Pascal’s Wager
Squared
Once upon a time an Atheist said, “I know God does not
exist.”
A voice from Heaven said, “Oh, really?”
The Atheist jumped straight up.
His friend, an Agnostic, said, “I do not know if God
exists.”
A voice from Heaven said, “Hello!”
The Agnostic smiled.
Later the Atheist became a Dogmatist, and the Agnostic a Mystic.
The Dogmatist said, “I understand God.”
A voice from Heaven said, “Oh, really?”
The Dogmatist jumped straight up.
The Mystic said, “I love God.”
A voice from Heaven said, “Hello!”
The Mystic smiled.
Moral: Bet that you might be wrong.
Comment:
Both
atheist and agnostic were surprised, though the agnostic more pleasantly. If
God does not exist, then there is no difference between atheism and
agnosticism; but if God does exist, then agnosticism is better. Therefore, by
this version of Pascal’s Wager, agnosticism is better than atheism.
Both dogmatist and mystic were also surprised, though the
mystic more pleasantly. If God does not exist, then there is no difference
between dogma and worship, but if God does exist, then worship is better. Therefore,
by this version of Pascal’s Wager, worship is better than dogma.
In both cases the error was certainty. Therefore I propose Hellerstein’s Wager:
Bet that you might be
wrong.
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