Why be an athiest?

[Shawn_]

Think this through.

Why would you be a athiest. You might want to believe there is no after life. There might be none, but what if there is? Why not believe in one just incase there is a after life and you fail to recieve it simply because you refuse to believe one. Whats wrong with a back up system for life?

Also for those that think I use him as a back up system, I don't, I really do believe in him, and I was stating that for others.

Ahh.. Pascal's Wager.

The fundamental problem with it is that, if this God does exist, and is an all knowing being then your God will "know" that I don't deep down, fully believe in him, I'm just going through the motions "in-case" he exists. I can't force myself to change my fundamental beliefs. You can't just outsmart your "all-knowing God", he'd still know that I didn't truly believe.

Instead, my wager is that if there is a god, and it is a just god, then living a just and moral life will be acknowledged regardless of ones beliefs. If there exists an unjust or immoral god, then I could never satisfy both my conscience and such a god. My wager is that if the Christians are right about god being just and all-knowing and all-loving, I will be rewarded if I act in morally sound, justified ways.

I don’t know if there is a god. To me, the idea of a god, or even of an afterlife pales in importance to what we experience everyday. Life. Life is the only thing that I “know” I have and when that is gone, I doubt I’ll be around to care, however, others will. I must live my life as I please, and since I believe I will only ever get one chance at it, I want to live it in the best manner that I can and help others do the same.

 

[eXact]

Ok , its kinda annoying when pple quote Pascals wager when they dont read the full thing - Pascal further complicates the matter by taking into consideration if u had 3 or 4 lives ....

So:

1) I believe in God. Why? I just do. Thats my personal opinion.
2) To play devils advocate, read the aethists wager which contradicts Pascals wager.
3) Almost every religion has contradictions in it. You can decide this is proof god doesnt exist, OR u can decide that god isnt completely tied down to religion, and even if a religion is false that does not mean god does not exist.

Aethists wager: In summary god is more likely to take someone who's intelligent and decides for himself whether god exists, than someone who mindlessly follows what others have sed. Its a little more complicated this but u get the point. So an aethist assumes p(God exists but values reason)+p(god doesnt exist) > p(God exists but punishes for thinking, and then deciding against him)

(BTW: I've posted this on "Why be an aethist?" and "God- does he exist" because they both basically have the same points. If someones mentioned my points already, soz , i got bored after the second page =P )

 

[jaamal]

Ahh.. Pascal's Wager.

The fundamental problem with it is that, if this God does exist, and is an all knowing being then your God will "know" that I don't deep down, fully believe in him, I'm just going through the motions "in-case" he exists. I can't force myself to change my fundamental beliefs. You can't just outsmart your "all-knowing God", he'd still know that I didn't truly believe.

Hey, I am a really good lier I think I can fool there great God. I would fall to the floor asdk for a to be forgiven and shake like I am having a seizure. LMAO!!!!


Your god says he can read your heart and your mind, so if you really don't believe your screwed all around, there will be preachers that won't get into heaven... I know that most of us are screwed.