keep up the good work man…….

You wrote:

you have to do so based on a certain set of presumptions….you then have to determine how to apply it to find the correct God…and determine how one would go about attempting to seek …then have to determine how to apply it to find the correct God.

All valid points, I fear.

If finding God matters, as Pascal suggests that it does, then our only hope is that God is interested in making himself known. If not, then we could never hope to find him in any case. If so, then I suspect that these problems can be overcome.

It also depends on why one would be keeping an eye out for God…so in what manner are you using ‘just in case?’

I mean things like this: Seeking truth above convenience. Using reason, but recognising our falability. Keeping an open mind about differet possibilities, despite the apparent evidence against them. Asking the God we might not believe in to show Himself, even if we don’t believe he is their. Looking within, for some hint of a Maker’s mark or something that could connect us to Him. Taking time out just to be. Or engaging in discussions like this one.

Because it would allow one to potentially escape hell? Then the Wager becomes fear-driven. But if heaven/hell are removed from the equation, and someone lives a pretty great life, what would motivate them to keep an eye out?

The motivation is still the possibility of eternal reward / punishment, as Pascal suggested. I agree with Simen and others who have shown that you can’t accept Pascal’s Wager at face value. Nevertheless, the Wager does suggest that we have a great deal riding on our convictions. Clearly, we can’t force ourselves to believe something against reason, gambling that we might still get to heaven – at least avoid hell. But we must keep questioning our convictions. Even if someone is absolutely convinced that there is no God, there is little to loose by asking God to reveal Himself anyway, and a great deal to gain if He does.

I must say, this is broadly the approach I took when I was a sceptic. I was genuinely surprised when I had a “religious experience” that convinced me that God is real and that He wants to be involved in my life. Of course, I could be delude, but I have to base my own life on the evidence as I have percieved it. That said, I wouldn’t dream of suggesting that anyone taking my experiences too seriously. I know me, so I really wouldn’t trust me at all.

Regards.

**I think that the arguments of the Wager might be enough to keep us keeping an eye out for God, just in case.**

This would lead to an interesting scenario, though. In order to search for God, you have to do so based on a certain set of presumptions. Looking for the Christian God would not be the same as looking for the Islam God, or the Mormon God. Now, it might be in terms of characteristics: omnipotent, omniscient, a creator (and determine how one would go about attempting to seek out an omnipotent God based on physical evidence. I’m not talking about religious texts, but evidence in the world, such as atrocities, or compassionate acts). But with that information, you then have to determine how to apply it to find the correct God. IN order to do that, religious texts seem to be necessary, in order to interpret what one has possibly found.

It also depends on why one would be keeping an eye out for God. Pascal’s Wager is often used in the sense that believe because you can gain heaven, and if you don’t believe, you are risking hell. So in what manner are you using ‘just in case?’ Because it would allow one to potentially escape hell? Then the Wager becomes fear-driven. But if heaven/hell are removed from the equation, and someone lives a pretty great life, what would motivate them to keep an eye out?