Does One Really Wager Everything

Recently a blog posted their version of “Pascal's D--n Wager: Sidestepping Reason and Rational Thinking”.

They present the following:

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To summarize, Pascal wager states two major suppositions:

1. If you believe in God:
i. If God exists, you go to heaven: your gain is infinite.
ii. If God does not exist, you gain nothing & lose nothing.

2. If you do not believe in God:
i. If God exists, you go to hell, your loss is infinite.
ii. If God does not exist, you gain nothing & lose nothing.

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They also posted this:

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The mathematical calculations are as follows:

	God exists (G)	God does not exist (~G)
Living as if God exists (B)	+∞ (heaven)	−N (none)
Living as if God does not exist (~B)	−∞ (hell)	−N (none)

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The problem I found was with their assumptions. They have hence *amended their original post, in stating: “Mathematically speaking, using the parameters as set by Pascal, Pascal's Wager (based on playing on the safe side of belief) is a bet based pretty much on common sense and a great dose of pragmatism: Regardless whether God exists or not, you do not stand to lose everything.”

The original did not contain, “Mathematically speaking, using the parameters as set by Pascal.” Nevertheless, the idea of “Regardless whether God exists or not, you do not stand to lose everything” does not follow the reasoning behind, “Pascal wager states two major suppositions” presented by the blog author.

As posted at their blog, I present why I believe the statement, “Regardless whether God exists or not, you do not stand to lose everything” is without warrant, and against reason and logic concerning the presentation of Pascal’s Wager in their writing.

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Based on Pascal's Wager, in fact, as you present it, you do have the "chance" that "your loss is infinite".
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1. If you believe in God:
i. If God exists, you go to heaven: your gain is infinite.
ii. If God does not exist, you gain nothing & lose nothing.

You don't believe in (1), so you don't get (i) and (ii) wouldn't matter. You are betting on (ii), hoping (i) isn't true. 1/1 50% wager, whereas a Christian is 100% either getting heaven or getting nothing.

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2. If You do not believe in God:
i. If God exists, you go to hell, your loss is infinite.
ii. If God does not exist, you gain nothing & lose nothing.

You do believe in (2), you definitely do not want (i), and (ii) wouldn't matter. You are betting on (ii), hoping (i) isn't true. 1/1 50% wager, whereas as a Christians gets 100% escaping hell or getting nothing.

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Basically you are wagering an eternity of hell ("your loss is infinite") on whether God exist or not, when you say, "You do not believe in God". So, in fact, "you [do] stand to lose everything".

* Originally wrote "corrected".

Does Hell Exist Debate

Take a gander:

Does Hell Exist Debate
(mp3 downloadable format)

Location of Hell Examined (Conclusion)

Conclusion:

I tried my best to simplify my belief concerning the Location of Hell, and use mostly scripture. There is a lot more concerning the issue if one would only take the time to study. Comparing science about the earth and further scripture concerning pit, earth, fire, hell, etc., I personally believe that scripture indeed clearly locates hell in the center of the earth.

Concerning one question that may arise, “If the earth is destroyed one day according to 2 Peter 3:10 for the new heavens and new earth, then wouldn’t that mean that hell is destroyed too?”

Revelation 20:14,
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.


I have presented my case of scripture, it is up to you to decide if you believe scripture is telling us the location of hell is within the center of the earth or not. As admitted early, this is not a necessary belief for salvation, or a reason to break fellowship over.

All I ask is that you consider the scripture presented and consider the validity of whether the possibility exist that hell could very well be in the center of the earth. Remember before you cast it aside as a far out idea, please remember all of the supernatural things we have written within the Word of God, and ask yourself are all things possible with God.

And remember, just because I believe it does not make it so, but neither does ones unbelief make it not so.

As always, thanks for tuning in and have a nice day!

Don’t be afraid to share your beliefs with others!

Location of Hell Examined (Pt. 5)

Point 5: “The heart of the earth”, not just the grave.

There are 3 recordings of the word “paradise” in scripture.

Christ told one of the others crucified with Him that they would be together that very day in paradise.

Luke 23:43,
And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Yet Christ also told the people that He would not rise for three days.
Matthew 27:63; Mark 8:31

Paul said that paradise was in the third heaven [2 Corinthians 12:4], and the apostle John says it has the tree of life and those that overcome will be able eat of it [Revelation 2:7] in the city [Revelation 22:14]. Interestingly the tree of life was in the mist of Eden [Genesis 2:9].

We know that Christ did not ascend into heaven within the three days following the crucifixion, for He told Mary that He had not as of yet on the day of His resurrection [John 20:17].

If paradise was in the third heaven (1 – where birds fly, 2 – moon and stars, 3 – God), then did Christ lie to the man on the cross with Him? No.

