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Is it more or less a safe bet to believe that God exists, regardless of which religion one practices? After a semester in a religious studies class, which is similar to philosophy, there must have some discussion of symbolic language.
If God exists, then given these possibilities:
You don't believe in God and God exists (screwed)
You do believe in God and God exists (only option if God exists)
You don't believe in God and God does not exist (bad choice if God exists)
You do believe in God and God does not exist (bad choice if God exists)
... there's only one choice.
If God doesn't exist, then it begs the question so ask whether one should believe.
It is amazing how often Pascal's wager comes out. I have to ask- is that why you believe? Because you are afraid of being screwed over by an angry God if you don't?
Torn between belief and non-belief: an ongoing struggle of the mind and heart
Belief is a non-issue since it is not under our control . . . but intellectual acceptance of various propositions is. What we truly believe simply IS. So whenever anyone claims they have chosen to believe . . . they are referring to intellectual acceptance . . . NOT belief. Specific beliefs are therefore of no concern whatsoever . . . since they are out of our control. How we perceive our existence . . . as either purposeful or not . . . is important. Either there is a purpose to human existence or there isn't. Your answer to that question is generally reflected in your behavior and attitudes toward life. It is completely unlikely that any actual purpose of life has anything to do with what we specifically claim to believe (accept intellectually) about it. You are agonizing over a non-issue, OP.
It is amazing how often Pascal's wager comes out. I have to ask- is that why you believe? Because you are afraid of being screwed over by an angry God if you don't?
I was raised by a Christian mother and a Buddhist father. I believe something, but not only because it is in my best interests.
Why would an Atheist be "screwed" if a god exists?
If there is a god and we have an afterlife, how do you know that we Atheists will be treated worse than Theists?
Why would an atheist question if God exists? The atheist has already accepted the concept of God, but denied it's existence.
Afterlife is a whole other beast. It's part of every religion, but it's possible to believe that God exists without buying into all aspects of a particular religion. Atheists and people that believe that God exists are not in conflict. Whatever each believes is what is true for them.
If an atheist can't decide whether to believe in God, why not adopt the safe solution, and move on?
If the idea is to accept the concept of God and stubbornly deny that God exists ... well, it doesn't make much sense. That is, it's absurd to understand the concept of an ice cream cone, but to deny that it exists. An agnostic has a better chance of arguing this point, in my humble opinion, because the agnostic denies the existence of God. If one denies the existence of God, then obviously there's no point in believing in such a thing.
Why would an Atheist be "screwed" if a god exists?
An atheist would be screwed if God exists because an atheist accepts the possibility that God exists by virtue of understanding the concept. That is, the atheist could not have the concept of God if such a thing was not possible or plausible. The atheist acknowledges that God may exist and refuses to accept it. It may be the right decision, but in hedging bets, it's not the right decision.
It is a leap of faith in the end. Consider what good Christians have to lose if they are wrong and what an atheist has to lose if he/she is wrong!
Pascal's Wager doesn't work for various reasons.
Christians have as much to loose as Atheists if another religion is true, atheists could be the ones who receive rewards for atheism and religious people punished for/by their religion... There are infinite possibilities.
An atheist would be screwed if God exists because an atheist accepts the possibility that God exists by virtue of understanding the concept. That is, the atheist could not have the concept of God if such a thing was not possible or plausible. The atheist acknowledges that God may exist and refuses to accept it. It may be the right decision, but in hedging bets, it's not the right decision.
Yes, but even if a god exists, that doesn't imply there is any downside to not believing in him. Perhaps it's a god that appreciates the skeptical mind and will doubly reward any non-believer.
Edit: Oops. Luminous beat me to it. Well played sir.
That is interesting and I think that is a very plausible explanation.
I can't believe you were able to get through all of those mistaken auto-corrects!
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It is amazing how often Pascal's wager comes out. I have to ask- is that why you believe? Because you are afraid of being screwed over by an angry God if you don't?
Torn between belief and non-belief: an ongoing struggle of the mind and heart
