Date: Sun, 23 Nov 2003 15:13:44 +0000
From: "steve.devos" <steve.devos-AT-krokodile.co.uk>
Subject: Re: Heaven as Las Vegas - the Paradise Lounge


eric

the irrationality of Pascal's wager... is the act of selection redoubled 
in its irrationality  by the necessarily irrational attendence of the 
ceremonies.

Did Pascal really have merely a 50/50 choice or was it that he simply 
avoided addressing the other religions in one of those refusals that 
theology as ideology is always capable of...

steve

Eric wrote:

>Geof,
>
>Perhaps the ongoing trend of reliance on casino revenues to fund U.S.
>social programs in lieu of public taxation is ultimately biblical;
>Creation as a gaming table. Perhaps it is also true what Einstein once
>said, "God doesn't play dice." He simply maintains the house rules for
>the poor saps and the easy marks like us that do.
>
>I have always thought of Pascal's wager as a second cousin to the
>ontological argument; one of those attempts on the part of philosophy to
>dazzle us with their own performance, the logical equivalent of the
>search for a perpetual motion machine.
>
>I think Pascal had an easier time of it than we do.  In his day the
>choice was simple - believe or not believe - making the odds 50-50. In
>our day, there is this damn global situation to contend with and things
>have become much more complicated. How should I apply Pascal's Wager
>today without simply loading the dice in an age of religious pluralism?
>
>For starters I think we must reduce the options to the five major
>religions as these are piously recorded in the book of Time-Life;
>namely, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism.  For a more
>marginal player, like the North American Church, to be the hidden one
>true faith simply demands a god simply too cruel to be believed. 
>
>Given these premises, I think we can immediately exclude Hinduism and
>Buddhism because they each teach reincarnation.  The simple reason is
>that, even if reincarnation proves to be true, I would still expect my
>karma as a believer to place me in a better position during the next
>round.  Since I avoid the catastrophe of eternal damnation even if I am
>not a believer, there is no compelling reason to practice either
>Hinduism or Buddhism.  
>
>Since I am also told that Judaism does not really preach an afterlife,
>this option can also be eliminated as well. 
>
>So that leaves Christianity and Islam. 
>
>Let me consider Christianity first. The Protestants tell me that the
>only thing necessary for my salvation is to accept Jesus into my heart
>as my personal savior. The Catholics also dictate this, but postulate
>further there is no salvation outside the church.  Therefore, logic
>dictates that I should ignore the Protestants and become a Catholic in
>order to cover my bets.  
>
>So far so good, but that still leaves me with Islam. From my limited
>knowledge, I know there are the divergent traditions of Shiite and Sunni
>Muslims, but the dispute seems to be primarily concerned with the
>Prophetic Succession.  As far as I can tell, as long as I am a devout
>practicing Muslim who submits to Allah, I may still enter Paradise.  
>
>Therefore, I conclude, applying Pascal's wager, I should become either a
>Roman Catholic Shiite or a Roman Catholic Sunni Muslim.  
>
>However, since Dante put Mohammed in hell as a heretic among the Sowers
>of Discord, wouldn't I then just be practicing heresy, rendering myself
>liable for even greater punishment than I would receive merely as a
>disbelieving secular transhumanist destined for that charming light
>detention circle of hell where might hold conversations with Homer,
>Virgil, Socrates and the Master of those that know while sipping coffee?
>
>I'm still confused. What strategy should I adopt that best cuts my
>potential losses?
>
>Eric
>
>p.s. - geof, since you imply steve and I are merely making easy
>distinctions, what would you yourself have to say on the subject of god
>and religion?  
>
> 
>
>
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