Pascal's Wager Revisited

[Bad Wolf]

Dignity? According to you we are born sick and evil and then commanded to be better. There is no dignity to life with people like you throwing around bullshit like that. Being of the same species as you makes me embarrased.

[Ravenshire]

The demands of being fit to enjoy eternal life, the state of your self and your actions that soul-make you into a member of the kingdom of God, exceed the demands of a good temporal life that pays no heed to the somewhat more remote future.

As a result, the preparation for eternal life must be to that extent more grueling.

You keep going on and on about an eternal afterlife. Here's a more realistic look at what an eternal afterlife would be like:

Besides, if the eternal afterlife is so much better than this life, why aren't you in a hurry to get there?

[Iroscato]

And yet, the question remains...what if you are wrong? You will have wasted all that effort and time for nothing, when you could have been focused on making the real world a better place both for you and others.

The dignity of a life enlightened by religion is higher than that of an atheist life; however, attaining that dignity indeed takes time and effort, and an atheist is unable even to recognize that his life is subpar. His higher faculties are dulled by the very self-contempt that you have amply demonstrated here in the discussion of differences between man and animals above. His incentives toward "making the real world a better place both for him and others" are negated by his own understanding of the "world," "himself," and "others" as hopelessly transient.

How would you know? You ever been an atheist before? I've been a christian before. Then I turned 11 and realised it was nonsense.

Provide evidence you have a more dignified life than I do.
Provide evidence that the atheist life is 'subpar'.
Provide evidence we have any kind of 'higher faculties' of which you speak, and that ours are somehow dulled.
Provide evidence that we are really that seperate from the animals.
Provide evidence that our incentives are negated by our understanding of the world and our place in it.

Do all of this, and you might just move me a little, at least away from thinking you and other like you have absolutely no grip on cold, hard reality

[Jenny A]

The dignity of a life enlightened by religion is higher than that of an atheist life; however, attaining that dignity indeed takes time and effort, and an atheist is unable even to recognize that his life is subpar. His higher faculties are dulled by the very self-contempt that you have amply demonstrated here in the discussion of differences between man and animals above. His incentives toward "making the real world a better place both for him and others" are negated by his own understanding of the "world," "himself," and "others" as hopelessly transient.

In what way does believing without evidence dignify anyone? 

And in what way do you think that admitting other animals even approach your own level of intellect and empathy cause a life to be subpar?  The need to downgrade others in order to feel better about oneself is the hallmark of a subpar life.  That's one of the many reasons we abhor racists. 

And why would any effort to make this world or oneself better be negated by an understanding that this world is transient?  It is those who neglect this world in favor of a possible afterlife that are dangerously deluded.

[Ravenshire]

The dignity of a life enlightened by religion is higher than that of an atheist life; however, attaining that dignity indeed takes time and effort, and an atheist is unable even to recognize that his life is subpar. His higher faculties are dulled by the very self-contempt that you have amply demonstrated here in the discussion of differences between man and animals above. His incentives toward "making the real world a better place both for him and others" are negated by his own understanding of the "world," "himself," and "others" as hopelessly transient.

In what way does believing without evidence dignify anyone? 

And in what way do you think that admitting other animals even approach your own level of intellect and empathy cause a life to be subpar?  The need to downgrade others in order to feel better about oneself is the hallmark of a subpar life.  That's one of the many reasons we abhor racists. 

And why would any effort to make this world or oneself better be negated by an understanding that this world is transient?  It is those who neglect this world in favor of a possible afterlife that are dangerously deluded.

(emphasis is mine)

It's also the hallmark of many an American christer.

[datc]

Dignity? According to you we are born sick and evil and then commanded to be better.

What people are definitely born as is stupid, including "agnostic atheist," as in babies indeed lack the belief that God exists or not, and babies do not live their lives worrying about eternal life or God, and then, as they grow up, they wise up, some more than others.

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Besides, if the eternal afterlife is so much better than this life, why aren't you in a hurry to get there?

Because the temporal life is important both (a) as an end in itself and (b) as a means of preparation for eternal life. Regarding (b), most of us aren't yet ready for it; to the extent that some saints are, (a) still remains; moreover, end of life for humans comes fast enough not to worry about any delay.

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Provide evidence that our incentives are negated by our understanding of the world and our place in it.

Again, fear is of a future evil; hope is for future good; perception of a greater future good kindles greater future hopes; hopes is a virtue that helps one persevere during the arduous and costly task of attaining future expected utility; if a "better place both for you and others" is transient, then this place's desirability in your own estimation is to that extent reduced; which makes it less sensible for you to make the efforts to achieve it.

---

And in what way do you think that admitting other animals even approach your own level of intellect and empathy cause a life to be subpar?  The need to downgrade others in order to feel better about oneself is the hallmark of a subpar life.

I'm not downgrading animals; I am upgrading humans to where they already are.

And why would any effort to make this world or oneself better be negated by an understanding that this world is transient?  It is those who neglect this world in favor of a possible afterlife that are dangerously deluded.

Because making yourself or another happy for eternity feels more valuable that for a finite number of years.

[The Grand Nudger]

We honor our human creative geniuses, such as by giving them Nobel prizes;

We also discuss their failings, their misdeeds, their mistakes.  Nobel was a weapons manufacturer, for example.  The prizes were initially (so the story is told) a way to diminish personal regret.   

Do you really want to consider a god as you consider a man....have you thought this through?

[Iroscato]

Again, fear is of a future evil; hope is for future good; perception of a greater future good kindles greater future hopes; hopes is a virtue that helps one persevere during the arduous and costly task of attaining future expected utility; if a "better place both for you and others" is transient, then this place's desirability in your own estimation is to that extent reduced; which makes it less sensible for you to make the efforts to achieve it.

Bullshit. Complete bullshit.
The very knowledge that this is all there is is what helps sustain me, because I realise that this fleeting life, in its wonder and its mystery, are all I will ever have the chance to experience. It motivates me to leave a respectable legacy, and enjoy every last minute of it as richly as I can. Do I always succeed in my endeavors? Nope, but overall I enjoy this life, I enjoy the company of loved ones, and right now I'm rather enjoying sitting here with a cup of tea and kicking your arse
You wanna know what the purpose of life is? You want to find out what the big mystery behind it all is?
Fucking. Rutting, shagging, reproducing, sexy times, propagation of unique genetic material. That is the reason life exists - to sustain and replicate itself. From a coldly logical look at it, we exist only as vessels to carry DNA. And yet, when we're not distracted by our urge to get our collective ends away, we have accomplished wonders. We have looked at and created maps of the large-scale universe. We have split the atom, walked on the moon, sent probes beyond our solar system, created supersonic aircraft and instantaneous global communication, listened to the heartbeat of the sun and devised ways of creating unlimited clean energy.
This is as close to a religion as I get, as you can see by 'religious views' on my profile. I believe in humanity; our power, our potential, our will to do good and see it through.
In many ways, we are nothing special. And yet, in other ways, we truly are.

[Minimalist]

and then a shark bites off your head. In your opinion, is that f***ing all?

Yep.  Your head ends up as shark shit.  Be happy.  You have a great start towards that goal.

[Iroscato]

and then a shark bites off your head. In your opinion, is that f***ing all?

Yep.  Your head ends up as shark shit.  Be happy.  You have a great start towards that goal.

That absolutely fucking killed me. A +1 is coming your way, brace yerself!