I Could Be Wrong… And So Could You!
One of the most popular things Christians ask me is, “What if you are wrong?” Aside from the obvious attempt at a Pascal’s Wager, this question tries to force the non-believer to consider the possibility that we might be tortured for all eternity simply because of our lack of belief.
It’s true, if atheists are wrong and Christianity is correct, then atheists will be tortured for all eternity simply because of our lack of belief. This is a possibility. It just isn’t probable. While we are talking about improbable possibilities, what if the Christian is wrong is Islam is the correct answer? What if the Mormons are correct? How about if the ancient Greeks or Romans were correct? There are a lot of possibilities out there all equally as improbable as Christianity.
So sure, I could be wrong and so could the average Christian. Anything is possible, but the real question is not what is possible, but rather what is probable. Atheism is probable because it simply demands that theists (whether Christian or not) supply evidence for their claims. The claims of atheists are simply that we lack a belief in deities. This is usually the case because no credible evidence has been presented for such beliefs. In the absence of such credible evidence, it is probable that no such god exists.
I am willing to admit that I could be wrong and that a god does in fact exist. All a theist has to do is to present credible evidence for their belief. But I think it is only fair that theists admit that they could be wrong and that god might not exist. Theists should reconsider why they believe what they believe and consider whether or not there are more probable explanations for those reason.
Is it more likely that they heard the voice of God giving them sage advice or that they were having an internal dialog with themselves and gave themselves that sage advice? Is it more likely that the football player won the big game because God had a plan for him or that he and his team practiced a lot and had more skill than their opponents? Sure, I could be wrong about the whole God thing, but so could you the Christian!
Related articles
- Why Are Theists Angry? (dangeroustalk.net)
- Formal debates are a win for atheists (examiner.com)
- ‘Why Would You Risk Your Soul?’ (dangeroustalk.net)
Filed under: Alternative Worldview, Belief, Certainty, conversation, Religion
