Dopeyomi:
I would rather live my life as if there
is a God and die to find out there isn't,than live my
life as if there isn't and die to find out there is!

This seems reasonable on its face but I'm sure you are aware that somebody who wants to put this advice into practice is very likely to choose the wrong God. I heard the likelihood is above 95 percent. So it's good advice if luck favours you and you make the right choice.

undercat:


This seems reasonable on its face but I'm sure you are aware that somebody who wants to put this advice into practice is very likely to choose the wrong God. I heard the likelihood is above 95 percent. So it's good advice if luck favours you and you make the right choice.

Correct. Just from eyeballing this chart, Pascal's Wager has a 90%-ish chance of earning you eternal torment. And it doesn't account for a myriad of other fringe religions.

@OP You're also assuming that God accepts people that hope that he's real, as opposed to those that believe.

Dopeyomi:
I would rather live my life as if there
is a God and die to find out there isn't,than live my
life as if there isn't and die to find out there is!

How do you live as if there is a god?

This is another quote I love:

"The christian is quite free to believe that there is considerable amount of settled order and inevitable development in the universe. But the materialist is not allowed to admit into his spotless machine the slightest speck of spiritualism or miracle." -G.K. Chesterton

Athiests love to claim religious people are the closed-minded. But if you study it, we are the ones free and allowed to believe in both God and science.

Infact, christians believe God is the ultimate scientist; and true science is the study of His creation and the laws He put in place to order them.

But an athiest, can't afford to include any sense of divinity or theory of spirituality in his explanation of anything. Even things he can't explain.

Yet they claim, we are the narrow-minded and they are the free-thinkers.

I remember, a documentary I watched on TV, about how scientists discovered unputrefied blood in the marrows of the bones of a dinosaur.

They immediately theorized and postulated that; "Maybe blood in marrows takes much longer to putrefy than originally thought."

Another scientist postulated that; Or maybe dinosaurs didn't live millions of years ago as we believed. Maybe they lived thousands of years ago as the Holy book claimed.

That theory was thrown out, immediately.

You can't claim to be a free-thinker, when you are not free to include divinity and spirituality in your possible theories and case scenarios; especially for things you can't explain yet

ayoku777:
This is another quote I love:

"The christian is quite free to believe that there is considerable amount of settled order and inevitable development in the universe. But the materialist is not allowed to admit into his spotless machine the slightest speck of spiritualism or miracle." -G.K. Chesterton

Athiests love to claim religious people are the closed-minded. But if you study it, we are the ones free and allowed to believe in both God and science.

Infact, christians believe God is the ultimate scientist; and true science is the study of His creation and the laws He put in place to order them.

But an athiest, can't afford to include any sense of divinity or theory of spirituality in his explanation of anything. Even things he can't explain.

Yet they claim, we are the narrow-minded and they are the free-thinkers.

I remember, a documentary I watched on TV, about how scientists discovered unputrefied blood in the marrows of the bones of a dinosaur.

They immediately theorized and postulated that; "Maybe blood in marrows takes much longer to putrefy than originally thought."

Another scientist postulated that; Or maybe dinosaurs didn't live millions of years ago as we believed. Maybe they lived thousands of years ago as the Holy book claimed.

That theory was thrown out, immediately.

You can't claim to be a free-thinker, when you are not free to include divinity and spirituality in your possible theories and case scenarios; especially for things you can't explain yet

LOL how laughable!

So for anything we cannot explain yet, we just fill it in with supernatural theories, huh?

I'm sure it was like this back in the day

Why does it rain? God is taking a piss
Why does lightning strike? God is angry with us
Why is the Yangtze River red all of a sudden? God just had his period

And this is ignoring the fact that you are yet to provide a single shred evidence for the existence of this "divinity or spirituality". Would you like to start now?

timmy2409:


Correct. Just from eyeballing this chart, Pascal's Wager has a 90%-ish chance of earning you eternal torment. And it doesn't account for a myriad of other fringe religions.

@OP You're also assuming that God accepts people that hope that he's real, as opposed to those that believe.

Lol funny chart. If only someone could tell us the chances of God existing. Perhaps we would be able to use Pascal's wager maximally.

timmy2409:


LOL how laughable!

So for anything we cannot explain yet, we just fill it in with supernatural theories, huh?

I'm sure it was like this back in the day

Why does it rain? God is taking a piss
Why does lightning strike? God is angry with us
Why is the Yangtze River red all of a sudden? God just had his period

And this is ignoring the fact that you are yet to provide a single shred evidence for the existence of this "divinity or spirituality". Would you like to start now?

