Matt Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 From Richard Wiseman's blog: http://richardwiseman.wordpress.com/ Yesterday we were chatting and he suggested that despite their apparent doubt about the supernatural, skeptics, agnostics, humanists and atheists would be reluctant to make a pact with the devil. I immediately thought ‘blog post’! Are you prepared to make a pact with the devil? If you are up for it, please cut and paste the following sentence into the comments box, and add your first name…. “I agree that upon my death the devil can have my soul for eternal damnation” Then describe how you feel doing that. Alternatively, say why you are not prepared to make the pact. It seems that even the most rational of people have a certain "unease" about doing this... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ackey Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 It seems that even the most rational of people have a certain "unease" about doing this... As you know, I'm a massive sceptic, but I have to admit even I feel apprehensive about saying something like that. I accept it's totally irrational, I don't fear real-world consequences, I guess it's just the instinct instilled in me from growing up in a Christian society. A very, very interesting debate point though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeslover Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 It’s sort of the other side of the Pascal’s wager – the theory that it makes sense to believe in God just in case he turns out to exist. Likewise, even the committed atheist can’t help but think about how stupid he is going to feel when he dies and finds himself in Ibrox with horned devils pocking him with tridents. I did manage to find one man willing to take the chance though, although His infernal powers stop me adding it as an image link. http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=h...sa%3DN%26um%3D1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ackey Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 It's sort of the other side of the Pascal's wager – the theory that it makes sense to believe in God just in case he turns out to exist. The thing that always made me laugh about this was, what if you picked the wrong God? Assuming, which I don't, that there is a God and you worship the 'wrong' one, is this not likely to irk 'Him' more than simply living the life of a sceptic? Thus, with such a plethora of Gods to choose from simply remaining sceptical makes the logical sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeslover Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 The thing that always made me laugh about this was, what if you picked the wrong God? Assuming, which I don't, that there is a God and you worship the 'wrong' one, is this not likely to irk 'Him' more than simply living the life of a sceptic? Thus, with such a plethora of Gods to choose from simply remaining sceptical makes the logical sense. I think I recall an bit in the Simpsons where a deceased Ned Flanders finds out that the Jehovah's Witnesses were right. Gutted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stitch_KTF Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 If, when I die, it turns out that 'God' is real then he'll be too busy answering my questions to ask me any of his own. The inconsiderate..... As for the devil, well, seeing as I'm the man that even he idolises I wouldn't be too worried about making a silly pact. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garcon Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 I think my main concern would be the horrible possibility of coming back as Alan's breakfast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beag_teeets Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 If "Heaven" is full of good, clean living and god-bothering people I'd rather go to hell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garcon Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 Even if hell is losing 5-0 at Tranmere on a January Tuesday night, again and again and again and again for eternity...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thelaticsfan Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 The thing that always made me laugh about this was, what if you picked the wrong God? Assuming, which I don't, that there is a God and you worship the 'wrong' one, is this not likely to irk 'Him' more than simply living the life of a sceptic? Thus, with such a plethora of Gods to choose from simply remaining sceptical makes the logical sense. all you can really do is live a good life, if god doesnt exist then o well, you can die with dignity, if god does exist surely god wont say "youve been a decent loving well mannered person throughout your life, but because you didnt know which faith is the correct one your going to be sent to eternal damnation" best thing to do like i said live a good life and have faith that there is something on the other end, then surely you cant go wrong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zorrro Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 Even if hell is losing 5-0 at Tranmere on a January Tuesday night, again and again and again and again for eternity...? The road to paradiso must pass through the inferno/I came seeking purgatorio/But I know... I know... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ackey Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 all you can really do is live a good life, if god doesnt exist then o well, you can die with dignity, if god does exist surely god wont say "youve been a decent loving well mannered person throughout your life, but because you didnt know which faith is the correct one your going to be sent to eternal damnation" best thing to do like i said live a good life and have faith that there is something on the other end, then surely you cant go wrong I agree entirely about living a good life, but for me when you die - you die. The human need to believe in a higher place, a grand scheme, is one I don't suffer from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opinions4u Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 I am indeciseively agnostic on the whole issue. Or is to be agnostic completely decisive and rational? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ackey Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 I am indeciseively agnostic on the whole issue. Or is to be agnostic completely decisive and rational? This is a fun one... to be agnostic or atheist? The standard approach is that an agnostic would believe if there was evidence whilst an atheist is set that no evidence could ever be produced, no matter how much time was given over to searching for it. I'm of a slightly different opinion; I'm an atheist because no matter how powerful a being may prove to be, even one that is capable of universal creation and omnipotence, I would never consider it worthy of my blind faith and admiration. So whilst 'agnostically' I would accept that there is a minuscule chance of an omnipotent being being possible I would never worship it. As a result, even if it were one day proven that there is one true God I may believe in its existence but I would not believe in the theology attached to it. No dogma will ever be accepted by me. Thus I'm an atheist. An anti-theology-ist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bring Back Ronnie Moore Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 Pat Condell will do it: http://www.youtube.com/user/patcondell#p/u/61/V8PCecgWKeI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thelaticsfan Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 I agree entirely about living a good life, but for me when you die - you die. The human need to believe in a higher place, a grand scheme, is one I don't suffer from. I believe when you die you die aswell, but no harm in livin a good life and being on safe side! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted February 3, 2010 Author Share Posted February 3, 2010 If "Heaven" is full of good, clean living and god-bothering people I'd rather go to hell. Bill Hicks said something similar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeslover Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 This is a fun one... to be agnostic or atheist? The standard approach is that an agnostic would believe if there was evidence whilst an atheist is set that no evidence could ever be produced, no matter how much time was given over to searching for it. I'm of a slightly different opinion; I'm an atheist because no matter how powerful a being may prove to be, even one that is capable of universal creation and omnipotence, I would never consider it worthy of my blind faith and admiration. So whilst 'agnostically' I would accept that there is a minuscule chance of an omnipotent being being possible I would never worship it. As a result, even if it were one day proven that there is one true God I may believe in its existence but I would not believe in the theology attached to it. No dogma will ever be accepted by me. Thus I'm an atheist. An anti-theology-ist. Ypu're barking up the wrong tree there Mr Ackey, you don't have to worship or have any time for God or a church to stop being an atheist, you simply have to be convinced he doesn't exist. Satanists for example are certainly not atheists. If it turns out that he does and you decide to pretend that he doesn't because you don't respect Him and His works, then you are frankly a fool. Being really strict with the meaning, I am an agnostic, but I object to there being a particular epistemological term for scepticism in one area of knowledge. There is no word for, "I will believe it when I see it," for fairies at the bottom of the garden, so I prefer to declare myself Atheist (Roman Catholic) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted February 4, 2010 Author Share Posted February 4, 2010 I'm agnostic, in a house full of Catholics - and we all do what Catholics do for the kids and the school. So that pretty much makes me a Catholic. But I'm agnostic. Yeah, I don't know either... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie_J Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 If "Heaven" is full of good, clean living and god-bothering people I'd rather go to hell. Amen, brother. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garcon Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 I'm agnostic, in a house full of Catholics - and we all do what Catholics do for the kids and the school. So that pretty much makes me a Catholic. But I'm agnostic. Yeah, I don't know either... That reminds me of Dara O'Briain. "I'm an atheist, but I'm a good Catholic atheist." I was agnostic for many years, but realised that was basically just a cop out. I'm a confirmed, scientific atheist now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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