Posted by m1s1n (66.62.152.12) on March 04, 2002 at 14:53:32:
In Reply to: Re: Question of the Week posted by Patrick on March 01, 2002 at 14:33:43:
It can just as easily be argued that spending your whole life not believing is no way to live. A true theist has very little doubt in their mind what they're working for and living for, and because of this has a sense of satisfaction in living their life. They're completely content living their lives by 'outdated sets of rules' because they feel that the payoff is worth it. So for them it seems to make no sense to waste your whole life and afterlife by not believing.
'That is no way to really live' is a completely subjective statement. It applies to both sides of the board, so it really doesn't get us anywhere. You can never tell someone how to live their life. The Christians have tried it, the Muslims have tried it, even the Jews, Hindus, and Buddhists have tried it. People will follow the path that they feel best suits them. Even if their environment ground that belief into them from birth, they will still create their own idea of what faith and belief is. That is the idea of Aristolean Christianity. You can take outdated sets of rules and apply modern morales and ideals to them.
It can also be noted that the mathmetician/ philosopher Pascal made a chart as to why you should believe in God. It goes something like this-- If you believe in God and God exists, you go to heaven. If God doesn't exist you've at least lived a decent life. If you don't believe in God and God exists you suffer an eternity in Hell. If God doesn't exist then nothing happens. So ultimately it seems that believing in God for the sake of not spending an eternity in hell is the better plan.
"When you're IRA, you're IRA 4 Life."