Imbedded in an article about Pascal’s Wager, I ran across a formulation I hadn’t seen before called the Atheist’s Wager:
You should live your life and try to make the world a better place for your being in it, whether or not you believe in god. If there is no god, you have lost nothing and will be remembered fondly by those you left behind. If there is a benevolent god, he will judge you on your merits and not just on whether or not you believed in him.
via Friendly Atheist, Pascal’s Wager, emphasis mine.
That part about the benevolent god choosing to judge people on their merits struck me because my Protestant Christian background teaches that God shows benevolence by not judging us according to our merits because our sinful failings cause us all to merit nothing but separation from God. Instead, says protestantism, God simply credits righteousness to true followers since they can’t earn it on their own.
But now I’m wondering, isn’t it exactly right that a benevolent god would respond in kindness to any other being doing their best to show kindness?