A Return To Pascals Wager

[cronus]

Thought it was worth another roll of the dice. Not sure what or who God is but I've lost nothing by believing in one? and isn't there a lot of space out there for God to hide whilst having total control over every aspect of everything?

[Xamonas Chegwé]

But you only actually profit from the wager if you pick the correct god. You get nothing in any religion just by believing that there sort of may be something or other that you could probably more or less describe as god if you're not too specific about the details.

[Rum]

I'll counter with the classic: If I use all the wits 'god' gave me and conclude that there is no evidence for the existence of such an entity how can he/she/it blame me for using the tools I was provided with as well as I can and reaching that conclusion in good faith.

A god that punished me for that would be no loving god and not one I would want anything to do with.

I suppose we could have a nasty, vindictive, torturing sort of god.

..but of course there's no evidence for that either.

[Audley Strange]

Nah, without faith Gods are nothing, thus faith keeps the pricks latched on to us like aetheric parasites.

[Pappa]

Please apostrophise correctly.

[cronus]

There is nothing intrinsically bad about faith. I have no idea if the sun will rise tomorrow. A black hole could sneak into its core and suck it up overnight and then my electricity bill would go through the roof. It is faith that keeps my ordinary perspective and electricity wants manageable. So faith isn't really the issue and nor are the precise characteristics of God beyond having absolute control over every aspect of everything and other fairly obvious qualities such as ignoring any rule you can imagine. The ultimate game changer etc...and so on. Surely given my finite prescribed life I'm playing a smart game giving more credence rather than less for the 'wildcard of wildcards?

[MiM]

I'll counter with the classic: If I use all the wits 'god' gave me and conclude that there is no evidence for the existence of such an entity how can he/she/it blame me for using the tools I was provided with as well as I can and reaching that conclusion in good faith.

A god that punished me for that would be no loving god and not one I would want anything to do with.

I suppose we could have a nasty, vindictive, torturing sort of god.

..but of course there's no evidence for that either.

.

...and then all bets are off weather it's better to go to to the "heaven" with that god or to whatever he calls "hell"- Except I'll have all of you with me in "hell"

[cronus]

I'm not betting on consequences of the existence of God. That's increasing risk with no extra dividend in my case.

[Audley Strange]

There is nothing intrinsically bad about faith. I have no idea if the sun will rise tomorrow. A black hole could sneak into its core and suck it up overnight and then my electricity bill would go through the roof. It is faith that keeps my ordinary perspective and electricity wants manageable. So faith isn't really the issue and nor are the precise characteristics of God beyond having absolute control over every aspect of everything and other fairly obvious qualities such as ignoring any rule you can imagine. The ultimate game changer etc...and so on. Surely given my finite prescribed life I'm playing a smart game giving more credence rather than less for the 'wildcard of wildcards?

You don't have faith that the sun will rise tomorrow, you reason it has a high predictability based on evidence and observation, but do not discount the probability of it being destroyed.

Completely adapting your life and behaviour because you have faith in an non-evidential concept that is literally only described and described poorly in one book is about as smart as wanking a camel because some guy once told you he did so and it shot diamonds from its cock.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

There is nothing intrinsically bad about faith. I have no idea if the sun will rise tomorrow. A black hole could sneak into its core and suck it up overnight and then my electricity bill would go through the roof. It is faith that keeps my ordinary perspective and electricity wants manageable. So faith isn't really the issue and nor are the precise characteristics of God beyond having absolute control over every aspect of everything and other fairly obvious qualities such as ignoring any rule you can imagine. The ultimate game changer etc...and so on. Surely given my finite prescribed life I'm playing a smart game giving more credence rather than less for the 'wildcard of wildcards?

You don't have faith that the sun will rise tomorrow, you reason it has a high predictability based on evidence and observation, but do not discount the probability of it being destroyed.

Completely adapting your life and behaviour because you have faith in an non-evidential concept that is literally only described and described poorly in one book is about as smart as wanking a camel because some guy once told you he did so and it shot diamonds from its cock.

Good point.


Now, where can I find a camel at this time on a Sunday evening...?

[Cormac]

There is nothing intrinsically bad about faith. I have no idea if the sun will rise tomorrow. A black hole could sneak into its core and suck it up overnight and then my electricity bill would go through the roof. It is faith that keeps my ordinary perspective and electricity wants manageable. So faith isn't really the issue and nor are the precise characteristics of God beyond having absolute control over every aspect of everything and other fairly obvious qualities such as ignoring any rule you can imagine. The ultimate game changer etc...and so on. Surely given my finite prescribed life I'm playing a smart game giving more credence rather than less for the 'wildcard of wildcards?

You don't have faith that the sun will rise tomorrow, you reason it has a high predictability based on evidence and observation, but do not discount the probability of it being destroyed.

Completely adapting your life and behaviour because you have faith in an non-evidential concept that is literally only described and described poorly in one book

is about as smart as wanking a camel because some guy once told you he did so and it shot diamonds from its cock
.

Eminently quotable.

Evidence that classic Ratzianisms can still be found here on Ratz.

[Audley Strange]

There is nothing intrinsically bad about faith. I have no idea if the sun will rise tomorrow. A black hole could sneak into its core and suck it up overnight and then my electricity bill would go through the roof. It is faith that keeps my ordinary perspective and electricity wants manageable. So faith isn't really the issue and nor are the precise characteristics of God beyond having absolute control over every aspect of everything and other fairly obvious qualities such as ignoring any rule you can imagine. The ultimate game changer etc...and so on. Surely given my finite prescribed life I'm playing a smart game giving more credence rather than less for the 'wildcard of wildcards?

You don't have faith that the sun will rise tomorrow, you reason it has a high predictability based on evidence and observation, but do not discount the probability of it being destroyed.

Completely adapting your life and behaviour because you have faith in an non-evidential concept that is literally only described and described poorly in one book is about as smart as wanking a camel because some guy once told you he did so and it shot diamonds from its cock.

Good point.


Now, where can I find a camel at this time on a Sunday evening...?

There is a Dusty Camel in Fletcher's Gate.

[cronus]

Given that life is exactly such a diamond and I only have one then why not place stakes on a split deal with random takings should I win rather than a straight that'll either leave me with nothing after the game or a winning deal I can't handle on account of false expectations low or high?

[Cormac]

Given that life is exactly such a diamond and I only have one then why not place stakes on a split deal with random takings should I win rather than a straight that'll either leave me with nothing after the game or a winning deal I can't handle on account of false expectations low or high?

In my view, with Pascal's wager you gain precisely zero by believing.

[Audley Strange]

Given that life is exactly such a diamond and I only have one then why not place stakes on a split deal with random takings should I win rather than a straight that'll either leave me with nothing after the game or a winning deal I can't handle on account of false expectations low or high?

Diamonds tend to be rare and difficult to mine and turn into jewels which is why they are considered valuable. Any mentally deficient beast with working genitals can create life. If you wish to waste your life wanking a camel for diamonds just in case, so be it, but don't start complaining when people laugh at the mad camel wanker.