Belief systems poll

[El_Machinae]

Pascal's Wager! () What's the harm in caring?

 

[Cutlass]

Atheists have nothing to lose, and everything to gain, by believing in God.

What they have to lose is that there might be a god. Life, the universe, and everything, is better off without one.

 

[timtofly]

The current human life experience is doing just fine?

 

[Cutlass]

It's not made better by god. For myself, personally, I can imagine nothing more horrendous than life after death.

 

[Antilogic]

<Pascal's Garbage>

Unless, of course, whatever god that exists realizes you are doing it just for the heavenly benefits and not because you actually believe it. I mean, these supposed gods know everything else already, so why wouldn't they know that?

 

[timtofly]

It's not made better by god. For myself, personally, I can imagine nothing more horrendous than life after death.

So we are assuming life would be even worse if there was a god?

 

[Krogan Doctor]

Unless, of course, whatever god that exists realizes you are doing it just for the heavenly benefits and not because you actually believe it. I mean, these supposed gods know everything else already, so why wouldn't they know that?

VERY few people, the Blessed Virgin Mary possibly excepted, don't start their faith with fear as a base. Most people start believing because of fear of hell and this is perfectly acceptable to God. As the Bible says, "The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom."

 

[Antilogic]

VERY few people, the Blessed Virgin Mary possibly excepted, don't start their faith with fear as a base. Most people start believing because of fear of hell and this is perfectly acceptable to God. As the Bible says, "The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom."

God: respecting cowardice since 30-something A.D.

 

[Krogan Doctor]

God: respecting cowardice since 30-something A.D.

It's not cowardice. Would you subject yourself voluntarily to eternal pain? No right-thinking man would do so.

 

[El_Machinae]

VERY few people, the Blessed Virgin Mary possibly excepted, don't start their faith with fear as a base. Most people start believing because of fear of hell and this is perfectly acceptable to God. As the Bible says, "The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom."

so, the problem with this, and with Pascal's Wager is that it doesn't really impress anyone who doesn't believe in God already. It only convinces those who already believe.

 

[Antilogic]

It's not cowardice. Would you subject yourself voluntarily to eternal pain? No right-thinking man would do so.

You are trying to bully people into believing by threatening them with eternal pain. You are also basing your argument on the existence of hell and heaven, which has not been proven.

 

[Krogan Doctor]

You are trying to bully people into believing by threatening them with eternal pain. You are also basing your argument on the existence of hell and heaven, which has not been proven.

Who says "I'm" doing anything? I was merely countering your argument. God actually condemns cowards in the Bible. From the book of Revelation

But for the cowardly, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part [shall be] in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone;

 

[Arachnofiend]

It's not cowardice. Would you subject yourself voluntarily to eternal pain? No right-thinking man would do so.

I don't really see why I should respect the authority of a man who's claim to authority is beating me with a stick for a very long time, especially since said stick is something I have never experienced and who's only "proof" of existence is the testimony of others who also have never experienced the stick.

 

[Antilogic]

Who says "I'm" doing anything? I was merely countering your argument. God actually condemns cowards in the Bible. From the book of Revelation

Oh yeah, that's an unbiased source.

Sounds an awful lot like hostage-taking to me. "No, we don't want to shoot you, but there are consequences to you not choosing to come with us..."

 

[Krogan Doctor]

I don't really see why I should respect the authority of a man who's claim to authority is beating me with a stick for a very long time, especially since said stick is something I have never experienced and who's only "proof" of existence is the testimony of others who also have never experienced the stick.

Threats come from a place of power. If you are powerless, you cannot and would not threaten. Easily provable.

 

[Krogan Doctor]

Oh yeah, that's an unbiased source.

Sounds an awful lot like hostage-taking to me. "No, we don't want to shoot you, but there are consequences to you not choosing to come with us..."

There is no unblinding a man who voluntarily blinds himself. Free will, alas, can lead to the great evil that is stupidity.

 

[Antilogic]

EDIT: Indeed. Not going to waste more time on this.

 

[Arachnofiend]

Threats come from a place of power. If you are powerless, you cannot and would not threaten. Easily provable.

I was a real turd growing up, I threatened my siblings all the time. Didn't mean I had any real authority over them.

 

[Krogan Doctor]

I was a real turd growing up, I threatened my siblings all the time. Didn't mean I had any real authority over them.

If you are powerless to harm them, you would not threaten. The very fact that you did threaten is testimony to your power over those you threaten.

 

[El_Machinae]

Who says "I'm" doing anything? I was merely countering your argument. God actually condemns cowards in the Bible. From the book of Revelation

I have no reason to believe that the book of Revelation is from god. It only convinces people who already believe that.