1. From the scenario described above, would you press the button if the stranger claimed that you’d immediately receive $10 million, but a total stranger elsewhere would die: would you press the button? No I would not.
2. What if the offer were increased to $50 million, but the catch was that someone you know personally — either family, a friend, a co-worker, or an acquaintance — would die, and you’d have no control of who it was: would you press the button? No I would not.
3. What if he told you that pushing the button would give you $10 million, but that an inmate on death row would die of natural causes: would you press the button? While I think those who are on Death Row have the reason to be there. I am not the one stated by law to pull the trigger. For any amount of money. So No I would not.
4. What if, in addition to the scenario in #2, he confirmed that the death row inmate had genuinely committed the crime of which he was convicted, so there was no chance of killing an “innocent” man: would you then press the button? No I would not for the same reason above.
5. What if, instead of any of those scenarios, the stranger said pressing the button would give you $1 million dollars and the knowledge of exactly what day and what time you would die: would you still press the button? Maybe. At least I could be prepared.
6. And what if, instead of any other scenario, the stranger told you that pressing the button would give you just $10,000, but that you’d also have a one-hour, one-on-one encounter with God, removing all doubt that He exists, but that you’d then have to live a life that reflected your newly-found knowledge. Would you press the button? Um…No thanks.