I'm a christian and I don't believe in crazy superstitions either. Even God warned against it in scripture.

Isaiah 8v12 -Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear nor be afraid.

God himself asks us not to give bogus spiritual explanations to every single thing. Because He created the laws by which his creation is governed.

So a lot of things in creation are just the handiwork of these laws.

But how is postulating that maybe, just maybe, the blood is still unputrefied because dinosaurs didn't live million of years ago, but just thousands as the Holy book claimed.

How is that so laughable and ridiculous? I'm not talking of all the other allegations of superstitious people that even God warned against.

ayoku777:


I'm a christian and I don't believe in crazy superstitions either. Even God warned against it in scripture.

Isaiah 8v12 -Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear nor be afraid.

God himself asks us not to give bogus spiritual explanations to every single thing. Because He created the laws by which his creation is governed.

So a lot of things in creation are just the handiwork of these laws.

But how is postulating that maybe, just maybe, the blood is still unputrefied because dinosaurs didn't live million of years ago, but just thousands as the Holy book claimed.

How is that so laughable and ridiculous? I'm not talking of all the other allegations of superstitious people that even God warned against.

It's not laughable to him. He just uses that to mask his fear...fear of confronting the idea that God might exist.

italo:


It's not laughable to him. He just uses that to mask his fear...fear of confronting the idea that God might exist.

I wonder how you can assume people fear "god" when you don't fear allah nor thor nor krishna nor xenu....or perhaps you are masking that fear too?

Dopeyomi:
I would rather live my life as if there
is a God and die to find out there isn't,than live my
life as if there isn't and die to find out there is!

This is for people who are not sure of their believe. I HAVE NO SINGLE DOUBT ABOUT GOD. NO,NO AND NO SINGLE DOUBT. Those who want to doubt can continue but at the end of their life on earth here they will see how wrong they ve been but it would ve been too late.

davien:
I wonder how you can assume people fear "god" when you don't fear allah nor thor nor krishna nor xenu....or perhaps you are masking that fear too?

I largely ignore all these names you mentioned.

Many Atheists cant ignore God because they fear or know he is real. They spend all their lives and energy talking and thinking about him.

It's a little like when a girl is always saying something bad about a guy...most times, she wants him. If she didn't she'd just ignore him and act as though he didn't exist.

italo:


I largely ignore all these names you mentioned.

Many Atheists cant ignore God because they fear or know he is real. They spend all their lives and energy talking and thinking about him.

It's a little like when a girl is always saying something bad about a guy...most times, she wants him. If she didn't she'd just ignore him and act as though he didn't exist.

Yea you are right. I hardly even remember all those he mentioned, talk more of discussing or arguing about them every now and then.

italo:


I largely ignore all these names you mentioned.

Many Atheists cant ignore God because they fear or know he is real. They spend all their lives and energy talking and thinking about him.

It's a little like when a girl is always saying something bad about a guy...most times, she wants him. If she didn't she'd just ignore him and act as though he didn't exist.

So you think I "know"or "fear "god"....lol.
You can keep telling yourself that, it probably helps you sleep better at night believing atheists fear "god".
while your at it why not say bald people fear hair?

davien:
I wonder how you can assume people fear "god" when you don't fear allah nor thor nor krishna nor xenu....or perhaps you are masking that fear too?

This are all fictional Gods..there is just but one true God. That is why it pricks you a lot to discredit his existence.

Or do you believe in krishna and Thor. We could start from there you know.

davien:
So you think I "know"or "fear "god"....lol.
You can keep telling yourself that, it probably helps you sleep better at night believing atheists fear "god".
while your at it why not say bald people fear hair?

Bald people dont spend all their days attacking hair.

I KNOW you know or fear God exists, that's why you can't find rest.

You're always on God's case.

davien:
So you think I "know"or "fear "god"....lol.
You can keep telling yourself that, it probably helps you sleep better at night believing atheists fear "god".
while your at it why not say bald people fear hair?

Wrong analogy

There may or may not be a god or several but it's curious how these gods need spokespeople who often profit financially by using said gods as a means to extract resources from the sheep.

mmsen:
There may or may not be a god or several but it's curious how these gods need spokespeople who often profit financially by using said gods as a means to extract resources from the sheep.

The bold is enough.

italo:


The bold is enough.

Enough for whom?

There may be a god so everyone should accept Catholic dogma?

The Muslims also claim that there is a god, what happens to their dogma?

