Question:
I like your logic. However, Pascal’s wager is like the Super Lotto if you factor in all the religions and also the fact that to choose one means you may not be able to live life as frrely as you may have wished. It’s like betting the mortgage on number 485743 because that’s a very popular number. After losing the mortgage and living your life starngely, you die and discover that you a just dead. No regrets however. Who could have known back in 600 BC that an insignificant little band of nomads called the Jews had the only true God on their side. Seems you have to bet on the long shots to win this game. I think the best bet is with the little known Bidayuh tribe of Borneo. I hear the shamans perform miracles. I haven’t seen Christians doing miracles lately. A little head shrinking, a little body piercing and bobs-your-uncle, your in. Jeff
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Please point out the flaws, inaccuracies and false information in my argument (I am sure there are plenty): It seems to me that the Eastern Orthodox Church is the most logical Church to join out of all the Christian denominations. This belief is built on the assumption that I don’t know which denomination is more truthful or correct than the others. Pascal’s wager shows that it is better to follow a religion than not to (although for the purposes of the current argument, the religions from which to choose are limited to the various Christian denominations). Therefore, the first factor affecting the decision is that the Church must promise an afterlife of eternal punishment for nonmembers. This means that if the teachings of this Church turn out to be true, then you have protected yourself from eternal punishment. If not, then you still might be punished eternally, but your chances have been reduced. Out of the remaining Christian denominations (most of them), we want to choose the one that will qualify us for salvation with as many different Christian denominations as possible. On this basis the Eastern Orthodox Church seems to me to be the most logical. Roman Catholicism teaches that salvation is attained by faith lived out through good works, rather than by faith alone. The sacraments are required to impart God’s grace to the receiver. Baptism cancels one’s prior sins and mortal sins must be confessed in order to avoid eternal punishment. The main idea in Protestant denominations is that every person can be saved through faith in Jesus Christ alone. Most Protestant denominations require Baptism, either to cancel the receiver’s sins, or at least as an affirmation of one’s faith. Protestantism assumes that good works will come as a result of faith, but are not a means to salvation in themselves. The Eastern Orthodox believe that ultimately salvation comes only from the grace of God, but God’s grace and right belief are expected to produce changes in behaviour. They believe that "faith worketh through love". i.e.. faith and morality cannot exist without each other. Hence, both faith and good works are necessary for salvation. The Sacred Mysteria (Sacraments) impart grace to the receiver. Baptism is required for salvation, and repentance of sins is necessary to avoid being condemned to hell. Other Christian denominations (although I haven’t looked at all of the smallest ones) outside of these larger groups, like the Churches of Christ, Unification Church, Quakers, Millerites, Unitarian Universalism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, Christadelphians, Christian Science, Gnostic Christians, Liberal Catholic Church, New Apostolic Church, Swedenborgian Churches, Religious Science and Unitarian seem either to claim to be "non-dogmatic", or do not promise an eternal punishment for non-believers, or promise salvation through faith alone, like the Protestant denominations. Therefore, the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church should satisfy the requirements for salvation of most denominations shouldn’t they? As long as you have faith, and are baptized by immersion (some denominations don’t accept baptism by sprinkling) in the name of The Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit (more denominations do this than baptism in the name of Jesus Christ), then you will be saved according to most Protestant denominations/denominations which teach salvation by faith alone, won’t you? If so, then the question arises, how does one choose between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches? Well, the Eastern Orthodox teach that outside the Eastern Orthodox Church, there is no salvation that they know of. However, with God, they believe anything is possible, so they pass no judgement and make no comment on the salvation of non-Orthodox Christians. i.e.. they take no official view on the salvation of those outside the Eastern Orthodox Church; they don’t know. The current Roman Catholic doctrine on salvation outside the Church says that "All who have been justified by faith in Baptism. . . have a right to be called Christians, and. . . are accepted as brothers in the Lord by the children of the Catholic Church", and "Christ’s spirit uses these Churches and ecclesial communities as a means of salvation". It says that, "They could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse to enter it or remain in it". Since we don’t know what is true and what isn’t, as we said above, we can’t know whether the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God etc. or not. Therefore, we can be saved if we join another Christian denomination, according to Catholicism. Indeed, the Catechism of the RCC says that, "Those ‘who believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are put in a certain, although imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church.’ With the Orthodox Churches, this communion is so profound ‘that it lacks little that would permit a common celebration of the Lord’s Eucharist’". Hence, Roman Catholicism teaches that if one becomes a member of the Eastern Orthodox Church, they can still achieve salvation. The Eastern Orthodox Church, however, gives no such assurance regarding the Roman Catholic Church. Therefore, if one joins the Eastern Orthodox Church, then they will maximise their chances of salvation across all the Christian denominations. Thanks in advance for any feedback
