Space Nazi's Wager
Posted on: October 31, 2011 - 1:16am
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Space Nazi's Wager
Let's say that there were dangerous Space Nazis that forced you to bet on whether or not there is a god. If you didn't bet then you would be punished harshly, but if you did bet, then you would be guaranteed not to be punished by anyone. After you bet, you would immediately find out if there was a god or not. If you lost the bet then you would have to cover the bet in a month or be punished harshly. The Space Nazis define a god as a sentient being that created this universe and any other universe that ever existed. Let us assume that the Space Nazis know whether or not there is a god, are honest, and can cover almost any bet. What would be your bet and how much?
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I would bet 10% of a month of my income that there isn't a god but I wouldn't be very concerned about the outcome of the bet.
This is a trick. If such Space Nazis existed(all knowing, all powerful) wouldn't they in fact need to be god to know if there is a god? So they would trick atheists into betting 'no god' and they say "you lose, we're god". Just like fucking Nazis.
Taxation is the price we pay for failing to build a civilized society. The higher the tax level, the greater the failure. A centrally planned totalitarian state represents a complete defeat for the civilized world, while a totally voluntary society represents its ultimate success. --Mark Skousen
^ lol.
Enlightened Atheist, Gaming God.
They couldn't be moral even if they were honest, forced submission is not moral. I'd tell the fuckwads to take their bet and shove it up their ass.
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
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I'd bet them 599 US dollars there isn't one.
It would highly depend on how you define God. If God can be any sentient being who created the universe, then I would have to question what defines this being as sentient. If God is a first cause or prime motivator, then prehaps that exists (although not neccessarily intelligent). If self aware, and thereby having intelligence, what would be the lowest possible standard? It would have to be the ability to think (Descartes). If it is thinking, then it exists as a sentient being. Therefore, to an extent, it has free will. Whether or not that can extend to the ability to create is another matter altogether, just as humans have a sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system in conjuction with their cognitive ability. Perhaps it is sentient, but the construction of the universe(s) is purely a condition of its existence. I think the only implication for a God is the appearance of design, or the top-down argument. I would wager that there is an evident lack of design and intention such that a sentient God clearly had no influence in our existence. My wager would be my existence, because either way as an atheist death is not an issue, and there is not a clear and decisive reason to suggest design is self-evident within reality.
What is harshly punished? I mean if it is taking away all my earthly possesions I woulds say I would bet what ever there max they can cover. I own basically nothing anyway. It would be easy to get it all back.
If harshly punished is removing my legs, arms, genitals, tounge and eyes, eye lids and ears. But leaving me alive, I would bet well within what I can cover.
With just punished harshly as all I have to go on, I would probably ask for the max bet. Chances are I can live with being harshly punished and the chances of winning are pretty good. A 50/50 chance of guessing right is one dam good deal for possibly becoming fabulously wealthy or being "harshly punishes". Probably a good thing I don't gamble. I am fair certain I would go to far. But if forced on a 50/50 chance I am going to take my chances to win it all. Especially if being harshly punished is worse then death I can just kill myself in the one month period.
Just for the record if I could cover the max bet for whatever reason it was that low I would have no intention of paying up short of permanant damage to my body or space jail.
Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.
Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.
No animal shall wear clothes.
No animal shall sleep in a bed.
No animal shall drink alcohol.
No animal shall kill any other animal.
All animals are equal.
Hehe, I would cover my bases with one dollar.
No punishment irregardless.
Not that I am afraid of taking chances, I just don't trust Nazis to not use some clever form of semantic trickery to fuck me up.
“It is proof of a base and low mind for one to wish to think with the masses or majority, merely because the majority is the majority. Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people.”
― Giordano Bruno
Exactly. I would trust space nazis about as much as I would trust the Westboro Baptist Church.
“It is proof of a base and low mind for one to wish to think with the masses or majority, merely because the majority is the majority. Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people.”
― Giordano Bruno
The Space Nazis wouldn't be all powerful; they would just be powerful enough to punish almost anyone. They wouldn't be all knowing; they would just know one thing that was really significant.
Your conclusion is pretty funny though.
Thanks for answering point blank. That's what I was looking for.
Let's say that the god would have to be as self aware, intelligent, have as much free will, as much ability to think as the average human (at least) if you assume that the average human is self aware, intelligent, has "free will", and can think.
That's a hefty wager!
I was thinking of harsh punishment such as caning that left permanent scars but no permanent health problems.
My thought was that it was close to 50/50 too because there isn't any real evidence for or against but I lean against.
25 cents - one US quarter that there is no god/s/dess. And if I lost, I'd pay it off in pennies.
Though it ain't no bet if the other side doesn't have a stake in the outcome. What is their cover?
-- I feel so much better since I stopped trying to believe.
"We are entitled to our own opinions. We're not entitled to our own facts"- Al Franken
"If death isn't sweet oblivion, I will be severely disappointed" - Ruth M.
The I go for whatever there max is. A few more scars is nothing.
Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.
Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.
No animal shall wear clothes.
No animal shall sleep in a bed.
No animal shall drink alcohol.
No animal shall kill any other animal.
All animals are equal.
Just a few scars ? I have already got those
If that is the case, I would bet 90 Billion dollars there is no god.
“It is proof of a base and low mind for one to wish to think with the masses or majority, merely because the majority is the majority. Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people.”
― Giordano Bruno
I bet 90 Billion there is a god, one of us walks away with scars, we split the money at the end no matter who wins and we both walk away never having to work a day in our lives. 100% chance of victory. Small price to pay for betting against what I believe.
Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.
Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.
No animal shall wear clothes.
No animal shall sleep in a bed.
No animal shall drink alcohol.
No animal shall kill any other animal.
All animals are equal.
HEY ! I like that idea !
We get rich AND get to rip off some space nazis
“It is proof of a base and low mind for one to wish to think with the masses or majority, merely because the majority is the majority. Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people.”
― Giordano Bruno
Am I allowed to place multiple bets?
90 Billion on gods, 90 Billion against. Either way I walk out with 89.999999 Billion and some high-quality painkillers.
Questions for Theists:
http://silverskeptic.blogspot.com/2011/03/consistent-standards.html
I'm a bit of a lurker. Every now and then I will come out of my cave with a flurry of activity. Then the Ph.D. program calls and I must fall back to the shadows.
You will have to put up your money up front. No more gaming the Space Nazis.
Multiple bets are fine.