Pendragon: Pascal's Wager, Part 2

It's Bullshit

Here's what's wrong with Pascal's Wager:

1. It makes the false assumption that there is only one possible true religion, i.e., Christianity. The "wager" implies that either (1) Christianity is valid or (2) there is nothing supernatural, no afterlife, and no (true) religious system at all. In other words, THERE ARE ONLY TWO POSSIBILITIES.

Isn't there a THIRD third possibility ... that some OTHER religious system is valid? Islam? Wicca? Buddhism?

That's a rather frightening possibility not contemplated by Pascal's Wager: that accepting Christianity and following Jesus all your life could have HORRENDOUS consequences. The devout Christian dies, goes to stand before the Judgment Throne, and sitting upon the throne is ... ALLAH !!! Allah says, "Guess what? I'm the real deal, not Jesus, not Yahweh. Satan, escort this misguided fellow down to the hot place."

2. You DO have a lot to lose by following a false religion (that is, Christianity, if it's a false religion) — even if the actual truth is that there is NO valid religion (that is, if there isn't a TRUE religion that you're offending by following Christianity). It's a waste of 76 years of existence on earth to follow a patriarchal, mean-spirited, judgmental religion that treats women as second-class citizens. It restricts your personal freedom, and you get nothing in return.

Bottom line: It does not follow that if the atheists are wrong then the Christians are correct, and it does not follow that if the Christians are wrong then the atheists are correct. It may well be that the atheists are wrong AND the Christians are wrong, so the issue cannot validly be cast as an either/or proposition. To do so is to employ a false dichotomy.

The "wager" is not an honest argument for belief. It is an attempt to extort belief through fear.

Consider "Pendragon's Wager:"

1. Either Pendragon is God, or Pendragon is not God.

2. If Pendragon is God and you worship and obey Pendragon during your lifetime, Pendragon will give you whatever you desire for all eternity after you die. If you choose NOT to worship and obey Pendragon during your lifetime, then after you die, Pendragon will give you an eternity of what you fear the most ... worse than any Hell you could ever imagine.

3. If Pendragon is not God, then it doesn't matter what you do. Your life will just end one day — poof! — and there will be no eternity, no afterlife.

4. Therefore, you should spend your life worshipping Pendragon and obeying all his rules ... just to be on the safe side. Just in case. By the way, Pendragon's first commandment is: GIVE ME ALL OF YOUR MONEY, RIGHT NOW.

Pendragon Wants to be Your God!

Dear Christian friend,

Perhaps you're dissatisfied with Biblegod, and would like to switch plans. You're in luck! For a limited time only, Pendragon is offering to become your own personal God ... an upgrade, so to speak.

Pendragon guarantees that he will answer your prayers exactly the same way that Biblegod did. The only requirement is that you cut Pendragon the same slack you cut Biblegod, i.e., anything good that happens is a gift from Pendragon; anything bad is Pendragon "testing" you. As a personal God, Pendragon will have no more accountability than Biblegod did.

And when you pray and Pendragon doesn't answer, well, it's just one of those things we can't understand on this side of the veil.

Pendragon promises to remain invisible (just like Biblegod) and never, ever talk to you. Ever (just like Biblegod). And Pendragon certainly moves in mysterious ways!

Ready to sign up? All you have to do is (a) send me your name and address and (b) start sending me 10% of your income (first payment is due immediately). See how simple it is?

An added bonus is that you aren't under those onerous biblical commandments anymore. Go ahead ... wear a garment made of two different types of cloth. Make a graven image (one of my mottos is "Isis is the nicest"). Or boil a goat in its mother's milk.

— Pendragon ... Lord, Liar, or Lunatic

Pertaining to the Craft	Tarot	Death	True Stories	On a Personal Note
My Favorite Court Cases	Completely Irrelevant	Little Dissertations	Christians and Christianity	Pendragon's Top 1000

Home