Originally posted by LordOfTheChessboard And would it be best to spread your chances and worship every god?😕
Therein lies the refutation to Pascal's wager.
Pascal claims to establish that the EV of believing in God is positive.
But then you can posit the existence of a second God, who condemns you if you believe in the original God, and who saves you if you believe in himself. Then the EV of believing in this new God is positive and the total EV across both Gods vanishes. No EV can be gained by believing or disbelieving in the original God.
Originally posted by DoctorScribbles Therein lies the refutation to Pascal's wager.
Pascal claims to establish that the EV of believing in God is positive.
But then you can posit the existence of a second God, who condemns you if you believe in the original God, and who saves you if you believe in himself. Then the EV of believing in this new God is positive and the total EV across both Gods vanishes. No EV can be gained by believing or disbelieving in the original God.
Originally posted by DoctorScribbles Therein lies the refutation to Pascal's wager.
Pascal claims to establish that the EV of believing in God is positive.
But then you can posit the existence of a second God, who condemns you if you believe in the original God, and who saves you if you believe in himself. Then the EV of believing in this new God is positive and the total EV across both Gods vanishes. No EV can be gained by believing or disbelieving in the original God.
Yes, and if there is just one god then there is a chance you picked the wrong one.
For Christ's sake, even IF the God in his wager was the "real" God, his wager would still be inherently wrong because you don't truly "believe" in the God, you simply say so in order to avoid hell. A "true" Christian would believe in God, not because the other option is hell, not because of a numbers game, but because he/she truly believed in God. Picking a belief in God because it is the "statistically correct" option would not guarantee you a ticket to heaven. In fact, it may justify a ticket directly in the opposite direction.
Originally posted by lioyank For Christ's sake, even IF the God in his wager was the "real" God, his wager would still be inherently wrong because you don't truly "believe" in the God, you simply say so in order to avoid hell. A "true" Christian would believe in God, not because the other option is hell, not because of a numbers game, but because he/she truly believed in God. Pi ...[text shortened]... tee you a ticket to heaven. In fact, it may justify a ticket directly in the opposite direction.
Originally posted by dj2becker Christianity has specific absolute claims. Jesus Christ said that he was the only way through which man can come to God.
Are there any other religions that are that specific?
In the Hindu religion they have many gods. Do you have to worship all of them to go to Heaven?
Hindus believe in different aspects of the same God.
Originally posted by lioyank Picking a belief in God because it is the "statistically correct" option would not guarantee you a ticket to heaven. In fact, it may justify a ticket directly in the opposite direction.
Are all rational approaches that lead one to believe unacceptable, or just this one?