Response:
Please point out the flaws, inaccuracies and false information in my argument (I am sure there are plenty): It seems to me that the Eastern Orthodox Church is the most logical Church to join out of all the Christian denominations. This belief is built on the assumption that I don’t know which denomination is more truthful or correct than the others. Pascal’s wager shows that it is better to follow a religion than not to (although for the purposes of the current argument, the religions from which to choose are limited to the various Christian denominations). Therefore, the first factor affecting the decision is that the Church must promise an afterlife of eternal punishment for nonmembers. This means that if the teachings of this Church turn out to be true, then you have protected yourself from eternal punishment. If not, then you still might be punished eternally, but your chances have been reduced. Out of the remaining Christian denominations (most of them), we want to choose the one that will qualify us for salvation with as many different Christian denominations as possible. On this basis the Eastern Orthodox Church seems to me to be the most logical. Roman Catholicism teaches that salvation is attained by faith lived out through good works, rather than by faith alone. The sacraments are required to impart God’s grace to the receiver. Baptism cancels one’s prior sins and mortal sins must be confessed in order to avoid eternal punishment. The main idea in Protestant denominations is that every person can be saved through faith in Jesus Christ alone. Most Protestant denominations require Baptism, either to cancel the receiver’s sins, or at least as an affirmation of one’s faith. Protestantism assumes that good works will come as a result of faith, but are not a means to salvation in themselves. The Eastern Orthodox believe that ultimately salvation comes only from the grace of God, but God’s grace and right belief are expected to produce changes in behaviour. They believe that "faith worketh through love". i.e.. faith and morality cannot exist without each other. Hence, both faith and good works are necessary for salvation. The Sacred Mysteria (Sacraments) impart grace to the receiver. Baptism is required for salvation, and repentance of sins is necessary to avoid being condemned to hell. Other Christian denominations (although I haven’t looked at all of the smallest ones) outside of these larger groups, like the Churches of Christ, Unification Church, Quakers, Millerites, Unitarian Universalism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, Christadelphians, Christian Science, Gnostic Christians, Liberal Catholic Church, New Apostolic Church, Swedenborgian Churches, Religious Science and Unitarian seem either to claim to be "non-dogmatic", or do not promise an eternal punishment for non-believers, or promise salvation through faith alone, like the Protestant denominations. Therefore, the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church should satisfy the requirements for salvation of most denominations shouldn’t they? As long as you have faith, and are baptized by immersion (some denominations don’t accept baptism by sprinkling) in the name of The Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit (more denominations do this than baptism in the name of Jesus Christ), then you will be saved according to most Protestant denominations/denominations which teach salvation by faith alone, won’t you? If so, then the question arises, how does one choose between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches? Well, the Eastern Orthodox teach that outside the Eastern Orthodox Church, there is no salvation that they know of. However, with God, they believe anything is possible, so they pass no judgement and make no comment on the salvation of non-Orthodox Christians. i.e.. they take no official view on the salvation of those outside the Eastern Orthodox Church; they don’t know. The current Roman Catholic doctrine on salvation outside the Church says that "All who have been justified by faith in Baptism. . . have a right to be called Christians, and. . . are accepted as brothers in the Lord by the children of the Catholic Church", and "Christ’s spirit uses these Churches and ecclesial communities as a means of salvation". It says that, "They could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse to enter it or remain in it". Since we don’t know what is true and what isn’t, as we said above, we can’t know whether the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God etc. or not. Therefore, we can be saved if we join another Christian denomination, according to Catholicism. Indeed, the Catechism of the RCC says that, "Those ‘who believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are put in a certain, although imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church.’ With the Orthodox Churches, this communion is so profound ‘that it lacks little that would permit a common celebration of the Lord’s Eucharist’". Hence, Roman Catholicism teaches that if one becomes a member of the Eastern Orthodox Church, they can still achieve salvation. The Eastern Orthodox Church, however, gives no such assurance regarding the Roman Catholic Church. Therefore, if one joins the Eastern Orthodox Church, then they will maximise their chances of salvation across all the Christian denominations. Thanks in advance for any feedback
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