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Diglottic_Sun
Stranger in astrange land


Registered: 12/15/07
Posts: 35
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economics of religion
#7783751 - 12/20/07 10:27 PM (16 years, 1 month ago) |
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i forget the name of this idea, but here goes:
wouldn't you profit more if you simply believed in a god than completely disbelieved in it? for example, if there is a god, you would have a better existence in the afterlife than if you were lets say atheist (assuming you choose to believe in the right one). and even if that god did not exist, believing in the non-existent deity would not harm you in any way once you died. because the god subject is really a hit or miss subject and only one side has a positive good you can look forward to, it would make the utmost sense to believe in god, if just for the economic reasons.
can anyone out there shut this down?! not saying that i would prefer everyone to be atheist, but just for the sake of good clean religious philosophy. i will start with the easiest; to believe in god blindly can seriously detriment you in a number of ways in the current existence. if there is in fact no god, you had a shittier life for the sake of bad economics, making the statement at least prima-fasie wrong.
any other thoughts?
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fushock

Registered: 10/14/07
Posts: 428
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I try to be honest with myself. That may not cause ignorant happiness, but there are more powerful things than happiness.
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Dark_globe
Stranger



Registered: 05/02/07
Posts: 250
Loc: NSW
Last seen: 13 years, 6 months
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Re: economics of religion [Re: fushock]
#7783976 - 12/20/07 11:22 PM (16 years, 1 month ago) |
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My problem with this argument is that it is based on the idea that the religion of choice knows exactly what the God wants and how to please them. If I were a God would want my creations not so much caught up in following me or worshiping but rather learning about the world I have created and how it works (physics and what not). Further if in an afterlife I was to choose who I let in into "heaven" I would choose someone with good morals or who lived a fulfilling life who did not believe in me over say a murderer who was heavily influenced by religion
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Icelander
The Minstrel in the Gallery



Registered: 03/15/05
Posts: 95,368
Loc: underbelly
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Quote:
Diglottic_Sun said: i forget the name of this idea, but here goes:
wouldn't you profit more if you simply believed in a god than completely disbelieved in it? for example, if there is a god, you would have a better existence in the afterlife than if you were lets say atheist (assuming you choose to believe in the right one). and even if that god did not exist, believing in the non-existent deity would not harm you in any way once you died. because the god subject is really a hit or miss subject and only one side has a positive good you can look forward to, it would make the utmost sense to believe in god, if just for the economic reasons.
can anyone out there shut this down?! not saying that i would prefer everyone to be atheist, but just for the sake of good clean religious philosophy. i will start with the easiest; to believe in god blindly can seriously detriment you in a number of ways in the current existence. if there is in fact no god, you had a shittier life for the sake of bad economics, making the statement at least prima-fasie wrong.
any other thoughts?
Well once you decide you have to believe in a God for your protection then you will have to believe in the most radical concept of a violent and wrathful God if you are to cover your ass effectively. You also have to meet everyones criteria about what being a believer is because anyone could be right.
Now what does your life look like? You will have to live by all their rules no matter what you personally believe. Have fun with that. You are trading your life away for something completely unsure. And why? Fear. Doesn't say much for one now does it?
-------------------- "Don't believe everything you think". -Anom. " All that lives was born to die"-Anom. With much wisdom comes much sorrow, The more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC
Edited by Icelander (12/21/07 11:30 AM)
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Clean
the lense


Registered: 05/11/03
Posts: 2,374
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what is "profit"? warm fuzzy feelings? contentment that all will be OK after you die? if those are my goals i'll get a cat and just believe that everything will be ok once i die. no need to believe in a middle-man (sorry Middleman ).
if i want money (or people's souls, or both) i will start shouting at people in a manner that appeals to their inner turmoil and try to simultaneously get them to give me money so that they may feel the allowance of some relief from that turmoil. it helps to weave in the idea that someone out there actually cares about your sorry ass despite all your fuckedupness (best if that someone also has super-hero powers) AND that i am an authorized representative of said superhero, so all money and other appeasements can go through me.
Edited by Clean (12/21/07 10:26 AM)
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Clean
the lense


Registered: 05/11/03
Posts: 2,374
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this illustrates the economics of religion perfectly... notice how she brings up christmas and buying things..
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