Re: Pascal's Wager

Max More (max@maxmore.com)
Mon, 07 Dec 1998 17:30:37 -0800

At 03:46 PM 12/7/98 -0500, you wrote:
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>Charlie Stross <charlie@antipope.org>
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> >Pascal's Wager has never made sense to me.
>
> Nor to me, it is based on two assumptions:
>1) God rewards virtuous behavior.
>2) Faith is virtuous.

It also depends on the choice being between only believing in God and not believing. But if there is a god, but you believe in another one, if the true god is jealous he/she/it might just fry you anyway.

Yet another problem with Pascal's Wager: It may not be possible to choose to believe when you know the evidence does not support that belief. Obviously for most people that doesn't seem much of an obstacle, but it would be for some of us...

Max



Max More, Ph.D.
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