Blaise
Pascal (1623 to 1662) penned "Pascal's Pensees" - a collection of his
thoughts and ideas. One was known simply
as "The Wager" (#233) and has been discussed for 100’s of years now.
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/18269/18269-h/18269-h.htm
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/18269/18269-h/18269-h.htm
Blaise
Pascal was a mathematician, a physicist, a writer and a Christian philosopher,
who’s work was the basis for most of the computer language behind most of our
applications and operating systems today.
As
much as his logical argument (The Wager) was true then, it is even more true
today.
“Belief is a wise wager. Granted that faith cannot be proved, what harm will come to you if you gamble on its truth and it proves false? If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation, that He exists”
I've described it to my children, youth groups and small groups like this:
We can accept that numbers are infinite. There are odd numbers, even numbers, positive and negative, but there cannot be a finite end, for there is always 1 greater or 1 less than whatever number you can think of. We accept that space is infinitely large and infinitely small, because we have yet to reach it's edge. We accept that there is always something beyond what we can see and know. But in relation to time, we see finite limits. 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week, 52 weeks or 365 days in a year, a certain number of years in a life. Each description of time has a finite definition of length and because we will all die time has a finite end. So, we accept that we are each given a finite time on this earth.
“Belief is a wise wager. Granted that faith cannot be proved, what harm will come to you if you gamble on its truth and it proves false? If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation, that He exists”
I've described it to my children, youth groups and small groups like this:
We can accept that numbers are infinite. There are odd numbers, even numbers, positive and negative, but there cannot be a finite end, for there is always 1 greater or 1 less than whatever number you can think of. We accept that space is infinitely large and infinitely small, because we have yet to reach it's edge. We accept that there is always something beyond what we can see and know. But in relation to time, we see finite limits. 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week, 52 weeks or 365 days in a year, a certain number of years in a life. Each description of time has a finite definition of length and because we will all die time has a finite end. So, we accept that we are each given a finite time on this earth.
If
we choose that this life is all there is and we can only accept those things
that are finite, then by logic and reason we can do anything we want and desire
in this lifetime, without eternal concern.
This person will live this life without abandon and without fear of consequences
based on something they choose not to accept.
They will wager that there is no infinite time of eternity. It’s not a matter of inability to accept,
because we have already demonstrated that they accept the principle of
infinity, it’s an unwillingness to accept it.
They are unwilling to risk missing out on what they could be doing in
the finite time of their known life, for the uncertainty of a possible infinity
of eternity.
On
the other hand, some people are willing to expand their thinking beyond what is
finite and known, to that which is unknown and that which is infinite. In doing so they make a choice to live this
life in search, in expectation and understanding that the infinite eternity is
as real as infinite numbers and space. These individuals will wager that this life
is only a temporary passing of time, with a faith that something greater and
infinite in time exists beyond the known. The choices and decisions this group will
pursue in this life will be made with an understanding that it impacts the
reward in the infinite eternal reality.
The risk they realize is missing the goodness and righteous infinite
reward as a trade off for the temporary pleasures of this finite life. The fear of this group of individuals is that
those who do not agree with an infinite eternity will end up in an infinitely
eternal state of Hell, having wagered everything for this life with no worry of
the next.
Everyone
must participate in the wager, so which will you choose?
As
a formula:
If Y then A=G and B=H If N then A=B
There is eternity = Y There is no eternity = N
Eternal Heaven = G Eternal Hell = H
Belief in God = A No belief in God = B
