Comments on: What If You’re Wrong?

By: toomanytribbles

toomanytribbles — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 09:38:53 +0000

i’m repeatedly amazed how easily people are willing to squander their time, resources — their entire lives — on the wholly unfounded idea that there may be some kind of god, living the only time they’ll ever have, impoverished of quality and wonder, expecting so little of themselves and of their lives.

ultimately, they’re throwing themselves away.

By: Auriel

Auriel — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 07:46:43 +0000

All this stuff about the quote… yeesh. It’s a straw-man argument. It has nothing to do with the real argument overall…

By: mkvf

mkvf — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 05:52:52 +0000

I’ve been listening to a jolly, bouncy, Jeffrey Lewis track (”Whistle past the graveyard”) today that has a nice answer to Pascal

Some say that life is empty, some say its meaningless
And some say it isn’t such a bad thing if it is
and some say im wrong and that i’ll go to hell
But i’d be happy just knowing that there was a point so its just aswell
some people assume that youll suffer there, they just think you’re selfish
if i was in hell id be glad knowing that other people are in heaven
it’d make it not so hellish

More lyrics
http://tinyurl.com/82jc8f

Radio session, with this at track 4: http://cloakanddaggermedia.com/radio/2007/04/sessions-jeffrey-lewis.html

I’d wildly speculate that a lot of religious belief is inspired by egoism, and to be happy to present itself as the selfish person’s choice. Atheists are far more likely to give a crap about other people and to be happy just to see others happy.

By: Spencer

Spencer — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 01:08:54 +0000

Are you sure it’s an adjective, because to me that would seem to imply that it is a tree which fucks. That is to say; apple tree:apple::fucking tree:?

I think the more significant thing to take away from the parable is that a hungry Jesus, faced with a barren tree, chose to use his magic powers to make the tree perennially barren, rather than making it sprout fruit that he could eat. That’s some delicious fucking rationality right there.

By: Ziztur

Ziztur — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 19:55:20 +0000

I am reminded of Ray Comfort’s silly blog called “Atheist Central” which has on the right hand side a tongue-in-cheek guide for “beginner atheists”. Number 3 is:

“…When you hear that you have everything to gain and nothing to lose (the pleasures of Heaven, and the endurance of Hell) by obeying the Gospel, say ‘”That’s just the old ‘Pascal wager.’”…”

We are dismissive because Pascal’s Wager is so thoroughly and easily debunked.

By: Ziztur

Ziztur — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 19:07:07 +0000

But Mark didn’t make the fucking tree shrivel. It was Jesus. It seems to be an act used to say that you will get what you pray for if you believe.

You’ll have to explain why this is an analogy regarding the Jewish Nation, because I don’t see it. Unless you mean that it is an analogy that the Jewish people can do anything if they have faith and do not doubt.

By: saintgasoline

saintgasoline — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 00:12:46 +0000

CAnn, the word “fucking” is being used as an adjective, not a verb, in the sentence you speak of.

“…commanding the murder of infants, pregnant women, children (1 Samuel 15:3), and fucking trees (Matthew 21:19).”

As you can see, because there is no conjunction “and” preceding the word “children”, “fucking trees” is a phrase that continues the series listing off the things that God has commanded to be murdered. Had I said, “commanding the murder of infants, pregnant women, AND children, and fucking trees,” then the use of “fucking” would seem to be taking a verb form. “Fucking” is just one of those tremendously versatile words that you have to be careful about when reading!

So it is safe to say that though God is quite content with murdering trees and people alike, he at least has the decency not to force people to make love to them. I’ll give God one gold star for that good deed.

By: CAnn

CAnn — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 21:17:16 +0000

However I went back and re-read your blog…and in the stance that I misunderstood your reasoning I will admit the possibility. If in fact you speak of “fucking” as screwing over and what did that tree ever do to you, I concer that it is a bit extreme. However I also need to state here that this story as others in the Bible are nothing more than analogies used to represent other, more important matters.

By: CAnn

CAnn — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 21:13:57 +0000

Just to specify Matthew 19:21 says nothing about fucking trees. It is an analogy regarding the Jewish Nation and it states only that Mark came upon a fig tree along side the road and that it was barren save for leaves. Because of this and the fact that he was probably hungry, he cursed it to remain as such forever. The following day said fig tree was dried and whithered. I am all for people and their possibilities. Just keep in mind that in order to successfully argue a point one needs to be up close and personal with the opposing one.

By: misanthrpope

misanthrpope — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 20:34:47 +0000

pascal’s wager fails most obviously, for the same reason as aquintas’s most celebrated “proof”: it can be applied basically everywhere with equal validity, and doing so produces absurdity.

consider the small possibility that there is a bomb in your toaster. or anthrax in your flour! or a psycho with a knife hiding in your shower!

blaise pascal is one of the most overrated intellects in human history. he was not much for math, and his philosophy was good for nothing but providing voltaire with a target.

yahweh is less plausible than the tooth fairy. nobody believes that crap, and only the most odious of liars pretend to.