Non-believers often hear theists use the following argument:

Suppose you are right, and God doesn’t exist. When I die as a believer, I have lost nothing. I will have lived a happy, moral, fulfilling life, and when I die I simply cease to exist. But if you, as a non-believer, are wrong, you have to spend an eternity in hell. See, I have nothing to lose, but you have everything to lose and nothing to gain. Now doesn’t it make more sense to believe in God?

This argument, commonly known as Pascal’s Wager, really amounts to playing it safe. Simpler versions include “What if you’re wrong?” or “Have you thought about what will happen to you after you die?” Essentially, they are all saying the same thing: why not hedge your bets so at least you’ll have a chance of getting into heaven?

So why aren’t you converting?

Pascal’s Wager fails because it falsely assumes only two options: you can believe in one particular god, or you can believe in no god at all. It simply doesn’t allow for the countless gods man has worshiped over the centuries.

Consider, for a moment, the actions of radical Islam extremists who flew airplanes into the World Trade Center. These young men believed so strongly in their religion that they essentially turned themselves into guided missiles, and went knowingly to the premature deaths. As incredible as it may seem to those of us in the US, these men actually believed not only in their specific version of god, but that their god would reward them by sending them directly to paradise.

In the aftermath of 9/11, many wondered how these young men could be so misguided. Did anyone wonder, on the other hand, if they could be right? And if they were right, what would it mean for those of us here in the commercial but Christian-run United States? If the fundamental Islamic extremists are right, then we are all infidels, and it is highly unlikely we will ever see paradise.

Now for the obvious question: how much sleep are you going to lose tonight, wondering if you might be missing out on the one true religion of fanatical Islam? And if your answer is little to none, why would you assume that anyone would lose sleep over your religion?

Conclusion

While some may find Pascal’s Wager compelling, it’s important to remember that in the world of mankind’s religions, one hopeful believer could never play it one hundred percent safe. Become a born-again Christian, and you might be upsetting Allah. Worship Allah, and you might reincarnated as a beetle when you die. Become a Buddhist, and you might have to answer to the lightning bolts of almighty Zeus…and well, you can see the bind you’re in.

And since you’ll never please everyone, why not at least please yourself?

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