Pascal's wager
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Pascal's Wager is a philosophical proposition which takes the following form:
God either exists or not.
- If God does not exist and you do not not believe in God, you gain the freedom to do whatever you want without penalty.
- If God does exist and you do not believe in God, you are condemned to an eternity in hell.
- If God does not exist and you do believe in God, you will have wasted part of your life.
- If God does exist and you do believe in God, you will recieve an eternity in heaven.
Blaise Pascal reasoned that, given the relative gains and losses for each scenario, the only sensible course for a rational human being was to believe in God. Pascal's wager as Pascal stated is inherently flawed within the context of Christianity, because within Christian theology, mere belief in God does not ensure salvation.