Hemant Mehta, The Friendly Atheist, has an article up about Scott Adams’ deathbed conversion, apparently on the basis of Pascal’s Wager.
I have always intensely disliked Pascal’s Wager as an immoral and cynical approach to religion. I much prefer the reflection attributed to Marcus Aurelius (although it may be a paraphrase of his writing).
Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.
Marcus Aurelius (121-180)
Even if Marcus Aurelius did not say exactly this, it makes a lot more sense than the idea that deities are monumentally offended that people do not believe in them.

Public domain photo by Marie-Lan Nguyen
The doctrine of hell is a pernicious and cynical attempt to keep people in line, and it falls apart when you realise how many different religions there are. Humans may have a propensity to seek the divine, but they do so in a huge variety of ways.
Living a good life, regardless of reward, is obviously the right course, because you will spread happiness and wellbeing, instead of harming others.



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