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Pascal\'s Wager and Free Bets
Pascal's Wager has been discussed here numerous times, and I'm not going to rehash it. I have however stated that I believe it is a legitimate wager, and that although there are some rational critiques that some proponents of it don't consider, that it nonetheless holds up. Also as most of you will know, I assert christian catholic positions that are much more "lenient" than those held by more fundamentalist christians or fundamentalists of other major religions even. Thus I believe that those who either have never heard the gospel preached, or even having heard, still sincerely do not believe in it, can yet have the possibility of being saved. Again I have discussed how this can be so in previous threads and will not repeat same here.
Thus by my views, you can essentially get a free bet at this wager, although some minimal restrictions would apply, such as following the golden rule, including regarding omission versus commission. Even if you view such minimal "fine print" as a price somehow, you nonetheless still are getting a bet with ultimate payoff potential for nowhere near the correct price of that bet. That is if you consider not doing bad to others a price to be paid. However, I believe that such an essentially free bet can be lost. Not by, even passionatley advocated, intellectually honest views against religion, but by strident ridicule and mockery of that religion and its beliefs and supreme being. Now this does not mean I think that respect and consideration should be accorded to every religious system, because I don't. If one of the super super longshots like one of the wacko personality cults or scientology comes in, then I am screwed for sure because I have in the past and will continue to mock such systems based upon the most preposterous of premises. But regarding the major religions with long histories, which means that over hundreds and thousands of years at least some very smart people have held such beliefs, then I believe it is not only considerate of the beliefs of others, but also smart not to mock such views very earnestly even if you believe the probability of their being true is extremely small. Posters here like David and andy, except for the occasional sarcastic remark, have presented atheist and agnostic viewpoints based on evidentiary and logical arguements without resorting to such grossly mocking jibes. But many here have. And I think that is esentially like being given a free lottery ticket and tearing it up and throwing it down and spitting on it. Will the lottery chief have sympathy for such a person if that number comes in and offer to replace it? Not likely. So even if you think there is no way that the God of Christianity or another major religion exists, you still don't have to mock Him. And if you say something along the lines of, "I'd rather burn in hell than believe in a god who would punish people in hell", then you just might get your druthers. Good gamblers don't pass up free bets no matter how long the odds, especially when the potential payoff is huge. |
#2
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Re: Pascal\'s Wager and Free Bets
[ QUOTE ]
So even if you think there is no way that the God of Christianity or another major religion exists, you still don't have to mock Him. [/ QUOTE ] You seem to be assuming that mocking God isn't the exclusive means to get into heaven. There is, however, no evidence that it isn't. |
#3
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Re: Pascal\'s Wager and Free Bets
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ] So even if you think there is no way that the God of Christianity or another major religion exists, you still don't have to mock Him. [/ QUOTE ] You seem to be assuming that mocking God isn't the exclusive means to get into heaven. There is, however, no evidence that it isn't. [/ QUOTE ] Exactly, if I was God I wouldn't want a bunch of toadying yes men around me for eternity. |
#4
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Re: Pascal\'s Wager and Free Bets
There's also no evidence that kicking you in the balls won't result in you writing me a $5000 check.
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#5
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Re: Pascal\'s Wager and Free Bets
<font color="blue"> If one of the super super longshots like one of the wacko personality cults or scientology comes in, then I am screwed for sure because I have in the past and will continue to mock such systems based upon the most preposterous of premises. </font>
Doesn't this answer your question? |
#6
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Re: Pascal\'s Wager and Free Bets
[ QUOTE ]
<font color="blue"> If one of the super super longshots like one of the wacko personality cults or scientology comes in, then I am screwed for sure because I have in the past and will continue to mock such systems based upon the most preposterous of premises. </font> Doesn't this answer your question? [/ QUOTE ] And don't you see (BluffThis) how hypocritical this is? I admire your honesty, though. I agree that atheists shouldn't mock people's religious beliefs... that's almost as bad as believers "witnessing" to non-believers in order to get them to believe. I admit, sometimes I do it. But, I also promise you that I would NOT do it, if people would just keep their Jesus off my penis. |
#7
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Re: Pascal\'s Wager and Free Bets
I'm guilty of sometimes mocking, I try to avoid it but be assured its not god that is being mocked.
chez |
#8
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Re: Pascal\'s Wager and Free Bets
[ QUOTE ]
If one of the super super longshots like one of the wacko personality cults or scientology comes in, then I am screwed for sure because I have in the past and will continue to mock such systems based upon the most preposterous of premises. [/ QUOTE ] How, exactly, did you determine that these were "super super long shots" and had "the most preposterous of premises"? [ QUOTE ] but also smart not to mock such views very earnestly even if you believe the probability of their being true is extremely small. [/ QUOTE ] How does this differ from scientology? Why shouldn't God send atheists to heaven? You don't have to rehash your arguments; some links would be fine. |
#9
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Re: Pascal\'s Wager and Free Bets
When I mock a religion, I am mocking the people who belong to the religion, not the God of the religion. I am putting them down for the fact that they have taken their religion to such extremes that they are misinterpreting its original intent and it leads them to be closed minded and irrational. I don't even believe that that type of God exists, so there's nothing to mock. It's the people that I get a kick out of.
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#10
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Re: Pascal\'s Wager and Free Bets
I don't believe your mother loves you, so when I say that she wears combat boots, don't get all offended.
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