Does this represent the "atheist vs. believer" thing that goes on here so often?

Question

Man in Black: All right. Where is the poison? The battle of wits has begun. It ends when you decide and we both drink, and find out who is right... and who is dead.
Vizzini: But it's so simple. All I have to do is divine from what I know of you: are you the sort of man who would put the poison into his own goblet or his enemy's? Now, a clever man would put the poison into his own goblet, because he would know that only a great fool would reach for what he was given. I am not a great fool, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. But you must have known I was not a great fool, you would have counted on it, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me.
Man in Black: You've made your decision then?
Vizzini: Not remotely. Because iocane comes from Australia, as everyone knows, and Australia is entirely peopled with criminals, and criminals are used to having people not trust them, as you are not trusted by me, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you.

But, you've also bested my Spaniard, which means you must have studied, and in studying you must have learned that man is mortal, so you would have put the poison as far from yourself as possible, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me.
Man in Black: You're trying to trick me into giving away something. It won't work.
Vizzini: IT HAS WORKED! YOU'VE GIVEN EVERYTHING AWAY! I KNOW WHERE THE POISON IS!
Man in Black: Then make your choice.
Vizzini: I will, and I choose - What in the world can that be?
Vizzini: [Vizzini gestures up and away from the table. Roberts looks. Vizzini swaps the goblets]
Man in Black: What? Where? I don't see anything.
Vizzini: Well, I- I could have sworn I saw something. No matter.First, let's drink. Me from my glass, and you from yours.
Man in Black, Vizzini: [they drink ]

But, you've also bested my Spaniard, which means you must have studied, and in studying you must have learned that man is mortal, so you would have put the poison as far from yourself as possible, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me.
Man in Black: You're trying to trick me into giving away something. It won't work.
Vizzini: IT HAS WORKED! YOU'VE GIVEN EVERYTHING AWAY! I KNOW WHERE THE POISON IS!
Man in Black: Then make your choice.
Vizzini: I will, and I choose - What in the world can that be?
Vizzini: [Vizzini gestures up and away from the table. Roberts looks. Vizzini swaps the goblets]
Man in Black: What? Where? I don't see anything.
Vizzini: Well, I- I could have sworn I saw something. No matter.First, let's drink. Me from my glass, and you from yours.
Man in Black, Vizzini: [they drink ]

ignore the repost

Answer 1

I love that scene, but frankly, that'd be a major step up from what we get here. Try this on for size:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070920160344AAUC1Z5&r=w

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AgIWZwXiD6SNxHj5Py53a5Psy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20070923151935AAj3awU

Answer 2

An interesting twist to the Shroedinger's cat dilemna posed by physics to explain the juxtaposition of two equally likely outcomes under the "many worlds" theory of probability.

In the choice of observable outcomes (the cat is alive when the box is opened, or the cat is dead when the box is opened), it would appear that Vizzini and the Man in Black are unaware that neither is obligated to drink poison, regardless of its source.

Or that it matters not in the slightest to a correctly summed calculation whether a believer or an atheist sums 2+2.

Seems also that both believer and atheist has just as much difficulty as these antagonists to divine the innate Divinity of one another.

Better if we would all choose to quaff fully from the ever-filled goblet of living water offered freely to all by our Creator...

....we would never thirst again.

Orin

Answer 3

Ahhh...The Princess Bride! Exactly why I liked that movie :)

Of course, Vizzini is an Atheist (or a Pharisee to others) and the man in black was the believer!

LOLOLOL At least we are all "wise" enough to not want to be identified with Vizzinni....so, YES...(lol) This is a good example of what it is like here in Y&A...

Peace be with you :)

***LOL may have been poision in both Goblets, but, the man in black (why are we calling him that?) had made himself immune to the poision so he would not have a problem with either goblet...as a Christian, I could identify that with my Faith and Holy Spirit keeping me from being "poisioned" and the Athiest could probably say that they have already been there done that found it wanting and cannot be harmed or swayed anymore so it was safe for them to drink :)

****LOL Paul S, ...to tell you the truth I wouldn't be surprised if you and the other guy are the same person, writing under diff accounts, just to prove your point about Christians and Athiests! :) (or friends in "cahoots" doing same) Peace! :)

Answer 4

This is just a great battle in a great movie. This represents the fool vs the smart guy. Or maybe just the loser, because both goblets were poisoned of course..LOL

Answer 5

Kind of.

The theist (Vizzini) spins desperately claiming to know what he can not know.

The atheist (Wesley) just waits for the theist to grind to a halt, already knowing the reality of the situation and having planned for it.

Answer 6

The Princess Bride. Good movie.

Answer 7

In the end, no. Because the result is that both cups are either right, or both are wrong (depending on from whose point of view your looking). In life, they aren't, there's a defined right and wrong cup, so the decision is more like Pascal's Wager:

If you guess that there is no God:
-You are right: You gain nothing
-You are wrong: You lose everything

If you guess that there is a God:
-You are right: You gain everything
-You are wrong: You lose nothing

Answer 8

Ha ha, The Princess Bride, classic.

And yes.

Answer 9

I thought I was the only person who remembered that movie. The shame was almost unbearable.
Seems like I'm not alone! =)

Answer 10

No, this is more of a Catholic vs Prodestan thing, or a Jew vs Christian, or Muslim vs Christian etc..
To atheists, there is no wine to drink.