I'd like to pose a question.

You refer to the choice between atheism and belief as a wager, where on one side one has everything to gain, and on the other one has everything to lose.

But isn't the act of believing in God solely for one's own purposes (IE: the benefit of one's purportedly immortal soul), rather selfish? It doesn't matter whether it's the fear of hell or the desire for heaven that leads you to your belief. If you look at it as a bet, a wager, you're always looking at what is to be gained and lost for you.

And what if someone uses rational thinking to compare atheism and belief, and decides... "Well, maybe it's so. Maybe if I believe in a higher power, I will have more to gain than if I didn't." Then what? They might try to believe, though perhaps other rational thoughts may contradict this new line of thinking. But the very act of trying, all other goals regarding gain and loss aside, implies insincerity. If you try to love someone, do you really love them? If you try to believe, do you really believe? And even when you believe, there is always doubt, because belief is not the same thing as knowledge.

Can you choose to love God? Is it really that easy? Remember, the very act of trying implies failure. Likewise, should morals be a means to an end? Or should they flow naturally, incidental to your love for God?
afghooey Reviewed by afghooey on . How were you created? How Rating: 5