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  • Essay / Existence of God by Blaise Pascal

    In Blaise Pascal's commentary, “Yes, faith is a logical bet”, having faith in God is a rational choice unlike not having faith in God because there has much to gain and nothing. lose (Rickabaugh Lecture). According to Pascal, hypothetically, it is possible that there is a God, and if we have faith in Him, we can experience infinite gain beyond the finite we know. However, due to the finite world that our finite bodies inhabit, we are unable to truly know the existence of God because His infinity is beyond our parameters of knowledge. So we can't even be certain that there is an infinite God, much less a God. In this mindset, Pascal believes that despite insufficient evidence from God, it is still rational to have faith, because if there is infinity beyond this finite life we ​​live, we will get the rewards of it . However, if there is no infinity, and yet we put our faith on the line, there is nothing to lose because the outcome of a finite life will remain the same. Although Pascal is correct that faith is logical and rational, the way he presents his argument is invalid and misleading. In reality, faith in God is not a simple concept. On the contrary, it is quite complex because there is a lot to gain and a lot to lose. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get an original essay The way Pascal presents his argument offers a false sense of simplicity. It is understandable to gamble on faith if there is absolute certainty that nothing will be lost. The only options are to acquire something that has not been acquired before, which would be beneficial, or to leave the situation unchanged, which would be indifference. However, having faith is a gamble in itself because of the magnitude of the losses involved. While having true faith in God, we are challenged to abandon the pleasures of our finite self: sin. To ultimately have faith in God, one must recognize the evil nature of their sins and attempt to renounce the pleasures to which our finite bodies cling. Although sin is still alive and functioning in the daily lives of those who have faith in God. and those who do not, there is a difference between those who have sacrificed pleasures to obtain this faith. Those who have faith recognize and attempt to rid themselves of their sin for God: an infinite. Those who do not have faith either do not recognize their sin, or recognize it and try to get rid of it for their own well-being: an end. When one understands or attempts to understand the desirability of these pleasures, true faith in God is present because a sacrifice of a finite is given in the name of an infinite. While he who does not have true faith sacrifices a finite for a finished. Getting rid of finite, sinful pleasures may not seem like much of a danger if one wants to gain infinite experience. However, according to Pascal, there is no way to prove an infinite God. If the reality is that there is no God, getting rid of what is most desirable for us in our limited lives is a big gamble because finite pleasures would be the only pleasures. In conclusion, faith in God is not an easy choice. Betting on wins and losses is a risk that many are not willing to take without sufficient evidence. The idea of ​​participating in an infinite possibility may seem intriguing, but the consequences of sacrificing pleasure deter many people from fully dedicating their faith to it. Only those with true faith are willing to suffer the loss of finite pleasures in the hope of a greater infinity beyond what our limited minds could imagine. Having faith can be logical and rational in.