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New thought about Pascal's Wager

Dmitri Martila

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Pascal's Wager besides the known criticism in Wikipedia is the expression of hidden agnosticism: "Theists must have mind-less faith". Then the small step is needed, for the Europe become atheistic: the Pascal is very respected one. And now EU is over the head in atheism. The Pascal has here descended to the level of the "seeker" in desperate try to save one -- it failed: EU is in atheism now. Perhaps Pascal needed to stay above the sickness of rotting man.

Pascal's Wager can be corrected following way to meat the Jesus's intention of helping atheists: 1) God likes, if you get at least some knowledge about Him. 2) "God is existent" is knowledge, whereas "No God" is not the knowledge (but blind trust in death). 3) Therefore sin your brains out (if you want), but if you know something about God, you will be in better place inside the hell than all atheists.

Our freedom (ie, God's non-coercion) is not the absence of logical proofs of God. After all, I have such proofs (not to be envious, Blaise Pascal!). And the Christ's Cross and His Words and Deeds have conclusively proved. Our freedom is in the fact that we are free to think logically and to be sober, but are also free to be fools:

"The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.
" (Psalm 14:1 NIV)

POETRY:

The Blaise Pascal was saying, that
"The mind is only impotent.
One can decide believe in God,
But know for sure
Is over throat."
That's wrong idea of Theist!
The Jesus came to us, he missed.
I've kept my mind in serving God,
And no-one cut my singing throat:

(My Proofs of God. http://viXra.org/abs/1507.0114;
In God We Mind or Physical Considerations of Divine. http://vixra.org/abs/1507.0152;
Has the Joke "Spaghetti Monster" a Deeper Meaning for Atheism? http://vixra.org/abs/1509.0269;
Is Atheism Evil? http://vixra.org/abs/1510.0019)

The idol is denying God,
Read Martila's you special blog.
Therefore, the atheist is wrong.
He's simply pagan, sinful "blob".

In dialog:
My faith is not mindless one. Thanks for reply. Your clip against Pascal has the major flaw: there is single and easy step out of atheism: "God is real, however I do not know more about Him. I want to know. Let me ask Him and let me think and feel." (You will be in Eastern Orthodox Christianity). Point of video: "there are many false religions, so you will pick the wrong one in case you stop being atheist. Therefore, do no stop." It is flaw. The mixing the steps. First step is: "God is real". That is true information. Just keep it through all your life. Many false religions will not change this TRUE information. Guess what? You just stopped being atheist. Do not step back!!!

See as example: Bob doesn't believe in Obama, but wants to get published in Nature (without high power in connections it is 100 pro impossible). His first step out of delusion is getting into mind: "President of USA does exist!" The next steps include getting his address, email, Obama's character, etc in order to write him convincingly. Same is with God. I understand, what you are opposer to any theist, but please agree on this obvious thing.

Church Holy Fathers say, that in Paradise there is no faith: just knowledge. So we are moving from blind trust to knowledge.
All can be proved logically. And can not be unproved. See: because Jesus made impossible miracles, He is God. This is simplest proof of God, which can not be unproved. Next, Jesus loved the man, because He did only good. Therefore, Jesus has not lied. Jesus told us, that there is Holy Trinity. This is 100 pro certain proof, which can not be unproved.

She: "God is thought to be an entity with awareness, intelligence, personhood, and supernatural powers that is the sole creator and/or orderer of the natural universe. Jesus hasn't demonstrated anything, as far as I can tell, not even his own historical existence."

Girl, it is your opinion. Perhaps I have more deep one. 1) Because of Free Will, a theist influences the universe. That violates the energy conservation. Therefore, it is not surprising, if holy theist would bring something into existence (due to E=m). Therefore, as Bible say, "You are gods". The one, Who made first Free Will act "C" is the Father of the Free Will creatures. Indeed, without the C, there won't be us. Therefore: get to know the God. 2) Jesus was observed by direct witnesses: Judas, Peter, Maria, and many, many others, including the Rome authorities. Therefore, please explain your point.
 
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quatona

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Pascal's Wager besides the known criticism in Wikipedia is the expression of hidden agnosticism
As I read it, Pascal addresses presupposes agnosticism (and addresses it) in his wager. Else it wouldn´t make any sense at all.
So I think he shouldn´t be surprised to be criticized from that very angle.
 
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Dmitri Martila

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eudaimonia,
Mark
My faith is not mindless one. Thanks for reply. Your clip has the major flaw: there is single and easy step out of atheism: "God is real, however I do not know more about Him. I want to know. Let me ask Him and let me think and feel."
 
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Eudaimonist

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Your clip has the major flaw: there is single and easy step out of atheism: "God is real, however I do not know more about Him. I want to know. Let me ask Him and let me think and feel."

That's not a flaw.

