Pascal’s Wager, and Its Relationship to Current Apologetics

                Blaise Pascal was a renowned scientist, and a profound Christian writer. He had many contributions to the scientific community, including the first digital calculator, a fundamental gas law, and had his name set to a unit of pressure. However, his contribution to the Christian community, in the form of what we call Pascal’s wager. Pascal’s wager says: If a person does not believe in God and God does not exist, then that person gains nothing. On the other hand, if a person does not believe in God and God actually does exist, that person stands to lose everything. The consequence for wagering incorrectly would involve an infinite loss (eternal exclusion from life with God, or hell). In terms of a cost-benefit analysis, the one who wagers against God has nothing to gain and everything to lose. Given these two options, Pascal logically asserts that the prudent person should wager on God. However, should this be a brute force method to shut down any sort of argument about the existence of God, or the validity of the claims of Christianity? I want to take a little bit of time and explore these questions.
                To the first, “does Pascal’s wager shut down any discussion over the existence of God?” I don’t think that it should be a knock down argument in the sense that we stop any questioners with this wager, but I think it is something that can be brought up in a friendly manner with an atheist/agnostic that we have a rapport with. The logic of this argument is sound, but we must remember 1 Peter 3:15, and defend the faith with gentleness and respect.
                To the second, “does Pascal’s wager say anything about the validity of Christianity?” Not especially, but I do think that if one follows Pascal’s wager to its conclusion, then we should be spurred on to exploring the religious claims of all faiths, and determine if any are worth following. Obviously I am biased and will say that Christianity is exclusively true and stands above all other faiths of the world, but I would hope that arguments like Pascal’s wager would encourage you to explore the claims of Christianity, and find that there is evidence to support it. Even more than that; that you would come to realize that we serve a living, personal God, who wants to bring you into a relationship with Him as a member of His kingdom, and an intimate member of His family. I would be honored to explore Christianity and scripture with you and hopefully be a companion on this journey between you and the Holy Spirit. Feel free to reach out through my Google account, or through the Facebook page devoted to supporting this blog ministry. May God bless you and have a good rest of your day.
Reference

http://www.reasons.org/blogs/reflections/christian-thinkers-101-a-crash-course-on-blaise-pascal

Comments

  1. UnknownSeptember 22, 2017 at 5:30 AM

    Superb post regarding "Pascal’s Wager, and Its Relationship to Current Apologetics"

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