AH the old pascal wager scare tactic. most thinking people can see the flaws in that argument: Pascal's Wager Refuted Theodore M. Drange The argument (call it "PW") may be formulated as follows: (a) If God exists, then whoever doesn't believe in him will end up being eternally tormented or at least annihilated. (b) If God exists, then whoever believes in him will gain eternal life. (c) If God doesn't exist, then whether or not people believe in him can't matter very much. (d) Hence [from (a)-(c)], nontheists are running a grave risk. At the very least, the expected utility of their belief situation is infinitely worse than that of theists. (e) But such people are able to self-induce theistic belief. (f) Therefore [from (d) & (e)], all nontheists ought to change their beliefs and become theists. Here are some objections to PW: 1. It is possible to prove that God does not exist. [See the atheism section of the Secular Web.] Hence, premises (a) & (b) of PW are moot or irrelevant. 2. There is no good reason to believe PW's premise (a), and there are many theists who would deny it. Furthermore, if that premise were true, then that would provide a basis for the Argument from Nonbelief, which is a strong argument for God's nonexistence. Thus, the given premise is weak and conceptually problematic. 3. According to the Bible, more is required for salvation than mere belief in God. One also needs to believe in God's son (Mark 16:16; John 3:18,36, 8:21-25, 14:6; Acts 4:10-12; I John 5:12), repent (Luke 13:3,5), be born again (John 3:3), be born of the water and of the Spirit (John 3:5), believe everything in the gospel (Mark 16:16), eat the flesh of Jesus and drink his blood (John 6:53), be like a child (Mark 10:15), and do good deeds, esp. for needy people (Matt. 25:41-46; Rom. 2:5-10; John 5:28-29; James 2:14-26). Therefore, premise (b) of PW is not generally true, so far as the Bible is concerned. And, furthermore, apart from the Bible, there is no reason whatever to believe that premise. Thus, PW's premise (b) can reasonably be doubted. 4. Most people who believe in God devote significant time to prayer and church activities. Such people presumably also contribute money, perhaps a tithe (10% of their income). Without that belief, most of them would not do such things. In addition, many such people go through life with inhibitions on both thought and behavior. (Consider, for example, inhibitions regarding sexual practices, marriage & divorce, birth control, abortion, reading material, and association with other people.) In many cases, those inhibitions are quite extreme and may have great effects on one's life and the lives of others. In some communities, women are oppressed on the basis of theistic belief. Also, some theists have persecuted and even killed others (as in inquisitions, religious wars, attacks on homosexuals, abortionists, etc.) because of their belief that that is what God wants them to do. Furthermore, some people (e.g., clergymen) devote their entire lives to God. For these various reasons, even if God does not exist, it would indeed matter a great deal whether or not one believes in God, at least for most such believers. It follows that premise (c) of PW is false. 5. It may be that God does not exist and, instead, some other being rules the universe. That being may dislike intensely and may inflict infinite punishment on anyone who believes in God or who believes anything out of self-interest (as recommended in PW). But a person who comes to believe in God on the basis of PW would in that case be in "a heap of trouble," even though God does not exist. The expected utility of the theist's belief situation would be infinitely worse than that of the nontheist. It follows that premise (c) of PW is false. 6. To believe in God, one must believe propositions that are, from the standpoint of most nontheists, impossible (or at least very hard) to believe. For that reason, PW's premise (e) can be rejected. 7. Belief is not directly subject to the will. So, it is impossible (or at least very difficult) for nontheists to self-induce theistic belief. This also renders PW's premise (e) false. For all of these reasons, PW ought to be rejected.
Ah, yes. Belief presented in the form of a wager. How spiritual. You seem like a nice enough guy, so I wish you well. But I fear that one of us is a tad misguided...
======================= Nice to see someone helping bring some heaven here on earth. Speaking of food, for the first time in a long time, i did NOT see apple prices reduced in September, apples tend to get in a bear market in Sept. But the local apple growers were selling cheap, local market anyway.[by the bushel] Mr Merc; I like your well mannered prayer, actually i wish when i was learning to trade-i prayed; but i never prayed much about position size. KIng Solomon liked to watch a female ant;she stores food for the winter. So, certainly could learn from a whale; and ants are also good about limiting thier losses[ limiting business expenses].
Time, nor earth, nor death, are tellers of truth. Neither does the time/place between death and birth tell the truth. So the old die-then-know apple is wormy. Are you dying to know something? If you take the apple, you will surely die, until you know that death is a lie. But dying, you will not know it. Death is not a door to truth. Death is a habit...a craving...that is broken by the truth. Death is an attitude. Give it no latitude. Truth is grasped if death is not asked. Truth. Ask it, not a casket. Why die to know that death is a lie? Can a lie tell the truth? Death is a defense against the truth. Pre-mortem lies merely give way to post-mortem lies. Dying, you will surely survive. You may even thrive. But are you not surviving at this time? Perhaps you are even thriving at this time. Yet death will be knocking if its light you are blocking. And birth will be burping while guilt is usurping the truth of who you are. Born to die, from dirth to birth, a cycle turns...a desciple learns...that doom is a joke...and tombs are a hoax. Jesus
Ever had that truly dreadful awful feeling inside when the trade is going the wrong way ? and the stake is big ? Does one tough it out or take a huge loss ?? That is the Question most traders have to face every so often.
==================== Trading is an unusual business in that its not difficult to lose a weeks profit, in one day. Any business could lose a weeks[or smaller] profit in a day; its simply easier to do that in trading. God's word [Bible] himself does not make many economic predictions, or prophesy much on futuristic tradin/investing; =========================================== however i just though of one, this is a paraphrase[not exact quote, from book of Revelation]-A bushel of wheat will someday sell for a penny. I know from wise teachers/rabbi/preachers, that is a very bullish trend, because the word ''penny 'used @ that time, was a days wages, its not refering to a USA copper coin. So we have to be humble even when we get a word from Jesus Christ. Remember God gives people a free will, so God does not say the timing of this,or even what kind of limit order, or market order,LOL; He that witholdeth the corn, the people curse, blessings on the head of him that selleth it.Proverbs 11;26 ======================================== Strange & very strange so many want God to give them inside info , so they can find a lazy way to riches. Also Proverbs teaches against laziness[ ouch, that has hit close to home before] Proverbs {God] teaches value of diligent, excellant work....................................................................