and someone runs in telling you that the whole place is on fire.... after looking around, there are no alarms, no smoke, no fire trucks, no heat, no evidence of a fire.... just a few people screaming....
Would you run outside? Assume the person was mistaken?
2007-12-18 02:23:15 · 9 answers · asked by Eleventy 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Hope, I'm only counting fundamentalists so no, it's ot close to 80%... And I don't think this post is any more illogical than the typical Christian analogy that is similar... and no, I wouldn't leave, my question specifically says the building is not burning.
2007-12-18 02:47:32 · update #1
Searcher, it's a small building... Small enough so that you can check the rooms that are supposedly burning to see that they're not... and please, drink if you'd like.
2007-12-18 02:48:49 · update #2
Hope, I don't understand. Are you telling me that the metaphor I devised should be altered? I didn't specify fundamentalist nor Christians. You assumed I was referring to all Christians or all theists, so I corrected you.
2007-12-18 02:59:17 · update #3
Without evidence of a fire the person saying "The whole place is on fire." is obviously lying... I would calmly pick-up the phone and call the building super and security.. If indeed there is a fire they will know if not they can call the police and remove the crazy person inciting a riot by falsely yelling about fire... It's illegal :)
2007-12-18 02:33:30 · answer #1 · answered by Diane (PFLAG) 7 · 3⤊ 2⤋
A couple questions.
1) How big is the building? If I'm in a skyscraper and I'm on a pretty high floor...yeah I think I would be going outside. If they were mistaken...I would simply walk back inside. At least I got some exercise :)
2) What am I doing in the building? If I'm at work...then yes...I would definitely go outside. And if there is no fire, then I would take a walk anyway for a nice break.
Seriously though...have you ever been in a fire? It doesn't always "seem" like there is a fire. There could be a small fire in a small closet somewhere...then 10 minutes pass and you are trapped.
I know you were using this as an analogy to believing in God, but all you have done is re-worded Pascal's wager. Believers would say it is better to run outside if it is on fire or not...atheists would say that since there is no evidence, why waste time running outside. Or to sum it up, would you rather be outside and the building not be on fire or be inside and the building actually be on fire.
But that brings me to another question...why is no one "drinking" to this question? : )
2007-12-18 02:41:58 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
I would figure he had something to base his warning on, so I would get out and help as many people as I could. (Everyone thought they were safe in Tower 2 when Tower 1 was attacked on 9/11.) If I got outside and he was mistaken, then I would inquire as to why he made the claim in the first place. Maybe he heard a threat of a bomb or fire, but someone didn't follow through on their threat.
2007-12-18 02:53:17 · answer #3 · answered by kaz716 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
a few people or is 80% of the worlds population running? Quite honestly, if I saw a stampede of people running for their lives in my direction I wouldn't wait for them to all trample me over, I'm running with them.
Even though I find so many flaws in this statement as it pertains to a god analogy I'm answering it logically. Would you wait around or run?
*EDIT* No where did you specify you were only counting fundamentalists, if you're referring to atheists/christians don't attempt at mental gymnastics when its quite obvious what you are alluding to. A few people? Indeed.
*EDIT*You stated yourself (in your edit only) you were only referring to a certain group of people, If you don't find it necessary to alter it for clarification purposes b/c you want people to read your mind than don't do it, keep it vague to get the answers that appease you. PS- you still wouldn't know the building was burning unless you live your life with some foreknowledge of the future. The rest of us would "run", using your example.
2007-12-18 02:34:11 · answer #4 · answered by Hope 4 · 0⤊ 3⤋
well if you know the place is not on fire,call the nut house for that freak that's running around yelling fire.
2007-12-18 03:05:41 · answer #5 · answered by larry s 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I would run outside just in case. Coudn't hurt me to run out! lol =)
2007-12-18 02:27:10 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I would run , just in case , better safe than sorry
2007-12-18 02:29:08 · answer #7 · answered by eva2585 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I'd leave, but then I'd want to burn him at the stake afterwards.
2007-12-18 02:26:30 · answer #8 · answered by S K 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
I'd assume their meds were off.
2007-12-18 02:34:22 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