Skip to main content

Pascal's Wager and Being Able to Think!

Image
By

 +

JMJ

The Intro

Pascal's Wager is an argument to pursue virtue and according to Wikipedia, was published post-posthumously with the basic structure: 

  • God is, or God is not. Reason cannot decide between the two alternatives"
  • "A Game is being played ... where heads or tails will turn up"
  • "You must wager; it is not optional"
  • "Let us weigh the gain and the loss in wagering that God is. Let us estimate these two chances. If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing"
  • "Wager, then, without hesitation that He is. ... There is here an infinity of an infinitely happy life to gain, a chance of gain against a finite number of chances of loss, and what you stake is finite. And so our proposition is of infinite force when there is the finite to stake in a game where there are equal risks of gain and of loss, and the infinite to gain."
  • "But some cannot believe. They should then 'at least learn your inability to believe...' and 'Endeavour then to convince' themselves."

The Risk

I have been a risk manager and like to put things in that frame. However, before that we need to examine quickly the possible end-points of our mortal existence:

  1. Heaven: We die in a state of grace and are saved for eternity.
  2. Hell: We die in a state of mortal sin and are damned for eternity.
  3. Dissolution: We dissolve into nothing.

Its either good, bad or nothing.
Most religions have some version of #1 and #2, whereas atheists etc believe that death is just the end as opposed to the beginning of eternity.  Some religions believe in a version of Heaven and Hell that are temporary way-stations until they are ready for reincarnations again. 

So, the wager wouldn't make sense to them - unless they had been exposed to the Catholic / Christian and were presented with an argument that if the Catholic / Christian belief is correct. Then the wager would make sense.

... moving on ...

So, no matter what, you are now alive and nothing can alter the fact that you are making decisions and will die. Death, that first of the last four things that is a surety. 

The uncertainty surrounds the existence of God and the wager (what you give up) to attain salvation should He exist.

 “Because of <one or more causes>, <risk> might occur, which would lead to <one or more effects>.” Risk Meta Language - David Hillson

  • Because
    • It is possible that God exists,
    • you have been born,
    • are making decisions every day between
      • virtue 
      • and vice
    • and will eventually die, 
  • a judgement of your actions might occur
  • which would lead to either receiving
      • eternal reward (Heaven), (Purgatory being a temporary state - even measured in 100's of years),
      • or eternal punishment (Hell).

The Wager

So, what are you willing to bet that God doesn't exist?
  • If God exists and
    • you live a life of virtue, you stand to gain Heaven - i.e. eternal happiness,
    • you live a life of vice, you will almost certainly lose Heaven,
  • If God does not exist, 
    • you live a life of virtue, you will lose nothing,
    • you live a life of vice, you will lose nothing,
A rationale betting man or woman would chose to live a life of virtue

Following Pascal's wager, every rational unbeliever would live a life of virtue on the chance that a much greater reward awaits those who practice virtue.

Death, Judgement, Heaven, or Hell

The wager isn't an argument for the existence of God, it is simply a bet that we are each making by our decisions.  

In this case, he was making the case of the wager that the Christian God exists, I obviously am making it that the Catholic Church is the Church of Christ who is the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity,and is God.

Catholic Teaching states that there are four last things - as mentioned earlier death is a certainty for all of us.

Next comes judgement - in which souls in the State of Grace and State of Mortal Sin are judged and their reward or punishment determined. In other words Heaven and Hell are not the same for everyone.

Then comes Heaven or Hell, depending if you are in the former or latter group.

For ever.

Conclusion

What you stand to gain by living a virtuous life is Heaven. 

What you lose in exchange for an eternity in Heaven, are the pleasures and vices that you gave up in the short years of your life here on Earth.

That is infinite vs finite aka ∞ / 0 = ∞ (Infinity divided by zero still equals infinity).

Said another way, is living a life of vice comes with the price of a lost opportunity.

The scales tip towards living a life of virtue.


