Pascal's Wager
The first argument I will attempt to dismantle is also the most common argument you are likely to see while talking to the average religious person. Pascal's wager is the name of an argument put forth by 17th century philosopher and mathematician Blaise Pascal.
Here is the argument in a nut shell:
If you believe in god...
...and he is real, you go to heaven.
...and he is not real, nothing happens when you die.
However, if you do not believe in god...
...and he is real, you go to hell.
...and he is not real, nothing happens when you die.
Even if god seems very unlikely, it is better to believe in god and be wrong than it is to risk the consequences of not believing and being wrong.
To be perfectly honest this seemed convincing to me when I was a christian. I even used it on a few people in an attempt to convert them.
But I have since had a few realizations...
Realization 1: You can't really choose what you believe. Can you?
You believe something because you were convinced it was true not because you chose to believe it. You may choose to say that you believe something but unless you are really convinced in your mind you don't truly believe in it.
Realization 2: Wouldn't a god know that you were faking it? Or that you did it for the wrong reasons?
If you decided to say you believe just to save your own ass wouldn't the omniscient (all knowing) master of the universe know that you are a phoney? This seems like a cowardly covering of your bases instead of honest whole-hearted belief.
Realization 3: Why are we only considering the christian god?
Pascal formulated his wager only considering the christian god but what if, instead, we include the risks you are taking by not figuring in the consequences of other faiths? Accepting Jesus as god will put you in hot water with the muslim god Allah, what if they are right? Or what about the Hindu gods or anyone els's god? If any other god is as jealous as the Judeo-Christian god is said to be then wouldn't an atheist, who doesn't worship any god, do better than the person actively worshiping the wrong god?
In fact an Anti-Pascal wager can be formed.
1. It is impossible to tell which religion has it right, if any.
2. The consequences of worshiping the wrong god may be
worse than the consequences of worshiping no god at all.
3. Therefore, it is a safer bet to refrain from worshiping any god
until such a time as that god can be substantiated.
This line of thought echo's Marcus Aurelius's quote
Personally, the second realization was the one that killed off Pascal's wager for me. I reasoned that I should be honest with myself and that if there is a good god he/she/it would appreciate my honesty and dedication to truth.
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