Pascal (was Re: Adam and Eve - myth?)

--- George Murphy <gmurphy@raex.com> wrote:
> wallyshoes wrote:
> ..............
> > > I don't think I've ever heard a Christian say,
> > > "I'd rather be Christian and wrong than atheist
> and right" but I suspect
> > > this may be the attitude of some.
> >
> > Not too many. However Pascal was one who made such
> a statement. A discussion may
> > be seen in:
> http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pascal-wager/#4 I
> just say this
> > for information, since most discussions focus on
> the flaws in Pascal's "wager"................
>
> Pascal didn't actually say this of himself. He
> offered the wager as an
> apologetic argument - i.e., that the skeptic ought
> to play the odds.
>
> Shalom,
> George
>

Since we are mentioning Pascal and it is on point to
Pascal's understanding of God, I can't help but chime
in about the revelation Pascal experienced -- "From
about half past ten in the evening till about half
past twelve
FIRE
God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, not of the
philosophers and scholars."

I know that it is easy for me to forget that -- all
the ratiocination that goes on can sometimes dull one
to the fact that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
is often different in important respects than some of
the ideas that philosophy imports into our
understanding of God.

In light of Pascal's life -- which burned so bright
and short -- and the deprivations to which he went in
his endeavor to follow Our Lord, it is clear that he
did not view it primarily as an intellectual pursuit
(much less playing the odds).

One also has to remember that Pascal had not worked
out his wage argument (if he ever intended to make
one) like most of the Pensees, it wasone among many a
scrap of paper. Pascal's intent for the future of any
of which is unknown.

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Received on Tue Dec 30 14:00:45 2003