It's a virtue to reject the mindless, which is what you are asking of atheists, though you apparently do not realize this. You are asking for non-rational sources of knowledge (subjective "asking"), but only reason and observation can generate knowledge.


eudaimonia,

Mark
 
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Dmitri Martila

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That's not a flaw.
Point of video: "there are many false religions, so you will pick the wrong one in case you stop being atheist. Therefore, do no stop." It is flaw. It mixing the steps. First step is: "God is real". That is true information. Just keep through all your life. Many false religions will not change this TRUE information. Guess what? You just stopped being atheist. Do not step back!!!
 
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2PhiloVoid

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Pascal's Wager besides the known criticism in Wikipedia is the expression of hidden agnosticism: "Theists must have mind-less faith".
Then the small step is needed, for the Europe become atheistic: the Pascal is very respected one. And now EU is over the head in atheism.

Our freedom (ie, God's non-coercion) is not the absence of logical proofs of God. After all, I have such proofs (not to be envious, Blaise Pascal!). And the Christ's Cross and His Words and Deeds have conclusively proved. Our freedom is in the fact that we are free to think logically and to be sober, but are also free to be fools:

"The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.
" (Psalm 14:1 NIV)

POETRY:

The Blaise Pascal was saying, that
"The mind is only impotent.
One can decide believe in God,
But know for sure
Is over throat."
That's wrong idea of Theist!
The Jesus came to us, he missed.
I've kept my mind in serving God,
And no-one cut my singing throat:

(My Proofs of God. http://viXra.org/abs/1507.0114;
In God We Mind or Physical Considerations of Divine. http://vixra.org/abs/1507.0152;
Has the Joke "Spaghetti Monster" a Deeper Meaning for Atheism? http://vixra.org/abs/1509.0269;
Is Atheism Evil? http://vixra.org/abs/1510.0019)

The idol is denying God,
Read Martila's you special blog.
Therefore, the atheist is wrong.
He's simply pagan, sinful "blob".

In dialog:
My faith is not mindless one. Thanks for reply. Your clip against Pascal has the major flaw: there is single and easy step out of atheism: "God is real, however I do not know more about Him. I want to know. Let me ask Him and let me think and feel." (You will be in Eastern Orthodox Christianity).

Brother Dmitri,

I would like to ask you a question, and I hope you don't perceive it as an offense: Have you read Pascal's Pensées, in which Pascal's Wager is actually found, or at the least, the 2nd series of his unclassified papers in which the Wager is articulated?

I ask because I so often see that persons with an opinion about the Wager come at it without having read the context. What Pascal says in connection with the Wager is, in my estimation, a reflection of what Paul the Apostle says in Colossians 2:5-10.

Pascal says in sum: So, after considering the evidences available for the plausibility of faith in Christ, do you still find it difficult to believe? Well then, consider this Wager. :cool:

2PhiloVoid
 
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Dmitri Martila

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So, after considering the evidences available for the plausibility of faith in Christ, do you still find it difficult to believe? Well then, consider this Wager. :cool:
Thanks for the Bible link, brother.

The Pascal has here descended to the level of the "seeker" in desperate try to save one -- it failed: EU is in atheism now. Perhaps Pascal needed to stay above the sickness of rotting man.
 
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bhsmte

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My faith is not mindless one. Thanks for reply. Your clip has the major flaw: there is single and easy step out of atheism: "God is real, however I do not know more about Him. I want to know. Let me ask Him and let me think and feel."

Sure, if one believes God to be real, they wouldn't be an atheist.

Now, some people can't reconcile a God is real, while viewing the well evidenced realities of the world and they don't do well at pretending he is real. It would also appear, there has been a trend of more people the world over, coming to this conclusion.
 
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bhsmte

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Point of video: "there are many false religions, so you will pick the wrong one in case you stop being atheist. Therefore, do no stop." It is flaw. It mixing the steps. First step is: "God is real". That is true information. Just keep through all your life. Many false religions will not change this TRUE information. Guess what? You just stopped being atheist. Do not step back!!!

What evidence do you use, to determine if a religion is false?
 
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2PhiloVoid

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Thanks for the Bible link, brother.

The Pascal has here descended to the level of the "seeker" in desperate try to save one -- it failed: EU is in atheism now. Perhaps Pascal needed to stay above the sickness of rotting man.

Hello Dmitri,

Yes, I understand that Europe is permeated to some extent with atheism, but I don't think it is due to Pascal; maybe due more to the philosophers Descartes, Spinoza, and Hume, among others, but not Pascal.

If one reads much of Pascal, I think the reader will come away with an impression that Pascal believed firmly in God's Providence and His Sovereignty over our lives and faith, and also that our faith isn't completely dependent on our use of reason. Obviously, reason does have a moderate role to play in the development of Christian faith, but, as Paul said, our faith is not 'based' on the philosophical ideas which often are used as axioms. Rather, our faith comes primarily through both the testimony of Jesus' Church, and the Sovereign work of the HOLY SPIRIT.

