But, fundamentally, this whole deal with the “infinite value” of heaven and hell, is just a threat. It’s your pimp saying “Obey me, and you get money and comfort. Don’t, and I break all your bones and destroy you. Nothing else in your life matters, due to the absolute power I have over you”.
There’s nothing more to this argument. It’s just taking a carrot-and-stick threat at face value.
EXCEPT your pimp can plausibly offer you literal eternal bliss.
This whole conversation has been done before.
Yup, just like the “oh you better have chosen the right God!” I think every ten year old has that thought and figured they’ve got religion on the ropes.
It’s probably one of those irreconcilable arguments. If a God exists etc, then yeah, you can absolutely see a system of infinite reward/punishment. If no God exists, yeah, you can easily see a system enacted to control the masses.
I know which I think is more likely but I also know that anyone completely dismissing the other side without qualification probably hasn’t thought it through with a mind willing to question their own beliefs.
Yeah, I was trying to joke about this a bit, but in all honesty, I just find this specific argument for belief to be basically Stockholm syndrome.
First things first, it’s a really old argument. It’s called Pascal’s Wager, and the little joke I tried to make was about a criticism of it, called “argument from inconsistent revelations”. This whole conversation has been done before. (This goes to OP about this, as well @MyBrainHurts@piefed.ca)
But, fundamentally, this whole deal with the “infinite value” of heaven and hell, is just a threat. It’s your pimp saying “Obey me, and you get money and comfort. Don’t, and I break all your bones and destroy you. Nothing else in your life matters, due to the absolute power I have over you”.
There’s nothing more to this argument. It’s just taking a carrot-and-stick threat at face value.
EXCEPT your pimp can plausibly offer you literal eternal bliss.
Yup, just like the “oh you better have chosen the right God!” I think every ten year old has that thought and figured they’ve got religion on the ropes.
It’s probably one of those irreconcilable arguments. If a God exists etc, then yeah, you can absolutely see a system of infinite reward/punishment. If no God exists, yeah, you can easily see a system enacted to control the masses.
I know which I think is more likely but I also know that anyone completely dismissing the other side without qualification probably hasn’t thought it through with a mind willing to question their own beliefs.