007-09-02 11:33:52 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Oh yes- I call it the lottery card.
PW says that people should believe in a god because they will face eternal hell if they do not, and there is no harm in believing in a deity. In the eyes of PW supporters, it makes sense to play the odds.
But there are 2,000+ gods and no evidence for any of them, so each has an equal chance of being right or wrong, and none of them has to be correct. Nor is an afterlife certain.
To play PW, it makes sense to pick the religion with the best promises, like a lotto where a person goes for the larger jackpot, because every game has the same odds.
But it doesn't make sense to play PW if believing in a god and lots of religious rules actually reduces the quality of life that you have now, and all life is short. That's a guaranteed loss, whereas there is no guarantee for gods.
As there is no evidence that an afterlife exists, it doesn't make sense to alter quality of life for a jackpot that cannot promise a win.
Not to mention that PW is based on the assumption that a god exists and operates on christian (heaven vs. hell) principles, and that a god wouldn't see through the spoof.
So I am willing to bet that no religion is true and that I should live the best existence possible, filled with love, beauty, inquiry, reason, and hope for humanity's potential.
Hope this helps!
2007-09-02 11:32:47 · answer #5 · answered by Dalarus 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I am an atheist, and I have thought about the ridiculous assumptions implicit in Pascal's wager.
1) Imagine that one chooses the wrong god to worship, in which case you would be in a worse position than not having worshipped any god in the first place.
2) Imagine that one chooses the correct god, and that god could be gamed into thinking that one only believed for the just in case scenario. Such a god that could be so easily gamed is really not worthy of worship.
Just a few additional things to think about.
2007-09-02 11:32:37 · answer #6 · answered by CC 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes, and since I am rational enough to see that it is full of holes, I remain an atheist. Start with the fact that Pascal's Wager is based on the mistaken assumption that there is only 2 choices- no God or the Christian version of God and go from there.
*Cheers*
2007-09-02 11:30:32 · answer #7 · answered by Pangloss (Ancora Imparo) AFA 7 · 8⤊ 0⤋
Richard Carrier (among others) has shown the fallacy of Pascal's wager. Not that I'm atheist, just thought you might want to think about your argument a bit...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal's_Wager
2007-09-02 11:33:14 · answer #8 · answered by the_way_of_the_turtle 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes, and I came to the conclusion long ago that it is faulty logic.
Believing just in case is not true belief, and an all-knowing god would know that.
So, Pascal's Wager has taught me to be honest and attempt to fool no one, neither myself nor any deities that may or may not exist.
2007-09-02 11:32:27 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
i am a religious person. and Pascal's Wager is so full of holes that it is not funny.
for example.
why not worship Zeus or Oghma. afterall they could be real nad if you do you have everything to gain, and nothing to loose if they are not.
2007-09-02 11:38:28 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
You know muslims threaten hell to. So Pascals wager doesn't help.
2007-09-02 11:41:24 · answer #11 · answered by Christina returns 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