If you disagree, that is ok. I do understand that you want us to be very careful in not allowing the ideas of the world, or even a misconstrual of Pascal, to undermine our faith in Christ as Savior. Thank you for sharing that concern, brother! :)

Peace
2PhiloVoid
 
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Eudaimonist

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Point of video: "there are many false religions, so you will pick the wrong one in case you stop being atheist. Therefore, do no stop." It is flaw. It mixing the steps.

The video is a response to Pascal's Wager. It isn't about what you personally think people should do.

First step is: "God is real".

No, that is the last step, at best. Placing it first is irrational. That's like saying: "First step is: Flying Spaghetti Monster is real."

That is true information.

Well, no. It is false information.

Many false religions will not change this TRUE information.

I agree. All religions are false, and none of them will change the true information that we live in a godless universe.

Guess what? You just stopped being a theist. Do not step back!!!


eudaimonia,

Mark
 
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Dmitri Martila

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No, that is the last step, at best. Placing it first is irrational. That's like saying: "First step is: Flying Spaghetti Monster is real."
No, sister in Adam, that is not correct. See as example: Bob doesn't believe in Obama, but wants to get published in Nature (without high power in connections it is 100 pro impossible). His first step out of delusion is getting into mind: "President of USA does exist!" The next steps include getting his address, email, Obama's character, etc in order to write him convincingly. Same is with God. I understand, what you are opposer to any theist, but please agree on this obvious thing.
 
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Dmitri Martila

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Hello Dmitri,
Peace
All can be proved logically. And can not be unproved. See: because Jesus made impossible miracles, He is God. This is simplest proof of God, which can not be unproved. Next, Jesus loved the man, because He did only good. Therefore, Jesus has not lied. Jesus told us, that there is Holy Trinity. This is 100 pro certain proof, which can not be unproved.
 
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bhsmte

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No, sister in Adam, that is not correct. See as example: Bob doesn't believe in Obama, but wants to get published in Nature (without high power in connections it is 100 pro impossible). His first step out of delusion is getting into mind: "President of USA does exist!" The next steps include getting his address, email, Obama's character, etc in order to write him convincingly. Same is with God. I understand, what you are opposer to any theist, but please agree on this obvious thing.

If God was obvious, it wouldn't require faith to believe.
 
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Eudaimonist

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All can be proved logically. And can not be unproved. See: because Jesus made impossible miracles, He is God. This is simplest proof of God, which can not be unproved. Next, Jesus loved the man, because He did only good. Therefore, Jesus has not lied. Jesus told us, that there is Holy Trinity. This is 100 pro certain proof, which can not be unproved.

There is no good evidence that Jesus performed miracles, and very little reason to think that he was even a genuine historical figure.


100% certain proof? Far from it. Even expert historians who accept the idea that there was an historical Jesus would generally not claim anything like that.


eudaimonia,

Mark
 
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Gene2memE

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All can be proved logically. And can not be unproved. See: because Jesus made impossible miracles, He is God. This is simplest proof of God, which can not be unproved. Next, Jesus loved the man, because He did only good. Therefore, Jesus has not lied. Jesus told us, that there is Holy Trinity. This is 100 pro certain proof, which can not be unproved.

Cart before the horse there. I consider the Biblical accounts of miracles as claims that require verification, not as evidence of the veracity of the accounts.

The claims are essentially unverifiable. There is no corroborating evidence for them, and strictly limited corroborating evidence against them (accounts of the dead of Jerusalem returning to life around 30-40 AD and periods of supernatural darkness are notable by their absence).
 
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Eudaimonist

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All can be proved logically. And can not be unproved. See: because Jesus made impossible miracles, He is God. This is simplest proof of God, which can not be unproved. Next, Jesus loved the man, because He did only good. Therefore, Jesus has not lied. Jesus told us, that there is Holy Trinity. This is 100 pro certain proof, which can not be unproved.

That is poor logic.

Even if Jesus did perform "miracles", that doesn't prove that he is God. He could be only one god out of many, or only an angel (or devil), or some other supernatural entity. He could also be a high tech space alien, or a time traveller, or a human with extraordinary powers. There are many possibilities there.

As for being loving, it is possible to lie to someone out of love. If one's goal is inner peace, there are many lies that one might tell not to disturb that peace.

Plus, Jesus could be honest but simply mistaken in some views. Perhaps he honestly believed in a Holy Spirit that is divine, but he misunderstood something about his own nature and drew the wrong conclusion.

If you are basing your "100% certain proof" on that sort of reasoning, I can reject it immediately on logical grounds.


eudaimonia,

Mark
 
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