Criticisms of Pascal

Belief in God because of the prize we win if we are correct, seem an inappropriate attitude to take to the question of the existence of God. William James went so far to say that if he were in God's position he would take great delight in preventing people who believe in him on the basis of this procedure from going to Heaven. The whole procedure seems insincere, and is entirely motivated by self-interest.

It takes more than simply believing in God to get into heaven. Fundamentalist Christians believe you have to accept Jesus Christ as your lord and savior. If you applied Pascal's Wager to Islam, fundamentalist Muslims would cite the Five Pillars and tell you you need to follow the Quran. Most religions that include some kind of judgment in the afterlife require something more than mere belief in God to be admitted to Paradise.

So when someone cites Pascal's Wager as a compelling reason to believe in God, I have to ask: is God so easily fooled? Doesn't He know what someone's motivations are? By definition, God knows everything, right? And Christians are always saying that God knows what's in your heart.

So won't He know if someone is only worshipping Him because of a logical "wager," a cynical calculation that one is better off worshipping God "just in case"?

Ultimately, Pascal's Wager is nothing more than a mercenary justification for believing in God, and at its heart, it's predicated on fear. It's an "investment" of belief that the gambler hopes will provide a return of eternal life, and it's an insurance policy against hellfire. Is that really the kind of attitude with which God wants to see people entering heaven?

Go to InappropriateProbability

Reference:

1.http://www.amadan.org/atheism/pascal.html

2. N.Warburton, Philosophy: the basics,( London, Routledge,1999).P33

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