Pascal's Wager (25 page)

Now let’s speak in accordance with our natural understanding
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If there is a God, he would be unfathomable, and infinitely so, since, having neither parts nor boundaries, he would exist in a way that we could not even imagine. Thus, we have no power to know either his nature or his existence. And because this is the case, it is impossible for anyone to solve this problem. Who would dare? Not we mere mortals, who are so disproportionate to him
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Who, then, will complain about Christians when they are unable to rationally account for their beliefs, since in truth no such account can be rendered? In proclaiming the faith to the world, they say it is a folly, a stultitiam (1 Cor. 1:18), and then you complain that they did not prove it! If they had managed to prove it, they wouldn’t be keeping their word, because it’s by lacking a proof that they show their sense
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“Yes,” you say, “but even though this might excuse those who offer this religion as it is, and might free them from the blame of offering it without a rational argument, it doesn’t excuse those who accept it.”

Let’s examine that point, then: let’s say that God does or does not exist. Which side should we choose? Reason is powerless before such an issue. There is an infinite abyss separating us. At the far end of this infinite universe, a coin is tossed—which will turn up, heads or tails? What will you wager? Relying merely on reason, you can’t decide. You can’t rationally bet either way, for you can’t defend either choice.

Thus, don’t call people who have made a choice fools, for you know nothing about it.

“No, but I’ll blame them,” you say, “for making any choice at all, because, even if one man picks heads and the other man picks tails, both are equally at fault, for the right thing is not to bet at all.”

But I say it’s necessary to bet. You cannot avoid it, for you are already launched on the waters. This being the case, which one will you take? How will you decide? Come now, since you must choose, let’s consider which one is of less importance to you. You have two things to lose—the true and the good, and two things to stake—your reason and your will, your knowledge and your bliss, and your nature has two things to shun—error and misery. Since you absolutely must choose [by living, you cannot avoid it], your intelligence will not be offended by one choice any more than by the other. That’s one point settled.

But your bliss? Let’s play the game and weigh the consequences of playing if you take heads—that is, that God exists. Now, let’s evaluate these two cases: if you win, you win everything, and if you lose, you lose nothing; so, consider that you needn’t hesitate. It’s a wonderful situation!

“Yes, I must wager,” you say, “but I don’t want to bet too much.”

Let’s see now, since the chance of winning and the chance of losing are even, then perhaps let’s say that you would win two lives for one, you could still bet, but if there were three to be won, you have to wager (since life forces you to play) and you’d be a fool, being forced to wager, not to risk your one life for three lives when the chances of losing and winning are even.

But there is an eternity of life and happiness at stake. You have one chance of winning, and a finite number of chances of losing and what you are risking is itself finite, but what you could win is infinite. The choice is clear: there can be no excuses for timidity when an infinity of life is to be won in a game where there is a finite number of chances to lose as opposed to a single chance of winning. No cowardice, now—you must give all! And so, in a game like this, where you have to play, you would be irrational to clutch at your life rather than risk it
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Therefore, this argument carries infinite weight, because the possibility of gaining an infinity of goodness is equal to the possibility of the loss of nothingness
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That is conclusive and, if men are capable of truth, this statement is true!

“I admit it, I confess, but isn’t there any way of ‘peeking at the cards’?” Yes, the scriptures and the rest, etc. “Yes, but my hands are tied in my lips are silenced, I’m being forced to bet and I’m not at liberty, they won’t let me go, and my nature is such that I haven’t the power to believe. What, then, would you have me to do?”

It’s true, but at least wake up to the fact that your inability to believe comes from your passions, since reason induces you to believe but you still can’t. So, don’t strive to persuade yourself by counting up proofs of God’s existence; strive to diminish your passions. You want to find faith, but you don’t know the way. You want to cure yourself of your unbelief and you’re asking for remedies; learn from those who were once tied up like you and are now throwing the dice. They are people who know the path you’d like to follow; they are people cured of a disease from which you’d like to be cured—follow the way they started on.

They acted as if they believed—they took holy water, they had Masses said, and the like. That will make you believe quite naturally, and will make you more pliable to the faith.

“But that’s what I fear.” Why? What do you have to lose?

How will you be harmed by choosing this path? You will be faithful, honest, humble, and grateful; you will be full of good works, and will become a true, good friend to those who know you. What will you lose? Noxious pleasures, vainglory, and riotous times, but these losses will be easily supplanted by other, greater joys.