Harry Veeder wrote:
Wesley Bruce wrote:
Is you world view big enough for God? His is big enough for you.
An atheist would interpret this as a personal request. Based on his beliefs
you are asking him if his world is big enough for you. If the atheist
has a big heart he would say yes.
Harry
Well said Harry. If an atheist doesn't try to kill my rights to my faith
or ban me from speaking then he or she is OK and free to have their
choice of faith.
Yet on their dieing the true test begins and the question of absolute
truth or absolute oblivion is faced.
The scientist Pascal was asked of his faith. He answered with a wager.
See http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pascal-wager/
I'll pluck a table from the site.
Following McClennen 1994, Pascal's argument seems to be best captured as
presenting the following decision matrix:
/*God exists*/
/*God does not exist*/
/*Wager for God*/
Gain all
Status quo
/*Wager against God*/
Misery
Status quo
In other words
* If I believe in God and I am right what do I gain? All the
pleasures of eternity.
* If I am wrong what do I loose? A few passing pleasures and then
oblivion.
* If I disbelieve in God and there is life after death and some
judgement. What do I loose. Everything when I discover that I will
be held responsible for my actions up to the extent of my
knowledge. God honours my demand for his absence, and creates a
place where he is not found and I then discover that the simple
absence of God is hell itself and it is awful indeed for he is the
source of unselfish goodness.
* If I disbelieve in God and there is no life after death, what do I
gain. Nothing of great value. A fleeting sense of freedom and then
oblivion.