How about the Jews?

ayoku777:
This is another quote I love:

"The christian is quite free to believe that there is considerable amount of settled order and inevitable development in the universe. But the materialist is not allowed to admit into his spotless machine the slightest speck of spiritualism or miracle." -G.K. Chesterton

Athiests love to claim religious people are the closed-minded. But if you study it, we are the ones free and allowed to believe in both God and science.

Infact, christians believe God is the ultimate scientist; and true science is the study of His creation and the laws He put in place to order them.

But an athiest, can't afford to include any sense of divinity or theory of spirituality in his explanation of anything. Even things he can't explain.

Yet they claim, we are the narrow-minded and they are the free-thinkers.

I remember, a documentary I watched on TV, about how scientists discovered unputrefied blood in the marrows of the bones of a dinosaur.

They immediately theorized and postulated that; "Maybe blood in marrows takes much longer to putrefy than originally thought."

Another scientist postulated that; Or maybe dinosaurs didn't live millions of years ago as we believed. Maybe they lived thousands of years ago as the Holy book claimed.

That theory was thrown out, immediately.

You can't claim to be a free-thinker, when you are not free to include divinity and spirituality in your possible theories and case scenarios; especially for things you can't explain yet

No offense, Religious folks have this uncanny ability to be both Closed and Open Minded all at the same time. It is a Miracle of Science

italo:


Bald people dont spend all their days attacking hair.

I KNOW you know or fear God exists, that's why you can't find rest.

You're always on God's case.

And do you know why bald people don't "attack" hair?....because bald people aren't shoved with hair loving fanatical group books who'd claim hair is necessary to have a good life and anyone without hair is sub-human...
You can keep making presuppositions about me being afraid of your fairy tale...It would only show that you aren't honest enough to bear the burden of proof....but rather have to lie to yourself to keep believing...

voltron:


No offense, Religious folks have this uncanny ability to be both Closed and Open Minded all at the same time. It is a Miracle of Science

They're not open, just well indoctrinated.

They accept some of the most farcical tales that the human mind can conjure yet close their eyes to numerous daily events that should cast doubt on said tales.

Maamin:


Wrong analogy

Its not surprising you don't understand...
Perhaps you are bald and found that analogy offensive..lol
Either way.....is the lack of hair in bald people,due to the fear of hair?

mmsen:


Enough for whom?

There may be a god so everyone should accept Catholic dogma?

The Muslims also claim that there is a god, what happens to their dogma?

How about the Jews?

But it was you who said 'God or gods may exist.'

Why are you then asking me what happens to these religions?

davien:
And do you know why bald people don't "attack" hair?....because bald people aren't shoved with hair loving fanatical group books who'd claim hair is necessary to have a good life and anyone without hair is sub-human...
You can keep making presuppositions about me being afraid of your fairy tale...It would only show that you aren't honest enough to bear the burden of proof....but rather have to lie to yourself to keep believing...

Go and sleep...nobody shoves anything on you.

You could be on nairaland talking about sports, science, politics or anything else...but you spend all your life talking about God.

italo:


But it was you who said 'God or gods may exist.'

Why are you then asking me what happens to these religions?

Because you are the one who claimed that the fact that a negative cannot be proven is 'enough'.

italo:


Go and sleep...nobody shoves anything on you.

You could be on nairaland talking about sports, science, politics or anything else...but you spend all your life talking about God.

So because I am active in discussing matters about religion on nairaland that means it's my total life I spend doing it....
I guess internet activity constitutes the sum of ones lifetime to you..

mmsen:


Because you are the one who claimed that the fact that a negative cannot be proven is 'enough'.

I dunno what you're talking about.

You said 'God may exist.'

I said 'that is enough.'

If you think it isnt enough, then please explain why you think there is a chance that God exists.

davien:
So because I am active in discussing matters about religion on nairaland that means it's my total life I spend doing it....
I guess internet activity constitutes the sum of ones lifetime to you..

We both know God fills your thoughts.

It's obvious. No need to be ashamed of it.

italo:
I dunno what you're talking about.

You said 'God may exist.'

I said 'that is enough.'

If you think it isnt enough, then please explain why you think there is a chance that God exists.

You said 'that is enough' without explaining what it is enough for.

I said 'may exist' because a negative cannot be proven.

I might be the Messiah. You might be the devil. Atlantis may have existed. The Loch Ness Monster might be a reality. They might all be true but are all unlikely - similarly Catholic dogma.

italo:


We both know God fills your thoughts.

It's obvious. No need to be ashamed of it.

And we both know the earth is flat too right