Philosophy of religion Argument according to Pascals Wager on the belief in God

The belief in the existence of God is contentious in the philosophical domain. In the philosophical argument presented by the book, Pascal’s Wager, by Jeff Jordan with regard to the existence and work of God, it emerges that people’s belief in God is often enhanced by self-interests rather than the unending desire to appreciate and acquire evidence that God exists through reasoning.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Philosophy of religion: Argument according to Pascal’s Wager on the belief in God specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Human beings have the unending self interest to believe that God exists so as to fulfill their emotional, psychological and earthly desires. Logical arguments on the existence of God are therefore considered vague in enhancing the conviction that God exists (Jordan, 13). People believe in God’s existence and his good deeds The approach also helps to fulfill the s piritual desires and expectations of human nature. However, I fully object to this argument due to my strong conviction that believing in God as a means of fulfilling self interests could be vague and confusing (Jordan 18).Reasoning and exploiting all intellectual capabilities should be an important guiding principle for understanding the existence of God. This objection is based on the fact that Wager contends that God is incomprehensible. The aspect argues that it is safe and human to put one’s hopes in God rather than on earthly beings. People who believe in God and are ready to acknowledge his presence in their lives are safer since in the eventuality that God truly exists; those who believe in him would go to heaven while those who do not believe in his existence would go to hell. However, in the eventuality that God does not exist, those who believe in him and those who do not believe in him would not lose anything. The author focuses on identifying vital human characte ristics that define human behavior and response to challenges. Focusing on fulfilling spiritual self-interests is a fundamental aspect of recognizing the presence of God in life (Jordan 9). Objection The belief in God that is based on the prevailing evidence of his existence is an important approach to living a more fulfilling, desirable, treasured and happy life. The belief is a means of ensuring that people’s arguments about God’s existence do not remain to be mere illusions. Evidence-based arguments help to reinforce the fact that favor, blessings and grace that come from God have the ability of transforming human life. The attributes also help to emphasize the fact that self interests could be misguiding due to the likelihood of the interests being different. The variation could occur as a result of a change in circumstances, environment, situations, prevailing practices, cultural and religious beliefs and issues related to one’s pious denomination. The dang er with believing in God’s existence based on the appeal on our self interests is a challenge that lies on the unspecified assumption that all people know the â€Å"god† in question.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, it is likely that not all people have a clear understanding of who God really is. It is likely that not many people believe in God. In fact, certain people do not mind whether or not God’s existence has any impact on the kind of lives they live. People have the inability to believe that God exists. Although God is widely believed to be a supernatural being, people have continuously failed to believe in his deeds due to lack of evidence on his existence. This fact has complicated the need for human beings to accommodate different arguments on the role and place of God in human life. Strengths and weaknesses In his argument, the author c onsistently manages to put into consideration the various arguments already put in place by other authors with regard to the belief and existence of God. In line with the above analysis, it evident that human nature and the existence of God are interlinked issues. The author’s argument also appreciates the fact that human life is sacred and the belief in God is an important spiritual issue of concern. These issues are critical as they clearly reveal the purpose for which human beings exist and the fundamental role that God has placed in people’s lives. Failure to reinforce the significance of trusting in reason reveals the weakness of the argument that self-interests should always be the guiding principle for our belief in the existence of God. This argument fails to understand the fact that regardless of one’s approach to matters of God, reliance on the broad-spectrum concept of theism without dwelling on a specific doctrine could lead to unfounded theological conclusions. The possession of favorable arguments on humanity is good though it has the possibility of threatening human belief. The author has failed to acknowledge the fact that human nature should be understood through the use of a rational approach. The presence of God or any supernatural being in life should never be determined by human desires but rather by reasoning. It should also be guided by the understanding that life has a foundation that can only be best defined by understanding the role of God and origin of mankind. Uncertainties in the purpose of mankind, reason, science, religion and skepticism should be conceptualized by people who constantly strive to acquire evidence of the existence of God. Belief in the existence of God is an alternative that presents the greatest good. It is not a rational means of understanding the existence of God. The belief in the existence of God based on people’s self interest is an approach that is subject to manipulation. Just a s people’s lives and approaches to life are different, so are their self interests. Failure to explain the specific religious doctrines in which the aspect of believing in God is founded is considered as spiritual ignorance.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Philosophy of religion: Argument according to Pascal’s Wager on the belief in God specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This aspect is brought about by the need of fulfilling self interests. It is considered to be a better alternative to a belief that is based on the existing evidence. This concept remains to be a serious challenge. Although it could be in any person’s interest to believe in God, Jordan (13) is of the view that lack of any supportive consideration of the need to believe or not to believe in God without any proof of his deeds is an unacceptable approach. Infinite punishment, reward and fulfillment of self-interest as a result of believing in God’s existence should never be a motivating factor towards believing in God. What the author says The author is likely to say that God does not always indulge in what people say or think. To boost his argument, the author would say that it is through addressing self interest that people would best understand and thus believe in God. To the author, losing something due to misguided faith is better than believing in God without addressing one’s self interests. Sadly, this response would not be adequate. The response would not help in addressing both the intrinsic and extrinsic needs of people with regard to religion and the belief in God. It is important to fully exploit rationality and ability to reason and acquire a genuine belief that God exists. Works Cited Jordan, Jeff. Pascal’s Wager: Pragmatic Arguments and Belief in God, University of Delaware, Oxford, UK: Clarendon Press, 2006.Print. This essay on Philosophy of religion: Argument according to Pascal’s Wager on the belief in God was written and submitted by user Cindy Calhoun to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.