In short it's a decision matrix that says believing in god is a better choice than not believing in god. Being an atheist I have to admit it's about the most convincing argument I've ever seen, largely because it's purely logical. Here is the short of it:
God exists------God does not exist Wager for God-------Gain all--------Satus quo Wager against God---Misery----------Status quo
For simplicity let's call X, the proposition that: "A boulder will materialize out of thin air in exactly 1 second and will fall on your head crushing you to death" ---------------------True--------False Wager for X------Not crushed--status quo Wager against X----Crushed----status quo
Now, it is just as likely that a boulder will instantly materialize out of thin air and crush you in a grisly death, as God exists (well, it's actually probably more likely).
So are you sitting around with a gigantic helmet on your head? Why not? Aren't you scared by the horrible horrible crushed-in-grisly-death-by-uncaring-boulder-of-non -perceptible-yet-righteous-doom?
---------------------True--------False Wager for X------Not crushed--You look like a massive idiot because you are afraid of a giant boulder materializing from thin air and crushing you in a grisly death
"Mr. Watson, come here, I want you." -- Alexander Graham Bell
This immediately brought to mind Pascal's Wager (Score:3, Interesting)
God exists------God does not exist
Wager for God-------Gain all--------Satus quo
Wager against God---Misery----------Status quo
Read all about it here. [stanford.edu]
Please excuse the horrible formatting, I suck at html.
Re:This immediately brought to mind Pascal's Wager (Score:3, Interesting)
For simplicity let's call X, the proposition that: "A boulder will materialize out of thin air in exactly 1 second and will fall on your head crushing you to death"
---------------------True--------False
Wager for X------Not crushed--status quo
Wager against X----Crushed----status quo
Now, it is just as likely that a boulder will instantly materialize out of thin air and crush you in a grisly death, as God exists (well, it's actually probably more likely).
So are you sitting around with a gigantic helmet on your head? Why not? Aren't you scared by the horrible horrible crushed-in-grisly-death-by-uncaring-boulder-of-no
ARE YOU TEMPTING FATE MORTAL!?
Re:This immediately brought to mind Pascal's Wager (Score:3, Funny)
---------------------True--------False
Wager for X------Not crushed--You look like a massive idiot because you are afraid of a giant boulder materializing from thin air and crushing you in a grisly death