Thoughts was Pascal's most notable work, but not published until after his death. In it, he provided arguments and examinations in defense of the Christian faith, one most famous argument being Pascal's Wager, the idea that even if the existence of God cannot be proved by reason, a person should still carry on as if there is a God, because this kind of living has everything to gain and absolutely nothing to lose. After reading this, my mind immediately went to C.S. Lewis's The Silver Chair, the fourth book of the Narnia franchise. Eustace, Jill Pole, Prince Rilian, and a marsh-wiggle named Puddleglum are trapped in an underground world by an evil witch. With her powers, the witch tries to trick the children into thinking their world above isn't real. She tells them that their concept of the sun merely comes from the lamps in the underground world (that was what lit the streets there) and that their concept of Aslan the lion comes from seeing cats and just wishing for a bigger cat.
After a moment of this, usually pessimistic Puddleglum steps up and interrupts her with maybe the most beautiful speech I've ever read in the Narnia series:
"One word, ma'am, one word. All you've been saying is quite right, I shouldn't wonder. I'm a chap who always liked to know the worst and then put the best face I can on it. So I won't deny any of what you said. But there's one thing more to be said, even so. Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things-trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that's a funny thing, when you to come to think of it. We're just babies making up a game, if you're right. But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That's why I'm going to stand by the play-world. I'm on Aslan's side even if there isn't any Aslan to lead it. I'm going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn't any Narnia."
The very essence of Christianity is faith in God. Just like Puddleglum wanted to believe he was still a Narnian and that Aslan still existed despite external criticism and lack of proof, Pascal wanted to believe he was still a Christian and that God still existed despite external criticism and lack of proof. Because to both, that was the only life worth living. And it still is.
I commented on blogs by Jacob Clabo and Jamie Peters.
After a moment of this, usually pessimistic Puddleglum steps up and interrupts her with maybe the most beautiful speech I've ever read in the Narnia series:
"One word, ma'am, one word. All you've been saying is quite right, I shouldn't wonder. I'm a chap who always liked to know the worst and then put the best face I can on it. So I won't deny any of what you said. But there's one thing more to be said, even so. Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things-trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that's a funny thing, when you to come to think of it. We're just babies making up a game, if you're right. But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That's why I'm going to stand by the play-world. I'm on Aslan's side even if there isn't any Aslan to lead it. I'm going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn't any Narnia."
The very essence of Christianity is faith in God. Just like Puddleglum wanted to believe he was still a Narnian and that Aslan still existed despite external criticism and lack of proof, Pascal wanted to believe he was still a Christian and that God still existed despite external criticism and lack of proof. Because to both, that was the only life worth living. And it still is.
I commented on blogs by Jacob Clabo and Jamie Peters.
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