  |
|
|
|
Page 2
This we should refuse to believe, if we are to remain human beings, and not beasts. To accept passively the belief that this world was created by a good being is to deny one's humanity.
As I discussed in part 1, a wager presumes probabilities and an unknowable outcome. Without these, there is no wager at all. What is the outcome of death ? From medicine, we know there is only one possible outcome : the end of personhood. To claim that the religious afterlife is a possibility, is to reject the whole of neurology, and cast great doubt on medical science as a whole. Some unthinking people will be ready to do this (and die), others might be more prudent and supplement their Christian incantations with a visit to the doctor. In God we trust, but we trust science too, and then we scorn the power of science, whether it worked or not. Christians don't care about other people, unless caring helps their Wager. The religion of death does not admit for unnecessary life. What is the probability of an afterlife ? Zero. And let's face it, most people feel the same way, when they look outside of their religious bias. Take Alex Chiu's Eternal Life Rings, which offer to "freeze" one's age at a comfortable 20 years old, and let one live indefinitely. How many people buy them ? Despite the alluring offer, they have not become a worldwide sensation. Chiu has his group of supporters and fans, but we're not talking about millions of people here. Obviously there is a question of costs here. While Chiu's rings are not nearly as costly for one's life as Christianity, they still demand money (to buy them) or time (to make them), which most people are simply not ready to spend on such a hare-brained pursuit. And Chiu's rings do not have the full religious appeal of Christianity. Compare this to superstitions - crossing yourself, tying a red string around your wrist, not mentioning "Hamlet" in a theater, does not require a great deal of money or time. This may sound trivial, but when the perceived cost is higher than the perceived benefits, action will not follow. That's just how it is. In part 3, I will end the topic of the Death Wager, and discuss the rational role of death. |
|
|
|