P^3

Pascal's wager - Wikipedia



Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Count Capponi - RIP

By
+ JMJ I had heard of Count Capponi over the years and was happy to hear a voice crying in the wilderness. I suspect that his conscience was clearer than many. This part of the article caught my attention: Capponi defended the right of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre to continue his work without the label “schismatic,” which term Capponi rejected, saying: “You cannot apply the standards of the new code of canon law and the mentality of the old code. According to the new code, Lefebvre could do what he did with a Catholic intention, and he did what he did in ‘sincerity’ and invoked the ‘state of emergency’ argument, which the new code permits. You might not like the new code, but it’s what governs the Church.” I know a few people who tried to stir up a fuss when the SSPX cited the New Code in one of the documents with Rome.  Yet, the truth is what it is --- the New Code was promulgated by a reigning Pope and flawed as it is ... there are some benefits to its liberality. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Is it sinful to attend the Novus Ordo (New Mass) - Is it Sinful to Not Attend the Novus Ordo on Sunday?

By
+ JMJ A non-SSPX Catholic is upset over the SSPX statements on not attending the Novus Ordo Missae. Ladies and gentlemen, what the SSPX, or at least its website editor, is advocating is a mortal sin against the Third Commandment.  Unless the priest deviates from the language of the Sacramentary, the consecration, and thus the rest of Mass is to be considered valid.  No one may elect not to attend Mass simply because abuses are occurring therein.  Might I suggest that such absenteeism is its own abuse?  The Third Commandment binds under mortal sin.  Father So-And-So from the SSPX has no authority whatsoever to excuse attendance at Mass, be that Mass ever so unpalatable. Source:Restore DC Catholicism Well, this is interesting. First why does the SSPX issue this statement? Because it is sinful to put your faith in danger by attending a protestant service.  It is likewise dangerous to put your faith in danger by attending a protestantized ma...
Post a Comment
Read more

Those who return to the past are not outside the Church - Rorate Caeli

By
+ JMJ I had been thinking about putting together a post explaining some of the history of how the SSPX has arrived at its current position. Now I see that Rorate has posted a translated editorial that shows the roots of the SSPX principles. In reading these words, I see patterns and themes that were put forward by Archbishop Lefebvre decades ago. Perhaps his sight was clearer than most. P^3
Post a Comment
Read more

Fr. Burfitt on Fr. Pfeiffer's Attempted Consecration

By
 + JMJ   Amidst the shadows cast by the publication of Traditionis Custodes, I am working on a map of the 'resistance' splinters to put their reaction in contrast with that of the SSPX.  In the midst of this, I just came across Fr. Burfitt letter on the attempted consecration. Breaking it down (see below)  items 2 and 3 are key.  Just as the consecrating bishop is 'doubtful', even if he hadn't muffed the first attempt, Fr. Pfeiffer remain doubtful and therefore this impacts those men is attempts to 'ordain'. There were rumours that Fr. Pfeiffer was seeking episcopal consecration for years as he cast about for various bishops (also doubtful) to help him achieve this goal. I wonder how he convinced the 'doubtful' bishop to provide (twice) the doubtful consecration. What a mess!  This creates a danger to the souls of his followers and wonder where it will end. Will he go full sede and have himself 'elected' pontiff as others have done before him...
Post a Comment
Read more

SSPX Transfers

By
+ JMJ Eponymous flow posted the following list of transfers etc. Source: http://eponymousflower.blogspot.com/2020/04/castling-of-leadership-at-sspx.html The departures Bishop Bernard Fellay, the third Superior General until 2018, leaves the General House in Menzingen and moves to the Seminary of St. Thomas Aquinas in the USA. Bishop Bernard Tissier de Mallerais, suffering from ill health, is being referred to the Seminary of St. Pius X in Ecene as a retreat. Fr. Christian Thouvenot, until now Secretary General of the General House, becomes a professor at the seminary in Ecene. Fr. Franz Schmidberger, until now Rector at the Seminary of the Heart of Jesus in Zaitzkofen, moves to the district of Germany. Fr. Jürgen Wegner, until now district superior of the DISTRICT USA, moves to the district of Austria. Fr. Philippe Brunet, until now Superior of the Autonomous House of Spain-Portugal, becomes professor at the Seminary U.L.F. and co-saviour of La Reja in...
2 comments
Read more