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Old 05-01-2005, 10:17 AM
snowden719 snowden719 is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 26
Default Re: Pascal\'s Wager...

the problem with Pascal's wager is that the logic used to support Pascal's wager can be used to support the Anti-Pascal's wager

Pascal's wager says that there is an infinite payoff to believing in God (I.E. going to heaven) and anyone who doesn't believe will go to hell. if you end up being right there is an infinite payoff and no harm in being wrong, so based on EV you should believe in God as there's no reason not to.

anti-Pascal's wager says that there is an infinitely negative result of believing in God, (going to hell) as God is actually a spiteful son of a bitch who sends all "believers" down to hell. Anyone who does not believe will go to heaven. If this is true then we should not believe in god for the worst thing that could happen is that we are right and nothing happens after we die, whereas there might be an infinite payout.


Since we are unsure if we are living in a world where Pascal's wager is true or where anti-Pascal's wager is true, we should not be persuaded to believe in God. Pascal made the assumption that God will reward the believers and punish the non-believers, but this assumption is warrantless, as the opposite is just as likely to be true.
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