Pascal's Wager

lowlyservant · #1 18-03-2018, 06:25 PM

"Belief is a wise wager. Granted that faith cannot be proved, what harm will come to you if you gamble on its truth and it proves false? If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation, that He exists."

Nowayout · #2 18-03-2018, 06:31 PM

Faith opens hidden doors
There is what Jesus illuminates
Unlocks the paradoxes of mind
Grace comes to verify His light
The light that your faith opened
Now you're in the know
From the heart of the Holy Spirit
What fools do not know
Your faith in Jesus has saved you..

For those in the know...

sky · #3 18-03-2018, 08:20 PM

' It seems focused on a risk/reward outlook, which is not consistent to a true saving faith relationship in Christ. Jesus placed obedience to His commands as an evidence of love for Christ (John 14:23). According to Pascal's Wager, one is choosing to believe and obey God on the basis of receiving heaven as a reward. This is not to diminish the fact that heaven is a reward and that it is something we should hope for and desire. But if our obedience is solely, or primarily, motivated by wanting to get into heaven and avoid hell, then faith and obedience become a means of achieving what we want rather than the result of a heart that has been reborn in Christ and expresses faith and obedience out of love of Christ '

Not as good as it seems when you think about it, mybe in the 17th Century it was useful.

sky · #4 18-03-2018, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lowlyservant

"Belief is a wise wager. Granted that faith cannot be proved, what harm will come to you if you gamble on its truth and it proves false? If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation, that He exists."

You can't trick God

by tricking yourself.

Nowayout · #5 19-03-2018, 12:46 AM

Faith can be proven, that's the miracle of Jesus.

You will see in this life, from within you, by faith, you are truly a Child of the one God.

Everone outside of the box, you have no faith but the inner workings of the heart are always true.

What will become of you, God is merciful, great, and works within all hearts true to the Love the Christ revealed to the world and you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYuIc_4NXJ0

Jesus might have enjoyed this little relick...

lowlyservant · #6 19-03-2018, 03:20 PM

I saw Jesus when I was nine years old. I also know that there are ways of proving God's existence. I just posted Pascal's Wager as a little nudge toward Christianity for those sitting on the fence. Every little bit helps. And I figured it couldn't hurt.

rstrats · #7 29-04-2018, 12:07 PM

The Wager is flawed right from the start since it is based on the notion that beliefs can be consciously chosen and of course that is not possible.

davidmartin · #8 30-04-2018, 12:11 PM

rstats, beliefs can be explored

rstrats · #9 30-04-2018, 12:15 PM

davidmartin,
re: "...beliefs can be explored."

Can you give an example?

davidmartin · #10 30-04-2018, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rstrats

davidmartin,
re: "...beliefs can be explored."

Can you give an example?

I just meant you can analyse beliefs and see whether they have any substance behind them, and this helps decide what you yourself believe or don't about anything in particular
I personally came to beliefs through thinking about what might be true or not, or hearing something that seemed to resonate with truth.
we get to figure out what kind of creatures we are and all of that