Remember the story of the rich man and Lazarus? (I am aware than some consider this to be only a parable, which I disagree)

The rich man and Lazarus were in the same corporate location, but Lazarus was in Abraham’s bosom (rest) and the rich man was in torment. They were separated by a gulf that neither could cross [Luke 16].

As Christ died, He said He would go to “the heart of the earth” [Matthew 12:40], but not be left in hell [Acts 2:31]. Yet Christ did not tell the one crucified with Him, “We will be together today in the grave”, but “We will be together today in paradise”.

During the three days between the crucifixion and the resurrection, Christ also “preached to the spirits in prison” [1 Peter 3:18-20].

Consider Ephesians 4:8-10,
8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

In the above verses, we see that Christ, at His crucifixion, He “descended first into the lower parts of the earth” and then “ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men”.

Christ did not lie, but indeed met the thief in paradise (Abraham’s bosom) that day they both died, and upon the ascension He brought with Him paradise, the saints of old, to the third heaven, whereby it was seen by Paul.

Location of Hell Examined (Pt. 4)

Point 4: Jonah and Christ.

Luke 11:30,
For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.

Jonah:

Jonah 1:17,
Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Jonah 2:1, 2, 6,

1 Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly,

2 And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.

6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.


Christ:

Matthew 12:39, 40,
39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:

40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Acts 2:31,
He [DAVID] seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his [CHRIST] soul was not left in hell, neither his [CHRIST] flesh did see corruption.


Point 5: “The heart of the earth”, not just the grave.

Location of Hell Examined (Pt. 3)

Point 3: The Pit and Hell are together.

Job 33:28,
He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light.

Psalm 16:10, For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

Isaiah 14:15,
Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

Ezekiel 31:16,
I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to hell with them that descend into the pit: and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, shall be comforted in the nether parts of the earth.

Revelation 9:1, 2, 11
1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.

2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

11 And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.

Revelation 11:7,
And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

Revelation 17:8,
The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

Revelation 20:1, 3
1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

Point 4: Jonah and Christ.

Location of Hell Examined (Pt. 2)

Point 2: The Pit and Hell extends to the lower and nether parts of the earth with bars.

Deuteronomy 32:22,
For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.

Jonah 2:6,
I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.

Psalm 86:13,
For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.

Ezekiel 26:20,
When I shall bring thee down with them that descend into the pit, with the people of old time, and shall set thee in the low parts of the earth, in places desolate of old, with them that go down to the pit, that thou be not inhabited; and I shall set glory in the land of the living;

Ezekiel 31:14,
To the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves for their height, neither shoot up their top among the thick boughs, neither their trees stand up in their height, all that drink water: for they are all delivered unto death, to the nether parts of the earth, in the midst of the children of men, with them that go down to the pit.

Ezekiel 31:16,
I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to hell with them that descend into the pit: and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, shall be comforted in the nether parts of the earth.

Ezekiel 32:18,
Son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt, and cast them down, even her, and the daughters of the famous nations, unto the nether parts of the earth, with them that go down into the pit.

Amos 9:2,
Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down:


Point 3: The Pit and Hell are together.

Location of Hell Examined (Pt. 1)

Point 1: The Pit and Hell are down.

Numbers 16:30,
But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.

Job 11:8,
It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?

Psalm 28:1,
Unto thee will I cry, O LORD my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit.

Psalm 30:3,
O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

Psalm 55:15,
Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.

Proverbs 15:24,
The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.

Isaiah 5:14,
Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.

Isaiah 14:9,
Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.

Isaiah 14:15,
Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

Isaiah 38:18,
For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.

Matthew 11:23,
And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.


Point 2: The Pit and Hell extends to the lower and nether parts of the earth with bars.

Location of Hell Examined (Intro)

Preface:
This post is not meant to prove the existence of hell, but is for the purpose of examining where I believe scriptural evidence points as to the location of hell. I would ask that you please reframe from arguing your current position – There is no hell - until a later date when I may post the subject of Does Hell Exist.

Purpose:
To share with others my view, with the use of scriptural support, that hell is indeed within the center of the earth.

Introduction:
For what I once thought was common knowledge appears to not be as wide spread as I imagined. Let it be noted that this is not a new idea or concept, but has actually been around quite sometime. I would ask that you please consider the concept, before just simply dismissing it on the basis that you have never heard it or that you currently believe differently. Although I believe the knowledge of hell is important, the location may not be as important and is definitely not something to break fellowship over.

Because of length I have decided to break it down into sections, or days. Hoping this will allow for separation of points, easier and quicker reading, and comments to each day to be made. Please feel free to share your pro/con points. I will limit the writing to only scripture unless necessary.

Point 1: The Pit and Hell are down.
Point 2: The Pit and Hell extends to the lower and nether parts of the earth with bars.
Point 3: The Pit and Hell are together.
Point 4: Jonah and Christ.
Point 5: “The heart of the earth”, not just the grave.
Conclusion