X-Message-Number: 15827 Date: Fri, 09 Mar 2001 06:42:43 -0500 From: James Swayze <> Subject: What Pascal left out of the wager References: <> Blaise Pascal couldn't know of what he had left out of his wager but he left it out just the same. To me there is great danger in belief in religion at least the christian religion. I refer to environmental devastation the likes of which would lead to our extinction. Is this an extreme view? Surely. How extreme? How about just as extreme as the culprits I charge. Let me state my case, but know beforehand that I do not include every single person of belief or political faction of these I charge as there are always exceptions and some are friends and family of mine. My statements refer to the general population of these ilks and are mostly common knowledge. Firstly christian doctine places man above all else and all else under direct control of man. The bible says we are stewards of the earth and that all creation was made for our use. We are poor stewards and abuse rather than use wisely. This doctrine gives permisson to many to exploit the earth at will. In this country, the most powerful country, the country most able to influence and affect the world, right wing extremism is married tightly to christianity. It is surely no secret that conservatives don't believe the science that is screaming at us that we are in big trouble and had better take notice and action. It's also no secret that these same conservatives are largely motivated by greed or is the republican party not the party of the super rich? Another doctrine of christianity is that god is coming back soon, surely any minute now, and as promised will destroy the earth and then make it all over again. This is fundamentalist christian doctirne and it just so happens that it is the fundamantalists that make up the bulk of the conservative grass roots movement. So to sum up we have the people that wish to continue exploiting the earth without regulation in the name of profit and greed mingled with and empowered by (sneaking into every nook and school board and right on up to the white house) the people that think it's our god given right to do so and why worry about the environment, after all god's going to fix it any way and real soon to boot!! Blaise Pascal left out of his wager likely possibility that belief in the christain god could lead to extinction of our species and most of all life on the planet and what a pitiful shame if there after all is no god to nicely clean up after us. James Swayze -- Some of our views are spacious some are merely space--RUSH Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=15827