An interesting question for Atheists/Agnostics

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For those that turned down the money: note that it's heaven if it exists. Also, I'm guessing a number of people who chose to turn down the money are theists already.

So, for the atheists that chose the money (like me): how little would it take before you refused the money, and took the "guarantee" instead?

I'd almost definitely take the $1million... but I'd probably turn down $100. So, what about $1000? $10,000? $100,000?

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I'd take any value > 0. Any other answer is inconsistent.

I'll take both.

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For those that turned down the money: note that it's heaven if it exists. Also, I'm guessing a number of people who chose to turn down the money are theists already.

So, for the atheists that chose the money (like me): how little would it take before you refused the money, and took the "guarantee" instead?

I'd almost definitely take the $1million... but I'd probably turn down $100. So, what about $1000? $10,000? $100,000?

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I'd take any value > 0. Any other answer is inconsistent.

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Not inconsistent. I wouldn't want to be bothered with listening to this schmuck for < $5. I don't like my wallet being full of single bills, either... so a single $5 bill is my minimum.

Along the same lines, if I'm at the checkout line, and my change is 4 cents... and the clerk says that if I give her the 4 cents, then I will be guaranteed a place in heaven... then I'd give her the 4 cents.

Basically, from an EV perspective, there's much greater value if you forego the money. If Heaven exists you benefit for a much longer period of time (eternity) than the time you have left on earth to enjoy the million. Also, if we believe in Heaven we have to agree that the happiness that we experience there is infinite, while the happiness, if any, we can get from $1 million is clearly finite. Plus there are other ways to get a million but no other way to get to heaven if we take the million.

[chezlaw]

The existence of a bet that could guarantee a place in heaven if it exists, would be strong evidence that heaven exists.

chez

[DonkeyChip]

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The existence of a bet that could guarantee a place in heaven if it exists, would be strong evidence that heaven exists.

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I would think just the opposite. All I have to do is refuse the 1 million. I can then go rape every little girl I see and steal millions from charities and murder anybody I want and I'm still guaranteed a place in heaven? The existence of such a bet would lead me to believe that heaven does NOT exist (even more than I already believe it).

[chezlaw]

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The existence of a bet that could guarantee a place in heaven if it exists, would be strong evidence that heaven exists.

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I would think just the opposite. All I have to do is refuse the 1 million. I can then go rape every little girl I see and steal millions from charities and murder anybody I want and I'm still guaranteed a place in heaven? The existence of such a bet would lead me to believe that heaven does NOT exist (even more than I already believe it).

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I don't believe in god, heaven or hell and am happy to take the money from anyone who is not god, but no non-god is in a position to offer the bet.

So the existence of the bet implies the existence of god. That makes the existence of heaven and hell far more likely.

I agree with your point but who knows how this god works.

chez

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I don't believe in god, heaven or hell and am happy to take the money from anyone who is not god, but no non-god is in a position to offer the bet.

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No non-god is in a position to GUARANTEE the bet (the heaven part, I mean)... but as long as they have money, and make this claim, then they are in a position to offer the bet.

If someone offered the bet, I'd be pretty confident that they were a non-god. And once I saw the money, I'd think they were a rich non-god. Then, I'd take the money and thank the non-god for his offer. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

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I don't believe in god, heaven or hell and am happy to take the money from anyone who is not god, but no non-god is in a position to offer the bet.

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No non-god is in a position to GUARANTEE the bet (the heaven part, I mean)... but as long as they have money, and make this claim, then they are in a position to offer the bet.

If someone offered the bet, I'd be pretty confident that they were a non-god. And once I saw the money, I'd think they were a rich non-god. Then, I'd take the money and thank the non-god for his offer. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

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A God could make this offer and you still might not know whether a heaven or a hell existed. Also, it's possible that someone could be sent or empowered by a God to make this offer to you, making it's effects binding (or not binding, considering the question).

I'm taking the million without a second thought. My (albeit strange) belief if that even IF a heaven existed, the idea of hell is absurd, and I'm perfectly content to just rot in the ground when I die. What will I care, I'm dead?

If gods actually existed, why would they want you to spend time in Hell? It's simply counter-intuitive to think that gods WANT you to suffer for simply not believing in them. A "perfect being" would see that this is an unjust position and therefore not allow it to happen.