Blaise Pascal presents a wager, a wager that is so important that not to wager
would be a mistake. The question of whether or not to believe in God? Now, only two
choices are to be had, live like a God exists or live like a God does not exist. First, the
preliminaries, we know the finite exists, and its nature is believed to be known,
furthermore we know that the infinite exists but that in which, we don't know the nature.
So we know neither the nature nor the existence of God but yet there is faith. As Pascal
explains, humans figure things by reason or experience, they are our tools of discovery.
But, the problem being the existence of God can not be conceived by reason or
experience. Therefore Pascal introduces a wager. The wager breaks down very simply,
believe and have faith that God exists and in the end infinite happiness for infinity God so
exists. Or do not believe, and if in the end He exists well then one will spend eternity in
hell. But, if one lives life as if God exists but he does not well then what you have lost in
life is wasted time of living and wasted time of thought. Now the easy way out on this
would be of course not to wager, because if one never made a decision why then can he
be punished or rewarded either way. Not possible, because Pascal would say something
of the sort that basically you have to wager because it is God and your dealing with
infinite pain or infinite happiness.
Pascal ultimately wants to show you his reasoning, Pascal states, "I
would have far more fear of being mistaken, and of finding that the Christian religion was
true, than of not being mistaken in believing it true." Pascal leaves it out their for one to
decide. But, what is made so clearly is the fact of where he stands. It is one's own
choice to believe God exists or does not exist but it is definitely in your best inte
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