tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7190064520141500485.post5534313143435552453..comments2023-07-26T04:20:20.358-07:00Comments on Saint Cynic: Pascal's Wager: RejectedAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17771674447306246398noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7190064520141500485.post-88651999815887781622010-06-26T05:41:39.798-07:002010-06-26T05:41:39.798-07:00There's a sense I which I can't just *deci...There's a sense I which I can't just *decide* to believe something, right?<br /><br />I didn't *decide* to believe in the computer I'm typing on. It's just totally obvious - I take it for granted.<br /><br />And no matter how hard I might try, I simply cannot believe the computer is made of cheese and lined with a secret layer of diamonds.<br /><br />Suppose someone told me that if I do start believing the computer *is* made of cheese, I'll be awarded a 25 million dollar prize.<br /><br />That's pretty tempting, but, as far as I can tell, I could never win that prize. (Perhaps some "advanced interrogation techniques" might cause me to believe it, but short of that, what could?)<br /><br />Remember, I'm not talking about *saying* I believe it, or *acting-just-as-if* I believe it. I'm talking about genuinely believing my computer is made of cheese.<br /><br />If Pascal's Wager invites me to "believe in God" by a sheer act of the will, I say it doesn't make sense. I can't just decide to do it - that's not how belief works!<br /><br />Still, there's evidence (as I recall) that this isn't what Pascal meant. <br /><br />I seem to recall that, after agreeing that it's in our rational self-interest to believe in God, Pascal would have us do things like "take holy water" and "attend masses" (pretty much a direct quotes, if my memory serves me well) and read up on theology. <br /><br />After doing these sorts of things, I might well find that it does seem to me that God *is* reconciling the world to himself in Christ (or something of the like). <br /><br />I *can* choose to venture out on what seems true, and so in that sense I *can* choose to believe.<br /><br />I suppose this is similar to the way I *can* choose whether or not to believe in specific news report about the G 20 meetings in Toronto. <br /><br />I can't just decide to believe (out of the blue) that there'll be (let's say) 5000 extra police officers under the charge of Harry Smith. But I can decide to believe it if I'm presented with a news report about this that make it seem true to me.<br /><br />So, I guess I take the wager to be aimed at people who lack any curiousity towards what the Church is on about. In some sense, so it goes, it's in your rational self-interest to check it out and to put yourself in a good position to see if belief "takes", so to speak.<br /><br />I wonder how revisionist my reading is? Haven't read the actual text in years..https://www.blogger.com/profile/01612563903678212286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7190064520141500485.post-59607018209717889402010-06-26T05:37:44.043-07:002010-06-26T05:37:44.043-07:00This comment has been removed by the author..https://www.blogger.com/profile/01612563903678212286noreply@blogger.com