Friday, August 01, 2014
Theism, atheism faith, and placing our bets
Atheism is possibly false, yet the atheist must act as if it is true. Christians place their bets as well. Faith in the sense Lewis talks about in Mere Christianity must be exercised by anyone who has a developed world-view. Faith in the sense of belief in the teeth of evidence is something I don't expect from anyone.
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4 comments:
I'm not sure I understand what you're saying here, Victor. Is this a re-wording of Pascal's Wager?
I broadly agree with what you are saying here, but I think both sides may be gambling in slightly different ways.
Atheists aren't taking many chances in the way they live, for ethics are subjective and cultural and there is no ethical judge after we die. But they are taking the risk that they won't face God in an afterlife.
For christians, it is the opposite. If we are wrong, we are no worse off in the afterlife than the atheist is, because there is none (simplifying assumption that no other religion is correct). But we may be making sacrifices unnecessarily in this life - that may be a big sacrifice for some (e.g. Jesus) but is no sacrifice for me because I have a relatively good life.
If we are wrong, we are no worse off in the afterlife than the atheist is, because there is none (simplifying assumption that no other religion is correct).
I do not agree. If we are wrong as a christians, there is still (epistemic) possibility of afterlife because of possible truth of some other religion that presupposes afterlife
Atheists aren't taking many chances in the way they live, for ethics are subjective
Well, you know that many atheists would disagree wich asserted subjectiveness of their ethics ...
I like this way of putting things - placing our bets. It's true.
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