Imagine that Poolie is running at opening odds of 8-1 in the fourth race at Answertrack.

1) When the atheist plops down his $2 bet, what do you imagine that he is thinking?

2) When the theist plops down his $2 bet, what do you imagine that he is thinking?

I would love to read the results of a psychological study of the gambling habits and beliefs of atheists and theists for similarities and differences.

I don’t know much about racing or gambling or betting but I know this much: when a person plops down his or her bet, I expect they are doing so because they believe the thing they are betting on is likely to win.

I never plop down money on a bet. I missed the gambling gene somehow. No thrill at all, win or lose. I just think of the odds, and walk on by. My son calls it the 'stupid tax' because here it's run by the government, proceeds to social services. Good question, Tsaeb, there's a research grant in it somewhere, why don't you do it?

tsaeb - instead of staying up all night trying to think of 'intriguing' questions, maybe you should be getting some sleep.

Anyway this one was a real 'yawner' - better luck next time!

GarColga: Your effort at imagination is worse than the question. Nevertheless, I didn't like it either, which is why I decided to post it--to see whether it has any redeeming value. Anyway, maybe someone else has something more interesting yet to say about the topic.

babthrower: Well, I am not into psychological research, although I could likely get into a PhD program for it. Also, I think that there are too many confounding variables here. Although we might like to know whether there are more similarities than differences or vice versa regarding reasons for gambling on the parts of atheists or theists, both groups likely have too many objections to gambling in the first place for us to even start out with the best hypothesis or the most honest sample groups.

I enjoy playing Blackjack and Poker. What I'm usually thinking when I place a bet is "Where's the waitress with my free drink?" I simply enjoy the game and strive to stay as even as possible. There is no "Please God let me win this bet" kind of behavior coming from me. I realize that placing bets is a game, not an occupation and that I stand to lose all the money that I bet. With this attitude, winning is simply a nice thrill and it's always wonderful when a really great and unlikely thing happens during the games. Sometimes it's even interesting when the odds are cruelly against you... how can someone play a game and lose all 36 bets they place 10 times in a row while another places their money on the same number and wins 4 out of 6 times... it can be interesting for people that are intrigued with probability and not stupid about their money.

I've had 4 aces in Vegas, a straight flush to the queen and I bluffed the table once... these are simply fun things to do with a hundred dollars and 8 hours of my life. Not much more to it than that.

If I ever sit down next to someone who is silly enough to pray in a casino, and it's happened a couple times... I simply get up and change tables because that's just plain stupid. Anyone that thinks their God cares about their betting in a casino obviously has a screw loose and can do nothing but harm my ability to concentrate on my own game.

I get a little irritated when professional athletes invoke God repeatedly as well. It just seems very selfish to me, since they believe in God and probably think that God can help humans in many ways, for someone to focus that energy on themselves in a baseball or football game seems wrong to me.

Beastie-girl says: "... we might like to know whether there are more similarities than differences or vice versa regarding reasons for gambling on the parts of atheists or theists..."

Or we could just say that there are dumb theists and dumb atheists. But we knew that already.

When I used to go to Atlantic City, I was most interested in the menu in the casino's buffet room or other restaurants. Since I used to lose most of the time, I cannot lament the closing of the casino which took my money, whether or not God is factored into the picture. I just wish that He were there to warn me the day that I mistook the buffet room's large bowl of horseradish for whitefish. Stuffed it in my mouth. . . .

Elexina: The whitefish I have been seeing in recent years are usually in a showcase uncooked.

Guess your ESP was asleep at the switch that time! But what about your olfactory sense? That ought to have given you a clue.

quote:

Originally posted by babthrower:
Guess your ESP was asleep at the switch that time! But what about your olfactory sense? That ought to have given you a clue.

I must have been in "wish fulfillment" mode.