When all the theist arguments fail to convince the potential convert to convert they are left with only one card up the theist sleeve. This card is called fear. Specifically the fear of a hellish, torturous punishment when they die. This act of desperation on the theist front is usually enough to get the conversion they want. With vivid descriptions of this place it can scare almost anyone into belief. But the probability of this afterlife scenario seems quite low.
When confronted by this desperate ploy one should tell the theist these facts. The odds that there is an afterlife is about 50 / 50. Basically, there’s something after death or there’s is nothing after we die. Then the theist will predictably say that there is an afterlife. But then you will say the second part of these facts. There are many different afterlife scenarios from around the world and from the all the times in the past. The number could be around a million different scenarios at least, dealing with death and the afterlife. So that the odds that the theists own afterlife scenario is the right one is about one in one million. Pretty long odds to bet your afterlife on. Your are probably more likely to be struck by lightening twice.
It is clear that the threat of hell has little effect on the non-believer because we know that there is no evidence for its existence. And if there were an afterlife the odds that it would be the one thought to exist by the theist would be extremely long. The safer bet would be on the non believers’ side. At least then it would be better than living in a prison of fear that theists’ they built for themselves. Living with not measuring up to what the authorities of the belief want you to do. And then if you ask questions about your belief and if the authorities unable to get good answers, they threaten eternal damnation and tell you to just pray and obey. If you were to follow that you could never live a truly happy life and you will never escape that prison of fear.
Monday, June 22, 2009
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